Palmer Motorsports Park (PMP) was conceived as the flagship track of the New England Region Sports Car Club of America (NER SCCA). NER formed a search committee and LLC (NER Investments) ~ 1999. After five years, a 500+ site on "Whiskey Hill" in Palmer was found.
In December 2007, after professional review and public hearings, the Palmer Planning Board granted NER a special use permit. A local racer-developer then took over and made further changes: a new circuit (shown here), a hotel, private garages suites and aBarkow Leibinger-designed structure,described here, which the Planning Board approved in February, 2009.
Following the 2008 recession, the project stalled. When the money and land were finally secured, groundbreaking occurred in late 2013 by J. Read Corp (Groundbreaking Memo). After much work and a few hiccups, in May 2015 Whiskey Hill Raceway opened: a bidirectional 2.3 mile circuit with 190+ feet of vertical elevation and vistas into New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut and New York. Road & Track magazine proclaimed Whiskey Hill Raceway one of the top 10 race tracks to drive in North America.
No history is complete without naming names. First and foremost, NER SCCA's Dick Patullo, Bruce Allen, Rob Laverty and Lou Gingerella, who chaired the committee, Excel'd a biz plan, designed a balanced-site circuit, and donned a golden parachute; SCCA and town officials – Kathy Barnes, Bob Ring & Don Duffy, Mike Marciniec & Linda Leduc – who cut red tape; Tim Pappas and his eco-prescient plans; and Glenn Conser & Bill Kephart for their "Rocky Mountain High Plains" hope. Credit (literally) goes to Don Anderson & Hampden County Bank for their good faith cash and to Greg Read & Dan Moeller for their hard labor. In cameo roles: HMS’ Joe Marko & TMS’ Will Turner for role modeling; Charli-Electrified Greenhaus for solar flares; and lastly, court jester & scribe "Fast Fred" and his trusted Uriah Heep attorney, Jono Fryer, Esquire.
History continues to be made by: Christopher Tier, Al Sandy, JC, Kaleigh, Kevin, Matt, Mark, Nick, Stan & staff who scrub floors, wack weeds, wave flags, pump gas, guard the gates, post pics & keep the lights on; and by our sponsors and members and everyone else who races on track or just hangs out in the paddock.