The National Corvette Museum, along with community leaders, Holley Performance Products and the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce, celebrated the groundbreaking of the Holley Control Tower at the NCM Motorsports Park today.
The Holley Control Tower will encompass 14,635 square feet and will provide many functional spaces, including meeting rooms, administrative offices, a track retail space, a 2,000-square-foot viewing deck and classrooms. The classrooms and meeting spaces will be available for rent for track customers, meetings and private functions. The project is expected to be completed in eight to nine months and has a $1.8 million price tag.
The control tower is just one of the projects currently under construction at the NCM Motorsports Park, which celebrated its grand opening in August 2014. The Kimberlee A. Fast Pavilion and garage complex is slated to open late June. The facility includes two sizes of garages that can be rented by the day, an open-air pavilion with restrooms, showers, picnic seating and concession area, and second-level viewing decks on the backs of the garages. A Mobil 1 Fueling Station is anticipated to open in three weeks, offering self-serve and pay for six different grades of fuel, including three racing fuels, diesel and 87 and 93 octane.
“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.”
“We are very excited to see the activity that is going on at the NCM Motorsports Park already and we’re looking forward to the Holley Control Tower being a significant part of this amazing facility,” said Tom Tomlinson, Holley president and CEO. “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 186-acre NCM Motorsports Park, located 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.
“In being open less than a year, the NCM Motorsports Park has already proven to be an outstanding addition to Bowling Green,” said Mayor Bruce Wilkerson. “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.”
“The NCM Motorsports Park has been a welcome addition to our region, providing great economic impact and an attractive site for tourists,” said Mike Buchanon, Warren County Judge-Executive. “The National Corvette Museum is ensuring South Central Kentucky holds the title of a premiere motorsports destination.”
“I’m so pleased to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Holley Control Tower today,” said Tommy Adams, Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce board chairman. “Great things are coming to the NCM Motorsports Park, and the control tower will contribute to the overall success of this world-class facility.”
The National Corvette Museum and the NCM Motorsports Park serve as an anchor of Kentucky’s booming motorsports sector. Kentucky’s second-largest export sector is made up of motor vehicles and parts, reaching $5.5 billion last year. Since January 2010, more than 330 automotive-related projects have been announced in the Commonwealth. These projects represent more than 20,000 new jobs and $4.5 billion in capital investment.
Last year, the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce formed a steering committee dedicated to further strengthening the local economy through its rich motorsports heritage. This committee is focused on highlighting the existing motorsports assets of our community and attracting new ones. Holley has been an integral part of Bowling Green’s rich history. Their investment in this control tower, and the recently announced partnership with the Chamber, Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College and Warren County Area Technical Center in the On Track initiative, further cements their commitment to the future of motorsports in South Central Kentucky.
In 2015, the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce’s announced projects will bring a total capital investment of more than $739,989,600 and create 610 new jobs in South Central Kentucky.
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About the National Corvette Museum:
Since 1953 the Corvette has been America’s Sports Car. The National Corvette Museum was established as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit foundation with a mission of celebrating the invention of the Corvette; preserving its past, present and future; and educating the public about Corvette. The Museum is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT and is located at exit 28 off I-65 in Bowling Green, KY. For more information on the National Corvette Museum, visit www.corvettemuseum.org or call (800) 53-VETTE (83883).
About the NCM Motorsports Park:
With over one mile of frontage on Interstate 65 and located across from the National Corvette Museum (NCM) and the GM Corvette Assembly Plant, the NCM Motorsports Park will be one of the most centrally located and easily accessible driving facilities in the country. The top priority of the NCM Motorsports Park is education and safety. For more information on the NCM Motorsports Park, visit www.motorsportspark.org.
About Holley Performance Products:
Holley was founded in 1903 around the advent of the automobile and has been a supplier to every major American OEM automobile manufacturer. Holley supplied half of the fuel systems in WWII including those for land vehicles, marine and aircraft. Its primary focus today is in the high performance aftermarket where its world famous carburetion has won more races than all others combined. Holley is proactive in developing EFI systems for street users and professional racers alike. Holley manufactures products under the famous brand names of Holley, Hooker Headers, Flowtech exhaust, Earl’s Plumbing, NOS Nitrous Oxide Systems, Diablosport Tuners and Weiand intakes and superchargers. For more information about Holley, visit their website at www.holley.com.
About the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce:
Incorporated in 1935, the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce is a 5-Star Accredited Chamber by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and was named the 2009 Chamber of the Year by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives. As the fourth largest chamber in Kentucky, the Chamber serves as a premier business advocate for its more than 1,200 partners and is the driving force for economic development in South Central Kentucky. Its primary goals are to promote growth and success in the business community, reaching its small business partners and those in large industries alike. With leadership programs, governmental relations projects, educational initiatives and involvement opportunities, the Chamber aims to support the community and its neighbors in order to enhance the business climate and continue to grow the region. Learn more about South Central Kentucky’s advantages at http://www.southcentralky.com/.
