Global InformationThe Ridge Motorsports Park information
 | This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (March 2014) |
| Location | 1060 West Eells Hill Road, Shelton, Washington, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Time zone | UTC-8 (UTC-7 DST) |
| Coordinates | 47°15′20.41″N 123°11′25.01″W / 47.2556694°N 123.1902806°W |
| Owner | Joe Manke and Rusty Gill |
| Operator | Tracie Schmitt |
| Broke ground | 26 April 2011 |
| Opened | 26 May 2012 |
| Architect | Steve Crawford |
| Major events | Current: MotoAmerica (2020–present) Former: Trans-Am Series West (2021–2023) |
| Full Circuit (2012–present) | |
| Surface | Asphalt/Concrete |
| Length | 2.470 miles (3.975 km) |
| Turns | 16 |
| Race lap record | 1:31.421 ( Mark Uhlmann, Stohr WF1, 2023, Sports car racing) |
| Full Circuit with Chicane (2020–present) | |
| Surface | Asphalt/Concrete |
| Length | 2.500 miles (4.023 km) |
| Turns | 18 |
| Race lap record | 1:39.633 ( Cameron Beaubier, BMW S1000RR, 2023, Superbike) |
The Ridge Motorsports Park is located near Shelton, Washington, approximately 25 mi (40 km) northwest of Olympia, Washington.
Ground was broken for the Steve Crawford designed road course on 26 April 2011. The full road course is 2.470 mi (3.975 km) long with 16 turns and a change in elevation of more than 300 ft (91 m) from start to finish.
The first event at "The Ridge" was a charity event benefitting local Mason County food banks, held on 10–11 December 2011.[1][2]
The first official race, a Washington Motorcycle Road Racing Association - WMRRA event, was held on 26 May 2012.[3][4] Subsequent events include championship racing by regional car and motorcycle sanctioning bodies, lapping events by car clubs, motorcycle organizations, and other events.
For the 2014 season, turn 13 of the original road circuit was reconfigured to mitigate excessive surface degradation, and the terrain surrounding the road circuit underwent an enormous amount of grading and smoothing prior to the application of topsoil and hydro-seeding, to both enhance the appearance of the facility and to manage runoff. New poured in place concrete barrier walls were constructed to replace temporary barriers, curbing was added in several places and additional new paving was completed. Finally, a large spectator viewing area was created on the upper part of the site.
In 2015, an outdoor scale replica kart track was added to the site, named "Olympic Grand Prix", or "OGP". OGP is a 1/5th scale replica of the road circuit, including elevation change.[5] Additionally for 2015, the available paved paddock area was nearly doubled in size.
For 2016, electrical power and water systems were brought on line and a bathroom & shower building was completed. Construction of a new motocross facility called "Ridge MX", also began in the spring of 2016, with initial test laps being run on 6 May 2016. An invitational pre-grand opening test event was held on 1 October 2016 and the official grand opening was held on 29 October 2016.
In 2020, The Ridge Motorsports park added a chicane to the 2,850 ft (870 m) front straight to slow down superbikes ahead of its inaugural MotoAmerica event on June 26–28. Use of the chicane is optional for each sanctioning body and track day organizer.[6]
- ^ "Backers hope two local motorsports parks aren't too many". Kitsap Sun. 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2013-12-24.
- ^ "Charity Track Days At Newly-Built Ridge Motorsports Park Raises Over $10,000". Roadracing World. 2011-12-13. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
- ^ "Eli Edwards Wins Five WMRRA Races At The Ridge Motorsports Park". Roadracing World. 2012-05-30. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
- ^ "Race day at the Ridge bring bikers in droves". Shelton Mason County Journal. 2012-05-31. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
- ^ "Ridge Motorsports opens go-kart course". Kitsap Sun. 2015-09-21. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
- ^ "MotoAmerica: Ridge Motorsports Park Adding Chicane, Bridge, Fan Zones". Roadracing World Publishing, Inc. 2020-02-17. Retrieved 2021-06-03.