This country is dotted with a huge number of race tracks, from little club circuits to internationally renowned ribbons of asphalt.
Just a simple question: Which ones are your favorites? And is that as a participant, spectator or both?
This country is dotted with a huge number of race tracks, from little club circuits to internationally renowned ribbons of asphalt.
Just a simple question: Which ones are your favorites? And is that as a participant, spectator or both?
I'd have to say Daytona has become one of my favorites for the sole reason that going to the Rolex 24 was a tradition for quite a few years.
Granted, my brother lives in L.A. now, but at least I'm able to hang out with my dad at the race for a few when I'm not needed for GRM duties.
It's kind of hard to just choose one.
I mean South Georgia Motorsports Park holds some of the fastest radial tire records in the country. It's tough to beat Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk for the $1/# ice cream in the middle of summer....
Elkhart Lake. Since 1950 it has had some of the best eating, friendliest people, most exciting racing of any track I've raced at.
The track is long enough (4 miles) that you could pass and be Re-passed a couple of times a lap.
Very much a chess track in that you always had to think several corners and straights ahead.
The big Start - Finish straight with its uphill start really teaches a person how to plan a start. You don't just wait for the green flag to drop, you need to understand where those around you are going to be when it drops. Torquey engines will want a slow start while high winding engines will want a fast start. If I see my opponent studying his mirrors I know he's trying to figure out how to get around the guy in front. So I'll tend to rule out the middle and see who's behind me.
Only big long tracks can do that!
I've not run a whole lot of tracks: LVMS inside and outside road courses, Willow Springs, Buttonwillow, Spring Mtn Motorsports, Firebird Raceway and Riverside.
As a competitor my favorite memory is Riverside. I raced my motorcycle there once and they used the NASCAR course with the mile long back straight. I went 130mph on my Honda 125 GP bike. Going that fast on something the size of a BMX bike was super cool.
Spring Mountain Motorsports is my favorite course to drive, not because I run there the most, but because it has so many great medium speed corners (75-80mph). They are fast enough to be fun but slow enough so newer drivers aren't intimidated. My best car race ever was there.
As a spectator Riverside was pretty good but I've only been a total spectator at maybe 4 tracks (Long Beach, LVMS, Willow Springs & Riverside).
Sebring
I've played it plenty in Forza. Learned the order of the corners. Then we went to the 2014 Lemons race there. 28 cars entered. It was more like a 2 day open track day. I was blown away how fun it was already kinda knowing what was around the corner. And turn 17/17a with the uneven concrete squares was quite the pucker in the wet.
Doesn't hurt that I got to take checker on a class win!
frenchyd said:Elkhart Lake.
Great question- I've been to the Indy 500 x 22 times and I've been to Road America maybe 60-70x?
Can I really pick one over the other?
Like trying to pick a favorite child... Based on where I have raced:
1. Road Atlanta, 2. Road America, 3. WatkinsGlen, 4. Barber. 5. Mosport, 6. VIR, 7. Sebring, 8. Daytona, 9. Lime Rock, 10. Mid-Ohio, 11. Roebling Road, 12. Summit Point
If I get to race at Pitt Race it might well move up in the top 3.
If only allowed one pick... Road Atlanta every time. I like elevation change (notice the top 6).
It would take a totally paid for ride to get me back to CMP, or NJMP.
Well, that's quite the open ended question... the most for me, or for racing in general?
I've been going to Sebring for 35 years, and racing there for 32. It's where I began racing, and my dad re-started his racing, so it has, by far more memories for me.
I've been lucky to race at a bunch of road courses: Carlsbad (gone now), Firebird Raceway (soon to be gone), Hallett, Holtville (effectively gone), LVIS (under LVMS), Phoenix Int’l (gone), Sears Point, Second Creek (gone), Pueblo, Riverside (gone), Road Atlanta, and Willow Springs. The ones that were most fun were Sears (ITB Pinto) and Hallett (HP Fiat 850).
Spectator wise Riverside was always fun because we could see a lot of the track and it was always a party atmosphere.
As a course worker Long Beach F1 weekend, even though the bologna sandwiches were blah access to the garage area was XLNT.
Waterford Hills, the twisty little club track in Clarkston, MI. As a kid my favorite weekends were spent hanging out at the track, watching my uncles race Fiestas and Hondas. Spaceship-looking spec racer Fords were the coolest thing ever. C4 Corvettes were the top dog door slammer racecars until somebody brought their Escort Cosworth out to play. It started at the back of the field and blew everything else out of the water, popping fireballs and turbo noises along the way. That made quite an impression.
It's still there, and not much has changed. Pulling into the paddock kinda feels like stepping back in time.
I'm sure that place is why I've always loved playing with cars.
I grew up at Lime Rock watching dad race Spitfires, and kept going back as a spectator after he hung up his helmet. When I was an international motorsports journalist, the series I covered ended its seasons there for a dozen years or so and I got to ply my trade there. Now I can drive there in my own car (thanks Track Night) and my dad can come down and 'coach' me, and I can ride shotgun with him in the touring laps.
A nice bonus is that the track is an absolute hoot to drive even in a 120-HP Miata.
VIR. Driving flat out through the uphill esses and performing my first four wheel drift to the very edge of the track in my E30 are my favorite memories of my brief racing career.
Summit Point holds many memories. For many years I worked tech and my wife worked registration while the two boys went off with the other kids. Made many friends there. Worked Trans-Am, IMSA, WERA, pro Atlantic, and many regionals and nationals. Did an SCCA school in my ITC Fiesta. Lived in DC area so it was close to home.
Lime Rock has good memories as well. Crewed for my brother at his SCCA schools in his ssc pinto. Would visit with him im MA every Memorial Day and we would drive the back roads to Lime Rock to spectate. We're both old now and live far apart so the memories are good.
L5wolvesf said:I've been lucky to race at a bunch of road courses: Carlsbad (gone now), Firebird Raceway (soon to be gone), Hallett, Holtville (effectively gone), LVIS (under LVMS), Phoenix Int’l (gone), Sears Point, Second Creek (gone), Pueblo, Riverside (gone), Road Atlanta, and Willow Springs. The ones that were most fun were Sears (ITB Pinto) and Hallett (HP Fiat 850).
Spectator wise Riverside was always fun because we could see a lot of the track and it was always a party atmosphere.
As a course worker Long Beach F1 weekend, even though the bologna sandwiches were blah access to the garage area was XLNT.
You mentioned Holtville. I have many memories of there both as a flag Marshall and racing my DP Jaguar.
You say it's almost gone? Lack of interest or is it too rough now?
For driving, PBIR/Moroso, for spectating, Daytona.
frenchyd said:You mentioned Holtville. I have many memories of there both as a flag Marshall and racing my DP Jaguar.
You say it's almost gone? Lack of interest or is it too rough now?
I haven't looked into whether it is being used lately. But I had heard that it had become too rough (the transitions from one slab to another) to race on. I'll check the SD region site later. I do know the between the 80s (ITB) and 90s (HProd) it had worsened some. I wore a kidney belt after my first race there.
My most memorable is the first race I attended- at Sears Point. I was a member of the Bay Area RX7 Club and was in charge of setting up the corral for our members at the IMSA race. After setting up the corral, we did some local wine tasting and came back to the track to watch the sun go down and camp out for the next day's activities.
Palmer is my favorite local track. Club Motorsports Tamworth is my favorite track I've driven. But I'll just say this was likely my most memorable moment....
https://youtu.be/UmDxQZ5V0h0
A surprise downpour located at the end of the Sam Posey Straight. Nothing to get your juices pumping like coming down from 122mph blind and wet!
Mosport, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring top four from my have raced list which in no particular order includes: Waterford Hills, Nelson Ledges, Mid Ohio, Grattan, IRP, Gingerman, Daytona, Mid America, Lime Rock, Watkins Glen, Brainerd, Putnam Park, Blackhawk Farms, Shannonville, Snetterton, Mallory Park, Thruxton, Castle Combe, and Donnington Grand Prix.
Favorite- Waterford Hills- the first track where I could really get comfortable and have fun in most of the corners. The only corner that I could not really take as intended was Big Bend.. Really loved skeet house up to hilltop. So very much.
Second would be Hallett. Only did two time trails, but it's a very similar track to Waterford- so it was really fun.
In reply to alfadriver :
My Formula 500 was raced at Waterford from 1987 until 2014 when I bought it. It looks like great fun.
In reply to L5wolvesf :
They haven't raced Holtville in years.
Watkins Glen to spectate and hang out at Seneca lodge.
High plains raceway for racing.
Purple Frog (Forum Supporter) said:Like trying to pick a favorite child... Based on where I have raced:
1. Road Atlanta, 2. Road America, 3. WatkinsGlen, 4. Barber. 5. Mosport, 6. VIR, 7. Sebring, 8. Daytona, 9. Lime Rock, 10. Mid-Ohio, 11. Roebling Road, 12. Summit Point
If I get to race at Pitt Race it might well move up in the top 3.
If only allowed one pick... Road Atlanta every time. I like elevation change (notice the top 6).
It would take a totally paid for ride to get me back to CMP, or NJMP.
Check out Oregon Raceway Park if you like elevation, although I'm guessing it's a haul from where you live.
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