I'm looking for tracks, not really into the whole drag thing, but tracking my DD once in a while would be a fun thing for the wife and I to learn and do once in a while, anyone know any tracks in the DE, MD area? I'm trying to keep from having to drive to far away, so i'm just wondering if anyone has a list or anything?

VIR? That should be only a few hours away.

Where do you live?

New Jersey Motorsports Park is not too far.

VIR is worth the drive - one of the best tracks in North America!

Oh, and Watkins Glen as about 4 hours north of you. Another classic.

Depending on where you live...

Cecil County Dragway, Cecil County, MD
MIR (Maryland international Raceway), Mechanicsville, MD
VIR is an excellent track but is kinda far.

Depending on where you live...

Cecil County Dragway, Cecil County, MD
MIR (Maryland international Raceway), Mechanicsville, MD
VIR is an excellent track but is kinda far.

Does MIR have a road course also (like Englishtown)?

Oh shit... lol I saw tracks and Drag and didn't read the whole thing. No MIR does not have a road course or auto X. My bad.

but tracking my DD once in a while would be a fun thing for the wife and I to learn and do once in a while,

Nope, it's a drug, or a potato chip. or sex - once you try it you will only want more, all of it, all the time, everywhere, with your shoes on, by yourself, with strangers... wait, what are we talking about? Maybe that's just me...

Nope, it's a drug, or a potato chip. or sex - once you try it you will only want more, all of it, all the time, everywhere, with your shoes on, by yourself, with strangers... wait, what are we talking about? Maybe that's just me...

:yeahthat: Life is that annoying thing that happens between track days!

NJMP, Summit Point, and Pocono are your best bets if you want to stay local.

for schedules try looking at autox4u.com and motorsportreg.com. they both post the schedules of many track days hosted by clubs/PDA/HDPE and the sort. Find one near you.

Summit Point is also close by. It's on the WV/VA boarder. It's probably the most accessible track, cost wise. Also seems like it's the safest for a beginner. I'd suggest trying it before risking your car/life at VIR, Watkins. I dont know much about NJMP, but it looks like a safe bet, too.

Basically, you want a place without a lot of elevation change, especially sudden change. You also want to look at all the fast corners and ask 'what's going to happen if i lose traction here? Where will my car end up?'. If the answer is 'in that wall' or 'around that tree', avoid learning to drive at speed there :D

Summit Point is also close by. It's on the WV/VA boarder. It's probably the most accessible track, cost wise. Also seems like it's the safest for a beginner. I'd suggest trying it before risking your car/life at VIR, Watkins. I dont know much about NJMP, but it looks like a safe bet, too.

Basically, you want a place without a lot of elevation change, especially sudden change. You also want to look at all the fast corners and ask 'what's going to happen if i lose traction here? Where will my car end up?'. If the answer is 'in that wall' or 'around that tree', avoid learning to drive at speed there :D

If your first thought when planning a track day is "where am I less likely to crash and die", then perhaps track days are not for you!

If you go with a reputable HPDE company, get a good instructor and make it clear to them what you hope to achieve, and then stay within your abilities, track days are perfectly safe.

Englishtown ftw

Englishtown ftw

As road courses go, Englishtown is very limited (it's more like a big auto-x track). You should try NJMP instead - it's only a few miles down the road from there.

I can recommend VIR if this will be your first Track day. There's lots of run off space so if you lose control you will run on grass instead of a concrete wall but there are some turns that are a bit dangerous so you still gotta take it easy your first time. VIR is where I started on HPDEs and it's still my favorite even though i've only been to one other track.

I'd also recommend a set of dedicated track brake pads(just the fronts) and some good hi temp brake fluid.

Here's a video of VIR Full Course in my friend's STI following me in my STI. the instructor talks about going off track in this video and where to go and what you SHOULDN'T do if you go off. But at least you can see from the passenger's seat what the track looks like and where the run off space is. This was my friend's very first HPDE too. He was in Intermediate session with me with All Seasons(he'd slide towards the outside of the corner under acceleration).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBUZMoTgNFw

Here's a video of VIR Full Course in my friend's STI following me in my STI. the instructor talks about going off track in this video and where to go and what you SHOULDN'T do if you go off. But at least you can see from the passenger's seat what the track looks like and where the run off space is. This was my friend's very first HPDE too. He was in Intermediate session with me with All Seasons(he'd slide towards the outside of the corner under acceleration).


It was your friend's first ever HPDE and they put him in the Intermediate Group???? Which company did you go with? I'll make sure to avoid them!

Wow, are we jealous of someone who started can start HPDE without beginning in Novice? Without knowing his background you feel that you can make a judgment? Thanks.. I'm proud to be a part of this online community.

New Jersey Motorsports Park... Just did a track day there on my bike on Thursday. They have 2 great tracks.

Wow, are we jealous of someone who started can start HPDE without beginning in Novice? Without knowing his background you feel that you can make a judgment? Thanks.. I'm proud to be a part of this online community.

It's probably more that driving on a track is totally different than driving on a road... If you've never been to a track before. You should definitely be in the beginner group.

Wow, are we jealous of someone who started can start HPDE without beginning in Novice? Without knowing his background you feel that you can make a judgment? Thanks.. I'm proud to be a part of this online community.

You said it was his first ever HPDE - to go straight into the Intermediate Group is simply unsafe. Even if he has hundreds of auto-x hours and is an amazing driver, he should still go in the Novice group. Even drivers who have many track days experience would go in a Novice group if it was their first time at a particular track. Simple as that - not judging him, but I am judging the company that ran the event.