Discussions: Classic Cars: Thunderbolt Historics-NJMP-Sept 19- 21 Classic Motorsports Magazine

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Thunderbolt Historics-NJMP-Sept 19- 21

Sept. 13, 2008 4:25 a.m. aeronca65t Reader

September 19th - 21st Thunderbolt Historics Millville, NJ

~Click Here~ for info flyer.

• Fantastic vintage air show with over 30 warbirds expected, including several P-47 Thunderbolts, two P-51 Mustangs, a Spitfire, and many others. See the planes on the ground and in the air, flying directly overhead the Lightning paddock on Saturday and Sunday. • A classic car show hosted by the Garden State 50's club • Live bands in concert on Saturday night in the Thunderbolt paddock • VRG dinner on Saturday before the concert, details to follow • The track is less than one hour from Atlantic City and the finest casinos on the East Coast, and beautiful Victorian Cape May, NJ. Other area attractions include Wheaton Village arts center and glass museum right in Millville, reconstructed colonial villages of Smithville and Cold Spring Village are also nearby. • Easy to get to - 1 hour south of Philadelphia; just over 2 hours from NYC or Baltimore; 3 hours from Washington DC; 6 hours from Boston or Pittsburgh; 4 hours from Richmond VA
Sept. 15, 2008 10:40 p.m. Nick Reader

This is on my "must do" list...I sure hope I can make it. I plan to go. It's only 50 miles from my adobe so I'll choose either Sat. or Sun. and make it a day trip.
Sept. 18, 2008 6:45 a.m. aeronca65t Reader

~Bump~

THIS weekend!....I'm towing down early tommorow.
Sept. 18, 2008 6:51 a.m. Nick Reader

I'll be there on Sunday...what are you towing down? If I see you I'll give you the secret ClassicMotorsports wave.
Sept. 18, 2008 9:34 a.m. aeronca65t Reader

Ha ha

Yeah, don't tell anyone about the secret wave!

I'll be driving ~THIS~ in the small-bore races (I forget what "group" that's called).
Sept. 18, 2008 10:49 p.m. Nick Reader

damn, that's a cool Spridget. In case you spridget your ankle or wrist, I'd be glad to fill that little seat and whip it around

It turned out today that I will be going on Saturday instead of Sunday. Change of plans beyond my control...the wife said so. I'll try to find you and say hello...you know, the secret wave:
Sept. 19, 2008 5:46 a.m. aeronca65t Reader

Damn!

Now eveyone knows The Wave!
Sept. 21, 2008 11:12 p.m. Nick Reader

Hey nice meeting you today. What a great event this was...I loved it.

Sorry I didn't say hello to "Linda" ...I think she was with you. Hope she didn't think I was rude.
Sept. 23, 2008 9:29 a.m. aeronca65t Reader

Hey Nick! Great chatting with you. Linda and I played hooky from work Friday and I'm still getting up to speed this week. I'll upload video and photos from the event soon

Anyone who could have attended and skipped this event....kick yourself in the butt NOW! You missed a great event!

Most memorable moment: Racing hard into Lightbulb turn with three MGAs. Suddenly, I am COVERED by a big dark shawdow. What the heck...?!?! Just as I start to hit the brakes I look up and see a PBY Catalina flyin' low-n-slow overhead. So, so coool!

For this racer and pilot, the event was Nirvana.
Sept. 23, 2008 11:54 p.m. aeronca65t Reader

OK, ~Click Here~ to see pictures and in-car video of the event.

The cars wese awesome and planes even more so.

There was a flock of "L-birds" that flew for a while with L-4 Cubs, a Stinson and even an L-3 Aeronca (like mine). The guys in the P-40 and the P-51 were amazing. That PBY Catalina was gorgeous.

This race track has two circuits. One is called "Thunderbolt" in honor of the WW II P-47 T-bolt pilots that were trained on this site (they accidentally dug up a WW II napalm bomb while building the track). There are nine P-47 "Jugs" still flying in the world and they had four of them here, flying in close formation. Glorious!
Sept. 24, 2008 3:50 a.m. Luke Dork

My hat goes off to you for driving an entire race in 4th gear! You manage to keep the Spridget 'on the boil' very well indeed.

Great photos, too.
Sept. 24, 2008 6:48 a.m. Nick Reader

Wow, great pics, Nial. I got almost no pics of the vintage racers so I'm really enjoying your great photos.

Here's a link to my photobucket folder, mostly pics of the cars displayed over at the Thunderbolt area http://s59.photobucket.com/albums/g292/nickjt/Wheels%20and%20Warbirds%202008/