[PICS] Corvette Museum’s Motorsports Park Breaks Ground on the Holley Control Tower

May 29, 2015

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[PICS] Corvette Museum's Motorsports Park Breaks Ground on the Holley Control Tower

The Holley Control Tower at the National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park should be ready for use in eight to nine months.

That was the word Thursday as the NCM, community leaders, Holley Performance Products, and the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce held an enthusiastic groundbreaking ceremony for the project.

Enthusiasts can look forward to seeing the 14,635-square-foot tower’s meeting rooms, administrative offices, a track retail space, 2,000-square-foot viewing deck, and classrooms when the $1.8 million project is completed.

The classrooms and meeting spaces will be available for rent for track customers, meetings, and private functions.

“We are excited to not only have permanent office space, but also ready to make use of the classrooms and meeting space for both our track rental clients, as well as others looking for a unique event venue,” said Mitch Wright, NCM Motorsports Park general manager. “The second floor viewing deck will offer a nice bird’s eye view of the track, making spectating fun to participate in.”

Tom Tomlinson, president and CEO of Holley, said his company is “very excited” about all the activity going on at the Motorsports Park and “looking forward” to the Holley Control Tower becoming “a significant part of this amazing facility.”

Tomlinson praised the Motorsports Park, saying “it truly is a world class track and we feel it secures Bowling Green’s identity as a motorsports town. We are proud to be a part of that identity and want everyone to know it when they pull into the NCM track.”

The Holley Control Tower is just the latest addition to the Motorsports Park. The Kimberlee A. Fast Pavilion and garage complex will be ready to use by late June, offering two sizes of garages that can be rented by the day, along with an open-air pavilion with restrooms, showers, picnic seating and concession area, and second-level viewing decks on the backs of the garages.

Also, a Mobil 1 Fueling Station should be ready for business in three weeks, with self-serve and pay for six different grades of fuel, including three racing fuels, diesel and 87 and 93 octane.

The NCM Motorsports Park drew praise from local officials, including Bowling Green Mayor Bruce Wilkerson.

“In being open less than a year, the NCM Motorsports Park has already proven to be an outstanding addition to Bowling Green,” he said. “I’m pleased to extend congratulations on behalf of the community to the Motorsports Park on the groundbreaking of the Holley Control Tower and am excited to see how the park grows.”

Mike Buchanon, Warren County Judge-Executive, said the park has been “a welcome addition” to the region, “providing great economic impact and an attractive site for tourists.”

The National Corvette Museum, Buchanon said, “is ensuring South Central Kentucky holds the title of a premiere motorsports destination.”

Tommy Adams, Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce board chairman, was just as enthusiastic. “Great things are coming to the NCM Motorsports Park,” he said, “and the control tower will contribute to the overall success of this world-class facility.”

The NCM Motorsports Park, located on 186 acres at 505 Grimes Road, includes two tracks that can be combined into four different configurations, ranging from a high-speed 1.96-mile loop to an extended 3.15-mile technical course. The technical track includes features derived from France’s famed Le Mans circuit and is a popular testing location for several race teams.

Here are photos of the groundbreaking event courtesy of the National Corvette Museum: