What are the must go to road courses in the USA (and southern Canada)?

I'm talking courses that you can run on in an HPDE with your car.

Please consider things other than the course itself, such as the surrounding area.

My 2.

BeaveRun. Didn't get to drive on it, but it looked like it could be fun, and Pittsburgh was great. (PB about 30 minutes away)

Mid America Motorplex. Very fun track. Omaha was awesome. (OMH about 20 minutes away)

 

Road America is my favorite, but it is a little boring on the long straights in my underpowered car. Blackhawk Farms is a very fun to drive course that doesnt require a lot of horsepower to enjoy.

 

Sears point- near napa- really nice area
Laguna seca- legendary track, and monteray is awsome
watkins glen- just looks like a bad *** place to drive

 

Road Atlanta (Panoz Chateau Elan & Wine Counry)
Sebring (Oranges?)
VIR (Full Course) (hmm...)
Mid Ohio (another hmm...)
Thunderhill (better than Infineon in my opinion) ( Yeah, um cows?)
Laguna Seca (Monterey Peninsula, carmel, etc)
Willow Springs in a High HP car (bring your ***** for turn 9) (coyotes)
Watkins Glen is in Wine Country, as is infineon.
Road America ( Brats and Beer!)

Marcus

 

Home track is BeaveRun and it is fun for the length. Then there are Watkins Glen and Pocono-what can I say-terrific overall. Summit Point and VIR are very challenging too, as is Mid Ohio.

 

South/Southeast:
VIR
Road Atlanta
Sebring

North/Northeast
the Glen

Midwest:
Mid-Ohio
Road America

West:
Laguna Seca

That's the best America has to offer.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MaddMatt &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">South/Southeast:
VIR
Road Atlanta
Sebring

North/Northeast
the Glen

Midwest:
Mid-Ohio
Road America

West:
Laguna Seca

That's the best America has to offer.</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MaddMatt &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">South/Southeast:
VIR
Road Atlanta
Sebring

North/Northeast
the Glen

Midwest:
Mid-Ohio
Road America

West:
Laguna Seca

That's the best America has to offer.</TD></TR></TABLE>

IMO: besides the track itself, the "must do" tracks have to have a sense of history to them. You know, when you drive thru the gate you say " (insert your favorite driver old skool driver) won here". This list pretty much covers it. the only one I might add would be daytona. the 24hr is kind of a bogus race now but wasnt always. all the greats used to do it back in the day.

 

Barber Motorsports Park.
Like a country club with a world class road course in the middle of it.

Bring your checkbook. It has the most expensive price of entry I've ever seen, and if you hit anything you just bought it.

But damn... that course is just... I'm getting all tingly in my ***** just thinking about it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Catch 22 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">But damn... that course is just... I'm getting all tingly in my ***** just thinking about it.</TD></TR></TABLE>

that's just wayyyy too much information for me, especially this early in the morning.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">IMO: besides the track itself, the "must do" tracks have to have a sense of history to them. You know, when you drive thru the gate you say " (insert your favorite driver old skool driver) won here". This list pretty much covers it.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I agree. If Bridgehampton and Riverside still existed, they'd be on the list.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">USA (and southern Canada)?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Missed the Canada part. Might have to put Mosport and possibly Tremblant on "the list".

 

East (US & Canada):
Mont Tremblant - the most beautiful setting for a track in North America. Period.
Mosport - bring your cajones. Scary. The good scary.
Watkins Glen - prove you're faster on a road course than Jr.
VIR - For my money, the best natural terrain course I've been on.
Barber Park - what Catch said (except the part about his *****)
Road Atlanta - good scary with a Southern drawl.
Sebring - 12 Hour Course (the others suck). Flying down the front straight looking at the makes and nationality of all of the past 50+ winners.

-Matt

 

I just just mention Canadian tracks, I have been to many tracks in the US but never driven on, yet.

Mosport- Can be scary, turns 2 and 4 are monster fast blind over crest corners, my first time there was my 3rd race ever, in a 500hp GT1 car, I was puckered up pretty bad.
In over my head at that point, freaked out.

Mt Tremblant- the most stunning track I have ever been to, its really amazing there, the track is imaculate now after the rebuild, the scenery is incredible.
The track is a mix of mega quick sweepers and some cool techy stuff, alot of it blind and weird. I love this place.

Places I'd LOVE to try...

Road Atlanta
Road America
Laguna Seca
The Glen
Barber looks really fun.

 

I have a few on my must-try list:

RA #1 and #2 (you decide which is which)
Seca
Infineon
The Glen
VIR
Mid-O

One that should be on everybody's must-try list:

Hallett Motor Racing Circuit outside of Tulsa, OK. I've been told by people who know what they're talking about that it's the most technical track in the country. I don't know if I believe them, but it's beautiful and challenging and a lot of fun and hard to hurt your car there (unless a Miata spins right in front of you ).

 

No love for Lime Rock?

 

Mid Ohio
VIR
Road Atlanta
These are the ones that I have been to and absolutely love.

 

I was JUST gonna bring up Lime Rock... talk about History and a beautiful area. And it may be short, but there are some high-speed pucker corners as well. Here's my list, in no particular order:

Tracks I've driven that are world-class:
-Mid Ohio
-Road America
-Road Atlanta
-Lime Rock
-Mosport
-VIR
-Sebring
-Laguna

Tracks I've yet to drive on that I _believe_ to be world-class:
-Glen
-Sears
-Tremblant

 

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

that's just wayyyy too much information for me, especially this early in the morning. </TD></TR></TABLE>

It shakes and it moves me or something its like jelly roll like sculpture.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jc836 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Then there are Watkins Glen and Pocono-what can I say-terrific overall. Summit Point and VIR are very challenging too, as is Mid Ohio.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Wow, this is a really..... interesting perspective.

To me, mentioning Pocono and Watkins Glen in the same breath is blasphemy comparable to pissing on the pope's hat. And then Summit Point and VIR in the same breath? That's like using the Shrowd of Turin to wipe your ***....

 

For those of you who want to race at Tremblant this year, the Fall Classic will be held on September 24-25. If you run in the GT class, you can pretty much enter any closed-wheel car from any class and my guess is that it won't be that expensive (300-400$CAD). I'll be there if I can find a way to put a new engine in the Civic.

 

Sears (Infineon) and Watkins Glen are my favourite.

Laguna Seca is ok.

 

tracks i want to drive in the US:
Seca
Infineon
VIR
Road Atlanta
Road America
Mid O
Sebring

edit
I'd also really like to drive (but may not have the same gravitas as above):
PIR, Ore
PIR, AZ
Spring Mt
T-hill
Hallett
TMS



Modified by bad-monkey at 5:49 PM 8/9/2005

 

Nelson Ledges.

Edit: oh sorry, I thought the post title said, "Must avoid road courses".

Edit 2: it's still better than working.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jc836 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Home track is BeaveRun and it is fun for the length. Then there are Watkins Glen and Pocono-what can I say-terrific overall. Summit Point and VIR are very challenging too, as is Mid Ohio.</TD></TR></TABLE>

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by speedracer33 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Wow, this is a really..... interesting perspective.

To me, mentioning Pocono and Watkins Glen in the same breath is blasphemy comparable to pissing on the pope's hat. And then Summit Point and VIR in the same breath? That's like using the Shrowd of Turin to wipe your ***....</TD></TR></TABLE>

I was waiting for the Beaverun - MO comparison.

 

Road America. even if you're not going to drive, go sit and watch any race from canada corner in the fall.

i'll give another mention for Hallet in oklahoma. it doesn't have the facilities to host any major major event, but everyone who's driven it cannot sing enough praises about it.