Ok, we asked about drivers, now how about tracks. What is your favorite and why?? Mine?? Rally Stages in Ohio and Michigan. Mid Ohio where I was an Official for 26 seasons. A drivers track. Sebring where i have been able to be at the 12 hour for 40 years. Road Atlanta, old version. Another drivers track.
VIR.
Discussion need not go further. 
Laguna Seca FTW.
I've only driven Thunderhill so-far. I imagine there aren't too many tracks that are more beginner-friendly.
Tomorrow I will be driving Infineon for the first time. 
I'll share how much fun I have, afterwards.
I plan to hit Laguna Seca next year.
Road America.
I win.
Nurbergring
Road America is where I saw my first race ever, the scenery there is Gorgeous. However, there is no track as majestic as a big oval, I went to Indy for the 2007 USGP, and it was great... I also made it to Daytona for the 24 last year, and it was so stunning how big that place is.
Walk through the grid on pit road and it really gets you!
My favorite is race track is tough to pic. It would be close between Road America and Watkins Glen. VIR & Road Atlanta would follow. Mid Ohio and Heartland Park are next. Grattan & Waterford Hills, then Blackhawk Farms, Putnam Park, and IRP. These are all tracks I've driven.
I haven't driven them all, but my favorites so far are Thunderhill (I like it better than Laguna, sorry) and Eagle Canyon. I want to go back and visit that one again now that it's finished. The Nurburgring was very cool as well, although I wasn't very experienced at the time.
If we're counting rally stages, I'm going to say Gander and Leading Tickles on the Targa Newfoundland :)
Keith, is that Eagles Canyon in North Texas? That's a surprising nomination... for "race" tracks, and encompassing all things (rustic-ness, both food and paddock, general layout, etc.) I've gotta say Hallett.
My top-5 favorite tracks that I've actually been on are: Hallett Road Atlanta TWS 2.9 Harris Hill Road MSR-Cresson
Depends on what I am driving - but normally like the high HP tracks with elevation - VIR, Road Atlanta, Road America, Mid Ohio.
I haven't been to VIR or Laguna Seca, but my time at Mid Ohio was very enjoyable. Great track.
Hallet is a blast...
ChrisTaylor wrote: Keith, is that Eagles Canyon in North Texas? That's a surprising nomination... for "race" tracks, and encompassing all things (rustic-ness, both food and paddock, general layout, etc.) I've gotta say Hallett.
Yup, that's the one. I've only driven it once, and it was still waiting for the top coat of pavement, the pits were "park on the right side of the front straight" and there was heavy machinery crossing the track - but I really enjoyed it. I think the design of the track is better than most, with a lot of depth to keep you occupied for a long time. I'll bet there are lots of passing opporunities when racing. It was more impressive to me than my admittedly brief exposure to the original MSR track, for example.
It would seem that anything off the paved surface is not important to me :) My "home" track is Pueblo Motorsports Park which has the ambiance that only a chemical weapons storage depot and jail on the overheated eastern Colorado plains can give, and it's only recently that Thunderhill has managed to come up with buildings you can go inside.
Setting up my own "rally-cross" in my front yard Other than that my only time around a track was in '98 in a pace Tuarus at the Glen for my cousin's grad-party.
I hope to start auto-x in the spring, but this is definetly part of my agenda http://www.theglen.com/fan_info/thunder_road_tours/
That is a tough one... I love Watkins Glen for its "real racing" feel but I find Summit Point and Mid-Ohio to be a better driver's circuits. Mosport is awesome too... I guess I'll just need to try them all before I can make up my mind.
I can say that Pocono is probably the worst though.
neon4891 wrote: I hope to start auto-x in the spring, but this is definetly part of my agenda http://www.theglen.com/fan_info/thunder_road_tours/
For $200 more you can ditch the pace car... its easy to find clubs running schools at the Glen.
Road America.
I have enjoyed this place as a teenager (Datsun 310GX), in my 20's and dating my wife (Nissan 200SX), driving my Roadster there with my brothers (1966 Datsun SPL311 1600), bringing my son and nephew (1994 Blazer S10), and now the Korean daughter (Trailblazer along with a slushee for breakfast).
Hopefully the grand kids want to go in Pa's old Datsun 240Z.
The rally stages at MFR/NEFR strike me as my faves... brutal, winding gravel courses that remind me of the backroads I played on as a teenager.
I haven't done much in the way of tarmac events other than autox, save for three laps at the NHIS road course in the dark... that was a hoot.
I've only driven on one too but it was VIR when it just brand new in 2002.
Pete: your "240Z" pic sure looks like an Alfa to me...
I've never driven on a track before. I enjoyed standing at the fence in the braking zone for the hairpin for the F1 race in Montreal a few years ago though... I've been registered for a couple BMWCCA schools at Watkins Glen but had to back out due to work commitments both times. Now I've sold my old 328 and have my 750Li, which I will take on the pace car guided tour at the first opportunity when they re-open in May, but I would not do a school in. I won't track a car that I wouldn't leave in the worst neighborhood in town with the keys in it, and this car isn't it! I've been looking for a beater E30 to turn into a track car but they're hard to find around here in the land of road salt and rust, I can actually get into E36 328's for the same or less money, but I would really prefer the lighter, lower powered car.
While not being a racer I have driven "Touring Laps" at "highway speeds" at most of the tracks in the Northeast and Mid -Atlantic:
Nelson Ledges
Malboro
Lime Rock
Watkins Glen
Pocono - all 4 configurations
BeaveRun
Summit Point - all 3 tracks
VIR
Of all these my favorite is the Shenandoah Circuit at Summit Point. Yes, VIR and Watkins Glen are big beautiful tracks. But, if you can master Shenandoah the others are easy.
pigeon wrote: Pete: your "240Z" pic sure looks like an Alfa to me..
sorry, that was the only one from this summer I had available. just an old alfa in the parking lot at Road America. no big deal........
pete240z wrote:pigeon wrote: Pete: your "240Z" pic sure looks like an Alfa to me..sorry, that was the only one from this summer I had available. just an old alfa in the parking lot at Road America. no big deal........
Nah, it's gorgeous but I've never seen a 240Z that looked like that (not dissing on 240s...)
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