The first ever SRO Motorsports America race weekend at the NOLA Motorsports Park was a great success. What few people knew was just how much work took place in the three weeks prior to the race to make it a reality. While a little rain may have fallen, the competition was excellent and even those who may not have won a race left with great memories of the weekend. We asked a few folks about their thoughts on the first ever visit to the track and the city.
Greg Gill (President, CEO, SRO Motorsports America): The SRO Motorsports community loved our first visit to the NOLA Motorsports Park. The racers enjoyed the track. Our fans enjoyed the interaction with the drivers and cars, and everyone loved the local food. Given that this event was planned on such a tight timeline, the results were remarkable and proof that the right team can produce great results.
Michele Beretta (K-PAX Racing): The track is very flat compared to other places like VIR or Sonoma [Raceway], but we have a really cool section in the middle with a very-high-speed corner. You have to get the flow through the curb, so it's really nice there. There's a little bit of everything -- slow corners and high-speed sections. It's a very technical track.
Andrea Caldarelli (K-PAX Racing): It's nice to be here for the first time. Discovering new towns around America, and finding something different is always a nice experience. I did a small tour around the town, and it's a bit different from everywhere I've been in the states. There is a really nice vibe downtown, and it looks like a really cool city to visit if I had enough time to explore it outside of the race. I would like to spend a few days just exploring. I was pleasantly surprised with the track itself -- how nice it is. You have low-speed, high-speed and the esses that you really have to commit to because they're so challenging. It definitely is a very nice track to race on.
Jan Heylen (Wright Motorsports): A big effort was made by SRO to make this event happen and I think everyone is very thankful for that; I certainly am. For such a last-minute decision, I think that the event went great. A little unlucky yesterday in GT4 with the weather, but all and all a great facility. I think everybody came here being happily surprised with how nice the facility was.
Sally McNulty (VGRT): The “big easy” put on a great show on and off the track. I really love being able to race by day at an excellent facility and enjoy some fun by night in the city! There is no end your weekend fun here at NOLA!
Kevin Boehm (Skip Barber Racing): The track was a really fun track to learn. It is a more technical track than first appearances let on and it requires a lot of commitment in the high speed esses to get a perfect lap. It was a privilege to grab the first TC win at the track.
Sharon Santino-Boehm (Skip Barber Racing): Many of the tracks we visit are located in areas that require a vehicle to get around. This usually means we don’t see much of the local community, especially since we have limited to no free time. Fortunately, we stayed in downtown New Orleans and were able to walk to the French Quarter and Warehouse District for dinner. The food is amazing, the music is phenomenal, and the people are hospitable and warm. It was a small but refreshing break during our fun (but intense) event.
Jacob Ruud (Fast Track Racing): It is a very challenging track, but I think it’s very very fun to drive. It takes a lot of driver skill to compete on the NOLA circuit. It has many technical corners and it’s tough.
Be sure to check out the GT World Youtube channel to watch complete recaps. This cinematic highlight reel captures the flavor of the weekend.
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