Any opponauts from Nebraska?

"Ilike_cougars" (rohitvenkat01)
03/01/2014 at 12:19 • Filed to: Nebraska, Omaha, track day, Help

I just finished working a deal with one my firms biggest clients yesterday, only problem I have to leave all the awesome driving roads, car meets, race tracks, autox's from around the NY tristate area, and move to Omaha for 6+ months depending on the time it will take me to set up the client ecosystem.. so please help, are there any cool driving roads, meets, track events I should know about around the area?

Here are some rally cars your troubles

DISCUSSION (30)

awe46m3zcp > Ilike_cougars
03/01/2014 at 12:27

I hope you like flat, straight roads.

Jayhawk Jake > Ilike_cougars
03/01/2014 at 12:28

Make sure you visit the SAC museum

evil2win > Ilike_cougars
03/01/2014 at 12:29

I've never lived in Nebraska, but my ex-wife is from there and lives there now. I have visited, and what I remember is that it's mostly flat, the roads are straight and set up in a north-south east-west grid. there are a lot of farms, mostly corn. I was told there were some hills in the north east part of the state.

Ilike_cougars > awe46m3zcp
03/01/2014 at 12:35

Dear god I hope all of them arnt!

McMike > Ilike_cougars
03/01/2014 at 12:35

The Old Market is kind of cool.

I lived there in grade school, but that's not much help. Mrs McMike grew up there.

I used to spend about a week out of the year in Omaha before her folks retired. You will soon understand why most of America loves musclecars and nascar. Turning is overrated. :) Also, prepare for Husker enthusiasm. That's the only team Omaha cheers for.

Omaha is kind of a punchline because it's in Nebraska. The city is a lot bigger than you think. Stay out of Council Bluffs and North Omaha, and you'll be fine.

This could be good for track days

http://www.midamericamotorplex.com/2006/about.asp

GhostZ > Ilike_cougars
03/01/2014 at 12:35

Omaha =/= Nebraska.

That's like saying that Hawaii is just like the entire continental United States. I can't speak much for Omaha specifically, but I can speak about the state as a whole:

The people are fat and happy, but ignorant, and almost any towns over 3000+ population are really just overgrown college/highschool towns (yeah, there's such a thing as a "high school town" when there's only 1 high school within 150 miles) and the entire state's budget and culture is really just based around football and agriculture. And they take them way too seriously . As in, there are people who honestly, truly believe that agricultural studies is the most important thing in the world, more so than physics or biology. So if you can handle all of that, it might be worth it.

The western side of the state has some decent driving roads if you like triple digits, simply because no county pays enough cops to adequately patrol the many miles of unused highway, but corners are hard to come by. You can pretty much drive any speed you want anywhere in the state outside of a city, because tickets are issued almost exclusively through speed traps.

Ilike_cougars > evil2win
03/01/2014 at 12:35

Awesome at least some light at the end of the tunnel..

Ilike_cougars > Jayhawk Jake
03/01/2014 at 12:37

Definitely, thanks for the tip!

McMike > Jayhawk Jake
03/01/2014 at 12:38

I would like to go there. I was there last spring, and didn't even think about it.

McMike Sr was a career missileer, and spent some time at Offutt.

M54B30 > Ilike_cougars
03/01/2014 at 12:47

I drove through it about 10 months ago when I moved to South Dakota. There are worse places to be... Let me know if you swing up to South Dakota for whatever reason

Ilike_cougars > M54B30
03/01/2014 at 12:54

Awesome thanks, I probably will, I like exploring new areas as it is..

Ilike_cougars > McMike
03/01/2014 at 12:59

Thanks for all the info, yeah I really don't know what to expect, I have been to Indy a couple of times, but this is definitely a first. At least a road course definitely is a good sign. I drive a Z4M so should be interesting what the locals think of it. Ha ha

M54B30 > Ilike_cougars
03/01/2014 at 13:01

We have some cool stuff. Roads in the black hills are great for driving and there's Sturgis bike rally, mt. Rushmore, crazy horse, etc.

Ilike_cougars > GhostZ
03/01/2014 at 13:05

Awesome thanks, I usually like exploring new areas, so the entire state is at my disposal I would have liked it to have more twisties of-course but you cant have it all I guess..I stand to make a lot of money for the firm in 6 months so it probably is worth it. I just need to make the best of what I have to work with..

Jayhawk Jake > McMike
03/01/2014 at 13:05

That's cool, I went to an airshow at Offut, it was great!

The SAC museum is pretty fantastic. Dat B36 Peacemaker...

Ilike_cougars > M54B30
03/01/2014 at 13:15

Oh cool! I didnt think about South Dakota to be honest and I always wanted to go to Sturgis, always thought it was too far away. This is definitely looking up. Going by your name you are a BMW person I understand, I drive an 07 Z4M

awe46m3zcp > Ilike_cougars
03/01/2014 at 13:22

Kinja'd!!!

This is about as hilly as it gets.

M54B30 > Ilike_cougars
03/01/2014 at 13:28

Don't sweat it - I never thought of South Dakota until the government made me come out here. Sweet Z4!

McMike > Ilike_cougars
03/01/2014 at 13:39

LOL, Omaha has seen the Z4M, the city is bigger than you think.

You will not make a good impression making comments like, "Gee, I expected to see more cowboys and livestock downtown." Get that our of your head now.

Yes, it's a flyover city. Compared to NY (and DC, where I grew up and still live) it's small, but don't go thinking it's going to be a scene out of Tombstone with saloons, Indians and shit.

Ilike_cougars > McMike
03/01/2014 at 14:05

Ha Ha, Im just kidding, I know its a big city and all, I have been to the Midwest before, just not this part of the Midwest. and yeah I will try to keep the Tombstone and Children of the Corn references down to a minimum. lol

McMike > Ilike_cougars
03/01/2014 at 15:23

I've been dating/married to Mrs McMike for 18 years or so. My Omaha jokes only lasted about five minutes with her and the inlaws.

Seems living there in grade school didn't give me enough corn cred to be able to make jokes.

Even years later after explaining to them over and over that I realize Omaha is a real city, I still can't make jokes.

Nebraska is often a rural punchline, and they must all have been told how to deal with criticism in high school.

Jake The Skull > GhostZ
03/02/2014 at 14:50

As a Nebraskan, I can obviously see you have no clue what you're talking about.

Jake The Skull > Ilike_cougars
03/02/2014 at 14:59

Actual Nebraskan here. Everybody is kind of right though. You'd be better off bringing a rally car and finding some MMRs. However Highway 34 between Lincoln and Seward gets kind of interesting. Then you have the Arnold road rally: http://www.sorcrace.com/ I'm not sure about the rules here, just expect cops to be patrolling that road if you want to go have fun there. MPH, or motorsports park Hastings is located in Hastings, at the Southeast edge of town: http://www.racemph.com/ other than that we really don't have a lot going on, but if you're going to be here in August I really recommen Kearney cruise night. It's the biggest car meet of the year and the entire town is completely full of old cars and cultures. Kearney is about 2 hours straight east of Omaha on I-80, but trust me, it's worth it.

Jake The Skull > Jake The Skull
03/02/2014 at 15:25

Edit, Kearney is West of Omaha

Ilike_cougars > Jake The Skull
03/02/2014 at 18:42

Yes! that is a good list of things to do and see. I probably cant take part in the Arnold Rally but it should be good to find a spot on the road somewhere to watch and take pictures.. and MPH looks like an awesome track, I cant wait to do some laps when I get there. As for the Kearney meet, I really dont mind driving 2 hours, I have awaken at 3 am to drive 150 miles for meets in Connecticut, so it really dosent bother me. Thanks for the tips, I'll keep in touch, once I get there.

Jake The Skull > Ilike_cougars
03/02/2014 at 18:49

There's always plenty of stuff to do, just keep your ears on and your eyes peeled. Omaha seems to have plenty of car culture if you know where to look.

GhostZ > Jake The Skull
03/02/2014 at 19:12

I lived there for 13 years, if that helps qualify my opinion.

Jake The Skull > GhostZ
03/03/2014 at 09:13

Sorry. It was just the whole "The people are fat and happy, but ignorant" thing that made it sound like a completely uneducated guess. No sarcasm intended.

GhostZ > Jake The Skull
03/03/2014 at 09:53

A completely uneducated guess would have just called them Fat and Ignorant!

Jake The Skull > GhostZ
03/03/2014 at 10:48

I guess there are a lot of cows here if you catch my drift. I just jumped on you too soon. My bad.