What race tracks have you driven on?

"Danny Korecki" (dannykorecki) 06/27/2020 at 01:00 • Filed to: None

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I was chatting up with an autocrosser in another post trying to convince them to get on a road course ASAP. I thought it would be fun to share what race courses you have driven on?

I’ll start.

Summit Point Motorsports Park - Jefferson Circuit

Summit Point Motorsports Park - Shenandoah Circuit

New Jersey Motorsports Park - Lightning

New Jersey Motorsports Park - Thunderbolt

Monticello Motor Club

Dominion Raceway

Pocono Raceway

Pittsburgh International Race Complex (Pitt Race)

Favorite so far? Monticello Motor Club, just a beautiful track. All around great atmosphere. You feel like your at a special track.

Least favorite? Summit Point Motorsports Park - Shenandoah Circuit, I have been in track side discussions with folks that love this track. I don’t think any track that has a Nurburgring poser Carrusel can be good.

Within the next year/future:

Thermal Club

Road America

What tracks have you done? Of even if you haven’t done any what is your local track your planning on heading out to?

WRXforScience > Danny Korecki 06/27/2020 at 01:30

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Motorsports Ranch Cresson (all configurations)

Texas World Speedway (Rest in Peace)

Texas Motor Speedway (infield road course)

Eagles Canyon Raceway (both old and new)

Circuit of the Americas (full circuit)

Motorsports Ranch Houston (CW)

I’m sure I’ll eventually make it to Hallett. I’m more interested in who I’m driving with than where I drive. I’ve got a group of friends I’ve made doing autox and trackdays and I’d rather drive with them at a track I’ve been to a hundred times than go to a new track on my own.

TWS was my favorite, the new ECR is my current favorite, MSR-Houston could get old quickly (no elevation to speak of and you either run it CW or CCW, no real way to add any extra variety). COTA was fine, but the costs to run there aren’t justified by the experience (I don’t watch motorsports, so F1 fans might be more excited to go). TMS infield isn’t a real track and I prefer the annual autox there to actually driving it like a mini-road course.

Autox is the best way to learn car control and a great way to prepare for the track. I’ve instructed many of my autox friends at the track and they pick it up quickly. I remember being intimidated going from autox to the the track, but that didn’t last long.

I’d recommend a trackday to just about anybody with any interest. Nearly everyone I’ve interacted with had a great time  and the only people who don’t are the ones who come with a chip on their shoulder.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Danny Korecki 06/27/2020 at 01:34

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None. I went to Atlanta Motor Speedway once a long time ago for a NASCAR race.

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > Danny Korecki 06/27/2020 at 01:55

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I’ve run Heartland Park here in Kansas, and I’ll do Hallett in Oklahoma at some point this summer.

“Local” To do list:

Eagle’s Canyon in Texas

MPH in Nebraska

Pueblo in Colorado

High Plains in Colorado

RPM in Iowa

Gateway in STL

“Greater” to do list:

Road America

Road Atlanta

Blackhawk Farms

Circuit of the Americas

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Danny Korecki 06/27/2020 at 01:58

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Buttonwillow Raceway, Streets of Willow, Autoclub Speedway, and Laguna Seca for full hpde track days. I’ve done autocrosses at Watkins Glen and Pocono Raceway. The Pocono Raceway had a 4th gear section in my 6spd miata so it was interesting for an autocross!

Naturally, Laguna Seca is my favorite! Just a real treat to drive there even if my miata was horribly underpowered for the hill and the corkscrew altitude change is way fucking scarier than in Grand Turismo. But Autoclub Speedway scared me the most due to taking the banked turn at 120mph. 

Chinny Raccoon > Danny Korecki 06/27/2020 at 02:03

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We had an Oppomeet at Spa with a parade lap.   

AestheticsInMotion > Danny Korecki 06/27/2020 at 02:07

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Just one! Pacific Raceway in Washington. I've driven all generations of Miatas on the track 

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Danny Korecki 06/27/2020 at 02:22

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Arroyo Seco Raceway (Southern NM)

Second Creek Raceway (Denver, RIP)

Sandia Motorsports Park (Abq)

La Juanta (Colorado)

Pueblo (Colordado)

Pikes Peak International Raceway (full road course configuration)

Laguna Seca

The first two tracks I got to drive in racecars before they actually officially opened, and before I actually had a drivers license.

Pueblo is my favorite track. Crappy facility, but a tremendous natural terrain course with a mix of undulating off-camber braking zones and technical corners mixed in with big, high speed-corners that will reveal just how big your attachments are for great flow and awesome elevation change. It is the only track my racecar ever required shifting into 5th gear down the 1/2 mile front straight. The track has many places where the penalty for an off course excursion is wadding your car up into a lump of scrap metal, and a few spots where you might pay with your life even in a roll caged racecar. Done right, every single lap leaves you coming out onto the front straight thinking “holy shit, I made it!” Folks I know who have driven that track for 3o years still say they feel that way every single lap. It is what keeps you coming back.

Till the day I sold it, my racecar’s oil pan bore the bash from dropping just two wheels off the outside exit of turn 1 at around 90 mph. My first race weekend there I had been advised to beg and borrow sets of wheels to bring more tires than I usually did. By time I got to the race on Sunday I was down to the last four tires I had that weren’t corded, running the car with 15" Hankook race rubber up front and 14" Kumho race rubber in a autocross compound on the back. It was ridiculous, but it was the last 4 tires left with rubber on them. Most of the weekend I had struggled to put together an entire good lap, much less an entire session. During that Sunday race the track finally came together I started putting together lap after lap. It was my second best race I ever did starting 2nd for last in the run group, passing every other IT car, and mixing it up with some slower production cars by the end. Needlesss to say, that track has a steep learning curve and punishes mistakes severely. Drive it if you get the chance.

tromoly > Danny Korecki 06/27/2020 at 02:29

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Chicagoland Speedway

Route 66 Raceway (both dragstrip and dirt oval)

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (about 300 feet of it, took a wrong turn....)

Scotia Speedworld

dieseldub > Danny Korecki 06/27/2020 at 03:05

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Michigan Int’l Speedway

Nelson Ledges

Gingerman Raceway

I did a driving school of sorts at MIS maybe 15 years ago. Somehow crammed my large frame and long torso into an F3 car and did laps in the infield road course. Felt like the helmet was going to get pulled off my head down the straight. Looked at pictures after the fact, it was no wonder. Damn long torso not only put the helmet much further into the windstream than average, it was also half-blocking the air intake.

Later that afternoon, did the full oval in a Cup car. Literally former race cars with their full livery and chassis setup, but without the full powered race engine. Might have been making half the horsepower of the full on racecars. Eventually braved doing a couple laps without lifting, which if the engine was making it’s full ~800 hp would not be possible in one of those heavy pigs. I definitely fit more comfortably in the Cup car. On the banking, all I could see was tarmac through the top of the windshield. So that was... different. Sightline likely exacerbated by the long torso again (story of my life).

The other two track experiences were Lemons races, 2009-10. Plenty of stories to be had there as well, from blowing an engine at Nelson to having our team kicked off the track at Gingerman... and having to attach 6 tires to it after we were allowed back on track... one tire for each black flag.

Now, I live on the other side of the country and literally drive by Sonoma Raceway almost every day... really need to get on track sometime.

gettingoldercarguy > Danny Korecki 06/27/2020 at 03:13

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Road America 1992

Mid Ohio 1992 or 1993

Tws 1998

Cota

Cresson 2001 or so

Sears point ~2000

The ridge

Pacific raceways

CompactLuxuryFan > Danny Korecki 06/27/2020 at 03:34

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Just Thunderhill (west, boo!) and Laguna Seca on a bicycle  Oh, and oddly enough Autódromo de Tocancipá in Bogotá, Colombia. HPDEs are just too expensive and time consuming for me. I’ve been to, in, and around a bunch of tracks, just not driven them in anger. 

CB > Danny Korecki 06/27/2020 at 05:15

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Does the Toronto Honda Indy track count?

pip bip - choose Corrour > Danny Korecki 06/27/2020 at 06:31

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Albert P ark F1 track. (99% of it)

Bathurst

Poor_Sh > Danny Korecki 06/27/2020 at 07:14

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Migrated to track from autox last year so:

Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park full 1.7mi course.

Palmer Motorsports Park Clockwise and Counterclockwise (different events)

Going back to those 2 this year but I should have already done Lime Rock Park and Club Motorsports but... covid

dumpsterfire! > Danny Korecki 06/27/2020 at 08:19

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Aspen Motorsports park for a HPDE weekend.

f86sabre > Danny Korecki 06/27/2020 at 08:35

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Carolina Motorsports Park

Road Atlanta

Indianapolis Motor Speedway (ok just some infield bits)

Nurburgring Nordschleife (yes, it is as amazing as you would think it is)

Lucas Oil Raceway

404 - User No Longer Available > Danny Korecki 06/27/2020 at 09:24

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Rode shotgun in Shannonville once, and driven on DreamRacing’s experience track in Las Vegas.

That’s about it.

Danny Korecki > CB 06/27/2020 at 10:33

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of course

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Danny Korecki 06/27/2020 at 10:44

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Technically? Around my local “River’s Edge” road course a few times....

As a marshal...slowly...with my 4 ways on

CaptDale - is secretly British > Danny Korecki 06/27/2020 at 11:23

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Sonoma Raceway (I keep wanting to type Sear’s Point) (not sure the layout, what ever Lemons was running)

Long Beach Grand Prix

Laguna Seca (Land Rover off road course ;)

Oh no my list is too short and has had zero actual racing happening. This needs to be fixed

nermal > Danny Korecki 06/27/2020 at 11:52

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I’m local to PittRace and have done a ton of laps there - Did you do the full course? I’m surprised that isn’t at the top of your list if so, as that seems to be the consensus from everybody that’s been on it. Great facilities and people too.

Summit Shenandoah needs to be done with the right vehicle and frame of mind. A Miata or a supermoto would be ideal. I’ve run it with a leaderbike and it’s kinda miserable. Similar story with Jefferson. The Main course is awesome though, the more HP you have the better there .

NJMP isn’t good enough to justify the location, the clientele, the stupid rules, and the hassle of getting there. There’s a reason why people will pay the one-way toll to cross the bridge out of NJ and into PA. Similar story to VIR, although the track itself is better .  

I don’t like NYST at all . The course design is terrible, the paddock is on a hill, and the drive there is miserable with a trailer . I do like the Nelson Ledges track itself , it’s quite similar to Summit Main, although the facilities are crap.

AkursedX > Danny Korecki 06/27/2020 at 12:07

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Watkins Glen

TMP

Michigan Internation Speedway (Had my 478rwhp turbo Fiero banging the limiter at 144mph on the back straight during some ‘parade laps’ with the Michigan Fiero club)

Great Lakes Speedway

I’m hoping to add PittRace and Nelson Ledges this year.

Brian McKay > Danny Korecki 06/27/2020 at 12:09

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Sebring International Raceway, Road Atlanta, Barber Motorsports Park

Dr_Watson > Danny Korecki 06/27/2020 at 13:03

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Monticello Motor Club

Stowe Circuit

Silverstone International

In that order (thanks for the track time GT Academy) . Was going to get out to Watkins Glen this summer now that i have a fun toy, but that will probably be next year due to the pandemic.

gettingoldercarguy > CaptDale - is secretly British 06/27/2020 at 13:16

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It'll always be Sears point in my heart

Danny Korecki > nermal 06/27/2020 at 15:32

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The list wasn’t order in what I liked, it was order in what I have done. Pitt Race was most recent, actually 2 weeks ago. It was a great track.

GolfR Guy > Danny Korecki 06/27/2020 at 15:48

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Buttonwillow for 3 motorcycle track days.

Streets of Willow for California Superbike school.

Laguna Seca for AMG academy.

Atlanta Motor Speedway for a NASCAR experience type thing.
Atlanta Motorsports Park for the kart track.
Nurburgring Nordschleife for public driving day.

My favorite is Buttonwillow, despite it’s rough bits it was where I improved myself as a rider most.
If I ever get a bike again, not an Aprilia, I’d love to go to Spring Mountain in NV. Looks like a nice place to be.

Danny Korecki > nermal 06/27/2020 at 18:06

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Also, I feel you on NJMP. I went only because they do the cheap SCCA Track Nights there, $150 to play. But then when you go through like 5x tolls and cannot pump your own gas..........is it worth it?

Danny Korecki > GolfR Guy 06/27/2020 at 18:07

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What i s AMG academy like ? Is it like BMWs M Track Days? or like BMWs Track School?

GolfR Guy > Danny Korecki 06/27/2020 at 19:01

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I assume it’s very similar to track school . Some classroom sessions, followed by modules like: autocross, drift pad, track time, abs lane change. I wrote about it here: https://oppositelock.kinja.com/amg-driving-academy-review-laguna-seca-1830913449

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Danny Korecki 06/28/2020 at 10:10

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The argument against Summit Point? Venison Stew...

Cali Tracks i’ve been on:

chuckwallah
Laguna Seca
Buttonwillow
Willow Springs

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Danny Korecki 06/29/2020 at 10:53

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Hallet (both directions)

MSR-Cresson (1.7 & 3.1)

Looking forward to adding more to my list before long.