Thompson Faces Bright Future for ’08 and Beyond
Thompson, CT — The sound of racecar engines has been replaced by the roar of bulldozers, graders, cranes, front end loaders, post hole diggers and cement trucks at the Thompson International Speedway. All of this activity at the historic race track is part of a major improvement program that will feature all new lighting for the race track, the main pit area and midway.
Musco Lighting Company, a world leader in outdoor lighting, has now added Thompson Speedway to its impressive list of clients. The Iowa based lighting company has provided spectacular lighting for super speedways, ball parks, stadiums and other outdoor venues around the world. The engineering department at Musco Lighting Co. provided the design specifications for the installation of each of the 187 , 1500 watt light fixtures that will turn night into day at the Thompson facility. The actual installation was done by Gagnon Electrical Company of Newington, CT. Gagnon is an experienced installer of the Musco Lighting Systems.
Track owner Don Hoenig and his son D.R. Hoenig spent many hours preparing the property for the installation of the new lighting system. The elevated section of the track’s infield was leveled and enlarged. A new concrete wall, the length of the track’s long back stretch was built. This new wall is some 90 feet from the racing surface which equals the distance that the pit wall on the front stretch is from the track. All of this had to be completed before the first steps of installing the new lights could begin.
“We anticipate a 100% improvement in the lighting. This will provide greater safety for the competitors and better viewing for the spectators,” said track owner Don Hoenig. He continued by saying that each lighting fixture contains a 1500 watt, specially designed bulb and each fixture is designed to provide the best possible lighting pattern.
Not only will the new lighting bring ‘daylight’ to the race track, but race teams will see a huge improvement in the main pit area. Spectators will enjoy increased lighting in the grandstands, on the midway and even into the parking lot.
The new Musco lights will make their debut when the Thompson International Speedway kicks off the ’08 Thursday Night Thompson Thunder Series in May. “We have done just about all we can do because of the winter weather. Once spring arrives, we can complete the lighting installation and take the time necessary to adjust each of those 187 fixtures so that we gain the best possible coverage,” said Hoenig. ICEBREAKER weekend will be run under the old lighting system which will remain in place and operable until everything is all set and well tested on the new system.
In spite of the fact that the lighting will increase by nearly 100%, the energy needed to run the new fixtures will actually be less than it took to operate the old system. This savings in electrical use is due to the incredible conservation advances in the lighting industry in recent years.
“This is a project we have wanted to do for some time and it is just one more step forward in our never-ending desire to improve our facility here at Thompson for competitors and fans alike,” Hoenig concluded.
Pictures of the new lighting system and it’s 90 foot tall fixtures along with a video showing the actual lifting into place of one of the poles and fixtures may be seen on the track’s web page. www.thompsonspeedway.com.
Sources: Russ Dowd/Thompson Int’l Speedway PR