Hello,

I considering moving from sunny Southern California. The expense of living here is getting to me. I've been wondering what does the rest of the country have to offer. At the moment I'm considering Atlanta or maybe somewhere in Virginia. I would like to be within reasonable driving distance of a track that had fairly regular open track days. I'm interested in karting so, a following in the area would be nice.


Please feel free to throw out any ideas or comments about your city.

Thanks.

 

You might consider Austin or Dallas. Both have cheap housing, excellent economies, and several tracks within a couple of hours.

 

Which tracks, please?

 

Northern NC..... Cost of living good, motorsports surrounding, great..

 

You may not like the winters but, we do have ice racing. These are the tracks that are within 6hrs of the Milw, WI/Chicago, Il area. Some tracks are closer than others of course and there are at least 10 go kart tracks around the same area and I have no idea where they are.
Here are the road courses I know of: Road America, Blackhawk farms, Gingerman,Gratton, Waterford Hills, St Louis, Putnum Park, IRP,Autobahn,Milwaukee Mile Road Course. I'm sure i'm forgeting a couple of tracks but that gives you and idea.

Bob

 

Motor Sports Ranch – Cresson (just south of Ft. Worth)
Texas Motor Speedway – Ft. Worth
Texas World Speedway – College Station

Motor Sports Ranch (MSR) is a motorsports country club where you buy a membership. It is currently adding 1.5 miles to the 1.7 mile track and they are also building houses around the track. They are also building a second MSR track in Houston and the memberships transfer. http://www.motorsportranch.com

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Honda318dx &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Northern NC..... Cost of living good, motorsports surrounding, great..</TD></TR></TABLE>

I am moving to Raleigh this weekend

Saving for a house, so no racing for a few years

Being near VIR, Road Atlanta, CMP, Lowes, etc.

Warm weather from March to Nov (well, warmer than NYC).

Great homes near the $200K mark

 

Central NC is within a 4ish hour drive of these tracks:
VIR (5 different configurations)
Summit Point (3 different tracks)
Carolina Motorsports Park
Roebling Road Raceway
Rockingham
Charlotte Motor Speeday
Road Atlanta
Atlanta Motor Speedway

Another ~hour or so will get you to Barber Motorsports Park and Little Taledega in Alabama.

8 hours of driving should get you to Mid-Ohio and Beverun.

NC also has some of the most active autocross clubs I've ever seen. Between autox and track schools, I can do something 50 weekends a year if I want.

Edit: Whatever you do DON'T move to NC!!!! I like being able to buy 3bdrm/2 car garage 1800sqft houses on an acre of land in a lake community for $150K! You guys go somewhere else!!!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by davidnyc &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I am moving to Raleigh this weekend

Saving for a house, so no racing for a few years

Being near VIR, Road Atlanta, CMP, Lowes, etc.

Warm weather from March to Nov (well, warmer than NYC).

Great homes near the $200K mark </TD></TR></TABLE>


Same for Charlotte, NC. Closer to CMP, Lowes and Road Atlanta.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by davidnyc &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I am moving to Raleigh this weekend

Saving for a house, so no racing for a few years

Being near VIR, Road Atlanta, CMP, Lowes, etc.

Warm weather from March to Nov (well, warmer than NYC).

Great homes near the $200K mark </TD></TR></TABLE>

You'll be right down the road, Dave!

I might have to "borrow" the car every now and then

 

Despite what people say (here we go) SOUTHERN New Jersey is good. Very close to everything including:
Pocono 2 hours
Summit point 3.5
Lime rock 3.5
Watkins glen 5.5
VIR 7.5
Mid Ohio 8
Beaver Run 6
Nelson 7
NJ Motorsports park in the future 1.2 hours CANT WAIT!!!!!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Andrew240z &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Despite what people say (here we go) SOUTHERN New Jersey is good. Very close to everything including:
Pocono 2 hours
Summit point 3.5
Lime rock 3.5
Watkins glen 5.5
VIR 7.5
Mid Ohio 8
Beaver Run 6
Nelson 7
NJ Motorsports park in the future 1.2 hours CANT WAIT!!!!!</TD></TR></TABLE>

In planning/under construction:

Rousch Creek (Harrisburg, PA)
Liberty Bell Motorsports Park (near Pottstown, PA)
and that one near Allentown, but I can't remember the name

Cost of living isn't spectucular though.

 

Central NC is a great motorsports area. You're basically dead center between Summit Point and Road Atlanta, with CMP, VIR, Roebling, Rockingham, LMS...etc. Longer but doable trips include Watkins Glen, Mid Ohio, and Sebring. There is also a very active autocross/track/rallycross club in central NC called Tarheel Sports Car Club.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by davidnyc &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I am moving to Raleigh this weekend </TD></TR></TABLE>

Hey David, hit me up. I'm right down the road in Durham and should be moving back to Raleigh this year.

 

NC (Charlotte here)

-VIR
-Road Atlanta
-CMP
-Roebling Road
-Lowes
-Rockingham
-(whatever the place is that maybe going into Salisbury, NC)
-(whatever the place is that maybe going into Richmond, VA)

::Longer Trip::
Summit
Mid-Ohio

And in Charlotte you can dip into SC for cheaper sales taxes.

 

Florida
Homestead
Moroso
Sebring
Daytona
Roebling Road
Road Atlanta

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Motor Sports Ranch – Cresson (just south of Ft. Worth)
Texas Motor Speedway – Ft. Worth
Texas World Speedway – College Station

Motor Sports Ranch (MSR) is a motorsports country club where you buy a membership. It is currently adding 1.5 miles to the 1.7 mile track and they are also building houses around the track. They are also building a second MSR track in Houston and the memberships transfer. http://www.motorsportranch.com</TD></TR></TABLE>

The Motorsports Ranch seems cool. I wonder if regular working guys are members.

 

Virginia is great, but can be pricey (espcially outside DC). Virginia has Summit Point and VIR nearby and your pick of the East within a days drive (Watkins Glen, Nelson Ledges, CMP, Road Atlanta, Beaver Run, etc). DC region SCCA also has one of the best autocross programs in the nation (if you like big fields, competition, etc).

But, if you can find a good job, NC has to be the best bang-for-buck region on the East Coast right now.

 

Damn, sounds like I need to move to NC.

 

hey brotha man, i have been thinking about geting out of here also...personally i have been thinking about texas, arizona or new mexica but never gave to much to motorsports in those areas...cool thread, but i don't want my brotha to move...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mr. LoSt &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">hey brotha man, i have been thinking about geting out of here also...personally i have been thinking about texas, arizona or new mexica but never gave to much to motorsports in those areas...cool thread, but i don't want my brotha to move... </TD></TR></TABLE>

I need a track near by. A community that has an interest in actually using the performance parts that they spend all their money on would be nice too...

 

I've been looking at western Michigan, esp the Grand Rapids area. You can literally live across the street from Grattan or Gingerman, Waterford Hills and the active Detroit region SCCA is 2-3 hours across the state, Saginaw Valley region is 2 hours and ice races, western Michigan (when they decide to do events again) are right in GR, its a few hours to the fairly active NW Ohio region and Mid Ohio, and its a few hours to the Tire Rack, Indiana tracks and SCCA autocrosses, and Topeka's kinda close for the champs.

 

What's average travel time for you guys to hit local events? Meaning autocross and open track days.

 

MI = rust heaven though. And Topeka is no longer the location of the Nationals, nor is Mid-O gonna be the location for the Runoffs.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sscguy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">MI = rust heaven though. And Topeka is no longer the location of the Nationals, nor is Mid-O gonna be the location for the Runoffs.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Good point. I would like to stay as rust free as possible. Also, I was born in Detroit. I don't even visit much.

 

I understand the idea of moving to a motorsports friendly area, but you have be in touch with the realities of life before you can consider motorsports...

1. What is the job market of the area ? (can't race without money! even karting involves some sort of cash outlay)
2. What is the standard of living ? (home costs, tax rates, school systems, commute time, etc.)
3. Do I enjoy the climate ? (snow, want warm weather, etc.)
4. Closeness to family and friends, if this is important.
etc. etc.

I am assuming you have considered the above?