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BoxheadTim
BoxheadTim UberDork
4/21/12 7:17 a.m.

Remind me again why I think taking a car to the track is a good idea?

Track is 70 miles away and I've got to be there at 7am for tech. Oh well, it's the closest track to here and I do want/need my PDX fix. Wish me luck that the Miata holds together and that I don't have to call the wife to come and give me a ride home.

Donebrokeit
Donebrokeit Reader
4/21/12 8:09 a.m.

I know the closest track to me is 90 miles away and is up hill almost the whole way (I live about 11 feet above sea level) Yea, not fun

Paul B

Streetwiseguy
Streetwiseguy SuperDork
4/21/12 8:18 a.m.

You guys need to move farther away, so you have to travel the day before. Seven hour tow for me...

Zomby Woof
Zomby Woof UltraDork
4/21/12 8:23 a.m.

My favourite track, and the one I race mostly is 10 minutes from my house. The other ones are 2-4 hours away. I'm not a morning person either, but I've camped overnight at the track, and don't seem to be any further ahead doing that. Either way, I end up feeling like E36 M3

z31maniac
z31maniac UberDork
4/21/12 8:52 a.m.

I feel genuinely lucky that Hallett is only 25 minutes from my house.

Duke
Duke UberDork
4/21/12 9:31 a.m.

I got nuthin here. Closest track to me is NJMP and it is an hour and a half. After that I have Pocono about 2 hours away. Then the jump goes to more like 4-5 hours for VIR.

MG Bryan
MG Bryan SuperDork
4/21/12 9:33 a.m.
Duke wrote: I got nuthin here. Closest track to me is NJMP and it is an hour and a half. After that I have Pocono about 2 hours away. Then the jump goes to more like 4-5 hours for VIR.

Summit Point is only 2-3 hours out.

Bumboclot
Bumboclot Reader
4/21/12 9:36 a.m.

The Glen is a 20 minute drive from my house.

Ranger50
Ranger50 SuperDork
4/21/12 9:37 a.m.

If I want to go in squiggly circles, it is a 4 hr tow to Mid-Ohio or Summit Point.

Straight lines are only 1-1.5hr tow to Kanawha Valley, Mountain Park Dragway, or Bristol.

LopRacer
LopRacer Reader
4/21/12 9:48 a.m.

You are all lucky in my book. Road Atl is 3.5 hours, CMP 3.5 hours, Roebling 6ish Hours, VIR probably 4 hours. Barber 6 hours. and the list goes on it seems no one wants to build a road course within two hours of the NC Mountains. Oh and have fun at the track, any day at the track is better than a good day at work!

Twin_Cam
Twin_Cam UltraDork
4/21/12 12:17 p.m.

I'm smack-dab equidistant from all sorts of cool tracks as well. Pocono is closest at 2 hours, followed by NJMP at 3.5, the Glen at 4, Summit Point at 4.5, and VIR at 5.5. Good thing I don't have enough money for a track rat car. And I don't feel right doing that to my car that also has to do a 38-mile round-trip commute every single day. It leaks coolant and burns oil enough as it is

EvanB
EvanB UltraDork
4/21/12 12:26 p.m.

Mid-Ohio is 20 minutes for me.

Knurled
Knurled Dork
4/21/12 12:33 p.m.
Donebrokeit wrote: I know the closest track to me is 90 miles away and is up hill almost the whole way (I live about 11 feet above sea level) Yea, not fun Paul B

Look on the bright side. If you break the car, you can probably make it home, as long as it can roll.

mtn
mtn PowerDork
4/21/12 12:45 p.m.

I've been getting up early in the morning since I was 7, either for hockey, fishing, caddying, or autocross. I never have liked it, although it has gotten easier through the years.

Got up at 6:20 this morning, went and reffed two hockey games (and made $66), bought a torque wrench at a garage sale, and was back making pancakes by 9:30.

BoostedBrandon
BoostedBrandon HalfDork
4/21/12 1:03 p.m.

If this ever gets built it will be 90 minutes from here.

National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park

carguy123
carguy123 PowerDork
4/21/12 1:41 p.m.

The real issue is that they start the things so danged early.

car39
car39 HalfDork
4/21/12 6:02 p.m.

Lime Rock is about 45 miles from my house, but like they say, you can't get there from here. It's also 45 miles away from any highway, and the most direct route has the term "mountain" and "covered bridge" in the directions. You do not want to go thru the Cornwall Covered bridge with a crew cab and trailer if you don't have to.

BoxheadTim
BoxheadTim UberDork
4/22/12 10:05 a.m.

Getting up around 6.30 is normal for me, but not getting up around 4am to wake up enough to drive out to the track at 5.30.

Either way it was worth it - I was surprised how good the track was (Reno-Fernley Raceway). Technical in the back for the people with cars that were powered by "two gerbils in a wheel" (as someone put it) like the Me-Otter and a long straightaway for the faster cars. I ended up in the faster/more experienced PDX group and despite having the least powerful, least modified car running on standard size all seasons, still didn't end up being as much of a mobile chicane as I though I would be. Some people might disagree though...

Along the way I also appear to be a fully signed up SCCA member so it's time to get a log book (forgot this time around) and get started "properly".

Miata held up better than the driver I think - I really need to get some more supportive seats before the next outing.

Man, have I missed driving on a track .

neon4891
neon4891 UltimaDork
4/22/12 10:07 a.m.
Bumboclot wrote: The Glen is a 20 minute drive from my house.

Maybe 45 for me. I need to get out there more often.

HiTempguy
HiTempguy SuperDork
4/22/12 10:52 p.m.

The only roadcourse in Alberta closed. This has currently left us with a crotch rocket track that doubles as a shifter kart track and small (65second) time attack track.

Of course, Edmonton is getting a full on road course finished this year. So I'll have a roadcourse within 15 minutes of where I live, rally-x's within 20 minutes, and time attack (if the roadcourse is booked) about 40 minutes away.

Suck it Calgary! (don't get to say that very often!)

motomoron
motomoron Dork
4/22/12 11:48 p.m.

An hour-twenty for Sunmmit. If I'm instructing a PDX and the Instructors meeting is at 8, with a pre-packed car I can set the alarm at 6:20 and still have time to grab coffee and something sweet/greasy on the way. SCCA club race weekends I generally go up and unload Friday evening if I'm running before lunch, or early Saturday if my group is later. I've been there so many times in the past 30+ years my cars can do the drive by themselves.

NJMP is about 3 hours, VIR is about 5 hours.

I'm not complaining at all - these are first world problems.

Streetwiseguy
Streetwiseguy SuperDork
4/23/12 7:48 a.m.
HiTempguy wrote: Of course, Edmonton is getting a full on road course finished this year.

So, is that still a go? I'm hopeful, but will beleive it when I see asphault.

Hal
Hal Dork
4/23/12 10:13 a.m.

Summit is 1 hour with a coffee stop in Charlestown.
Pocono, BeaveRun, and NJMP all at ~3.5 hours.
VIR and Watkins Glen are ~5 hours.

I have done all the longer ones in less time when I could stay out of the peak traffic hours.

93EXCivic
93EXCivic UltimaDork
4/23/12 1:15 p.m.
BoostedBrandon wrote: If this ever gets built it will be 90 minutes from here. National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park

Wait is that getting built in Bowling Green?!?!

Powar
Powar Dork
4/23/12 1:23 p.m.
93EXCivic wrote: Wait is that getting built in Bowling Green?!?!

That's the idea. I hope it happens.

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