10:00am Arrive at Atlantic Motorsport Park. Meet in the parking lot to the right near a small set of bleachers, inside the main gate next to the track. Entry fee is $10 per person, children under 12 can enter for free with an adult. The trip takes 50-60 minutes from Halifax.
10:15am Parking Lot – Orientation, Safety and Rules as per racetrack official’s instructions *MANDATORY*
10:30am Enjoy the races!
Track Rules/Safety Notes:
1. DO NOT wear Yellow or Red jackets, t-shirts, etc. You will not be allowed track side. The riders can easily misinterpret a yellow t-shirt or jacket as a caution flag and may slow causing a hazard on the track. Red is worse as a red flag means the track is blocked by a hazard and stop immediately.
2. ALWAYS listen to the marshals. If you hear a whistle, STOP immediately and look around. This usually means you have walked somewhere you are not allowed to be for safety/security reasons. If the marshal is yelling at you to back-up, do it immediately or you will be ejected from the track area.
3. Pit Lane. Only pit crews are allowed on Pit Lane. DO NOT walk along Pit Lane. It is very active and a rider can very quickly exit the track and drive down Pit Lane for any number of reasons. Serious injury can occur if you are in the way when an emergency happens.
4. Tower Area. Everyone is welcome to view the racing from the bottom level of the tower. To access the tower, you need to cross Pit Lane. You can only do this at the entrance to Pit Lane and only after exercising EXTREME caution looking for hazards first.
5. NEVER, EVER, cross the race track. The only access to the inner track area is via the tunnel under Turn 1.
6. NO ONE is allowed anywhere on an inside or outside corner unless behind a safety barrier and the marshal knows you are there and says it is okay. Some marshals will be more easy-going than others. Your deportment can significantly improve your odds of getting a great location and it is advised to ALWAYS ask first rather than hear a whistle and be told to move.
7. NO CHAIRS are allowed track side. If you take one, you can only use it in specific areas behind safety barriers.
8. Accidents happen and you must be able to react instantly to move out of the way. If a marshal thinks you are a hazard you will be removed. No questions or discussion.
General Notes:
1. Atlantic Motorsport Park is located about 15 minutes from Shubenacadie and 50-60 minutes from Halifax. Directions:
Take Exit 10 off Highway 102, and head into Shubenacadie (2.3km)
At the stop sign, turn hard right onto West Indian Road (watch for the sign: Indian Brook / Mill Village / McPhee’s Corner)
Drive 2.6km, keep right (Look for the Motorsport Park sign)
Drive 2km, turn right (Look for the North Salem / Atlantic Motorsport Park sign)
After 2.6km, the road will change to gravel. Drive on gravel road for another 2.2km
Turn Right just before the farm (look for the Atlantic Motorsport Park sign)
Follow this road (1.2km) until you reach the Atlantic Motorsport Park gates
2. Recommended attire – Wear sturdy (maybe waterproof) footwear and prepare for wet and dry weather. The field trip will take place regardless of the weather. Sunscreen and insect repellent are also recommended. Protect yourself accordingly against ticks.
3. Lunch and snacks – take your own. There may be limited “canteen type” food onsite located next to the registration building. There will be approximately an hour for lunch from noon to 1pm. Take lots of water.
4. Washrooms are located at the outfield between Turn 10 and 11. Vehicles are strongly discouraged from pit road/paddock, so you will need to plan any trips to the washroom / tower / pit road area.
5. During orientation, I will collect field trip waiver forms which are required for access to the track. You can also email your digital copy of the waiver to me by Saturday, May 28th at noon Atlantic. See below for more information.
6. Be prepared to walk. The track is 2.5km long and consists of 11 challenging turns and varying elevations. The infield area can also be challenging to walk and covers a very large area – about 300+ acres. If you prefer not to walk those distances, there are other great options.
7. Race schedule usually includes:
Practice Sessions – 9 to 11
Qualifying Sessions – 11 to noon
Races – 1 to 4:30 with awards following
Note: The race schedule will be subject to change and delays due to weather/wrecks/etc.
Gear/Equipment:
1. Depending on what you hope to achieve, a dSLR is highly recommended. A fast lens is not necessary, but will significantly improve your chance of capturing a good image.
2. You will likely want at least a 100mm lens. I use a 100-400mm lens and most images are shot at 200mm. You will want a shorter lens for photos in the pit area.
Health Etiquette:
If you do not feel well for any reason, please stay home. Although the field trip is outside, please be respectful and give people enough physical space regardless of whether or not they are wearing a mask.
URLs:
Map
Atlantic Motorsport Park
Society of Atlantic Roadracing League
PGNS Field Trip Waiver – mandatory. Two choices:
Digital version can be filled out electronically and sent to P. Mills by return email the day before on Saturday, May 28th by noon Atlantic. Download the form here.
This field trip waiver can be printed, signed, and given to P. Mills at the meet-up area on Sunday morning. Download the form here.
Track Map:
Meet-up area shown in red below and is close to the tunnel under Turn 1.