That’s how Stu Forer, Warwick, RI feels about taking part in the Track Night in America at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. Forer drives a Mini, in the advanced rungroup, and was among the 70 drivers spread over three groups based on self-assessed experience. And Stu was among the most experienced drivers there, having first driven an SCCA event in 1963, the Hershey Hillclimb in Pennsylvania, and having raced at Thompson, in three different configurations, since 1965. And he continues to race wheel-to-wheel in vintage events in a Jaguar XK-150.

“Track Night in America is fun! I can use it to practice my racing lines, without being concerned with dicing with someone. And the SCCA people running the events are great!”

Thompson, in northeastern Connecticut, has a 1.7 mile road course, and its oval was the site of the SCCA’s first competition event in 1945.

Stu runs TNiA only at Thompson because it’s so close to his home, and he ran there 9 times in 2020. He’s always toward the front of the group in his Mini and doesn’t get passed often when he gets a good headstart. Even by the 1LEs and the Z06s! His car is only lightly-modded with some 200 treadwear tires from TireRack, better brake pads and brake fluid, and a rear anti-sway bar.

Stu Forer was one of several folks I got to talk with at the most recent event. TNiA is for everyone with a license and a safe car. Stealing from the Track Night Drivers’ Meeting: The best way to think about your on-track experience is that everyone on the track and the flaggers and the officials are all on the same team. And the team goal is to have fun and be safe.

Track Night in America is driven by TireRack.com.