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Thompson Speedway DE Recap – May 2026

Event Highlights

Thank you for joining us at our recent event at Thompson Speedway! This year marked one of our most successful gatherings yet. Not only did we host an outstanding Driver Education (DE) program, but the club also organized two special events to enhance the experience for participants.

Friday Special Programs

On Friday, Tim Canfield and his team led a Car Control Clinic designed for beginner drivers. Students were introduced to the fundamentals of car control and took their first steps toward sensory driving, laying the groundwork for safe and confident performance on the track.

Additionally, Sally Bean and Kristin Larson conducted our second annual Track Primer program. This initiative provided students with three on-track sessions: one session riding in the right seat with an instructor, followed by two sessions where students drove the track at speed, with an instructor accompanying them in the right seat. This hands-on approach helped participants gain valuable experience and confidence.

Memorial Day Weekend Tradition

Since the event coincided with Memorial Day weekend, we continued the PCA NER tradition of collecting donations to honor fallen veterans. As he does each year, Stan Corbett shared heartfelt words that reminded us of the ultimate sacrifice made by many. Our attendees responded generously, making meaningful contributions in support of this tradition.

Words of Gratitude

We would also like to share additional words from Stan, expressing his gratitude for your support and generosity.

Drivers and Guests,

The Memorial Day weekend DE at Thompson will have a special place in my memory. Your response to the Memorial Day Poppy donations was outstanding! You took Paul’s challenge to heart and your contributions to the Poppy ‘Sale’, which honors all service men and women that made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, raised $1,250, second only to the donations for 2024. I’ll turn the money in at the Northborough American Legion Post 234 Sunday, June 7th at our monthly meeting. Each year members of the post congratulate me for doing so well, but it wasn’t me that did this, it was all of you. Thank you all so very much!

You folks are ACES in my book!

Thank you,
Stan Corbett
MSgt, USAF, Retired

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2026 HPDE Ground School Recap

On Saturday, March 7th, nearly 40 attendees, plus Track Committee members, gathered at HMS Motorsport in Danvers, MA to shake off the winter doldrums and talk about a couple of our favorite things: cars and driving them on the track!

After coffee and breakfast treats generously provided by David Peterman of Panera Bread, members of the High-Performance Drivers Education team, plus leaders from the NER Board, were present to discuss NER’s 2026 on-track activities.  The punchline is that there is a lot planned with something for everyone…even those who may opt not to drive.  This event, coined “The Ground School,” is the official kickoff to the upcoming NER driving season.

The Ground School focuses on the many opportunities available for new drivers in the Drivers Education program.

Led by Co-Chief Instructor, Tim Canfield, a lively conversation followed as each member of the Track Committee talked a little about their role and how they got “hooked” (addicted?! LOL.) on high-performance driving.  Thereafter, Cody McLean and Evan Polisky of HMS covered the all-important topic of driver safety equipment.

The group then broke for lunch and the rich discussions continued in a less-structured format, with lots of one-on-one conversations and dedicated Q&A.  Tasty pizza and soft drinks were furnished courtesy of HMS.  HMS hosts Cody and Evan provided personal attention for those looking to try on helmets or find the right size and style of equipment.

Many thanks to HMS for hosting the group and for their generous support of our High-Performance Drivers Education programming.

And for those who need a fast and “colorful” visual of the objective of the program, here you go!

Article and pictures courtesy of Michelle Wang and Darin Smith.

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2022 DE Season Updates

Whether it’s your first season on the track or you are a seasoned track veteran our 2022 DE Schedule is ready and we hope to see you there!

If you are a first timer or want a refresher, we suggest your attending Ground School :

2022 Ground School

General Info and DE Days are found here:

2022 DE General Info and Updates

For more info and questions please contact: Stan Corbett, NER Track Chair at [email protected]

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2018 DE Schedule Posted

[ by John Dunkle ]

Well, here we go – and the entire NER DE Team is excited to disclose not only our 2018 Schedule, but add several co-marketed and joint events with Northern New Jersey Region! As you may recall, last year we shared our Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant event, and it was a stunning success, as the synergy between the two regions is simply amazing. So, this year – here is a thumbnail of what we are planning with the confirmed dates. We will fill out each event in detail in separate Event Posts and on our websites and other Social/Community websites – so, here we go, please save the following dates:

  • March 3 – Northeast Region Ground School at HMS Motorsports
  • April 4 & 5 – Lime Rock Park (NNJR/NER) Registration opens 2/7/18
  • May 25, 26 & 27 – Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park – Novice Day (25th)
  • June 8, 9 & 10 – Palmer Motorsports – Clockwise. Advanced Day on the 8th
  • July 5, 6 & 7 – Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant (NER/NNJR) (The Music Festival opens on the 6th!)
  • August 10, 11 & 12 – Watkins Glen (NER/NNJR)
  • August 14, 15 & 16 – Calabogie Motorsports Park (NER/NNJR – hang on for event details, they are awesome!)
  • September 21, 22 & 23 – Palmer Motorsports

That schedule alone is 20 days of track time, and if things work out on a “new project”, NER may add up to four more days, in addition to co-marketing other NNJR Events.

Check out the full NER schedule

Some reactions to this announcement from our friends on Rennlist:

  • Got the email from our NNJR track chair this afternoon for our schedule as well. Love that we are sharing more events with NER this season. The 2 regions have a lot in common, mainly the love of the game. LCMT was a blast last season with both regions. Looking forward to more of the same this season. Great job by both regions to pull off such an amazing schedule. Can’t wait!!
  • I am beyond ready to be back on track….
  • I’ll be at Tremblant (yet again)! One of the best of the year.
  • Fantastic schedule and the NER/NNJR partnership is really great. Thanks to our respective Track Chairs!!
  • Looks great ! Can’t wait!
  • Awesome – will be at the WGI & LCMT shared events
  • it’s awesome that you folks stepped up to the plate… I did both the NER and NNJR DE’s at The Glen last year and both were equally amazing.
  • Can’t wait looks like a great schedule! Any chance there will be a Club Motorsports day added?
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