snitz

Anyone have experience with this track. Anyone belong? What's your opinion of the place, management, worth joining?

It isn't cheap, however it appears to offer some outstanding access.

Any opinons?

http://www.autobahncountryclub.net/location.html

Snidley

Its not only "not cheap", it has a waiting list to join. Its a great track, actually 2 tracks for most of the time. The south track is about 2 mile long, and the north track is 1.5 mile. On most Mondays, the track is joined to be 3.5 mile. There are multiple ways to get onto the track without joining. NASA runs a couple of events every year. Performance Drivers, Inc. have the track for 10 Mondays a year (full track) for only $3000 a year. Other orginasations have events that will get you out there. You can have your fill of the track for alot less than the $33000 in fees.

I manage to run there 3-4 times a year, along with some other area tracks.

xsiveone

I haven't been to this track yet, but it sure looks like the track surface isn't holding up very well. I saw some recent video and I couldn't believe how bumpy it looked in just one year.

JimBacus

I'll be out there on Monday with PDI... full circuit fun!

The track surface seems to be wearing well to me (far better than my tires), man have I done my share of laps there!

DANNOV

The track is very slow, with 21 corners in 3.8 miles. The longest straight is S10 to S12 which is only 1844 feet and that ends in a corner that is the slowest on the track. You can't get much high speed driving experience on this track, you might get your Corvette up tp 130 mph for a few seconds. It is like a big go-kart track.

In my opinion it is designed so that members won't destroy themselves and their cars. With a few modifications they could make it a much more interesting place, but Road America (i.e. 14 corners in 4 miles) it is not.

I am glad I did not join the Autobahn when I had the chance. If you want to drive the track there are several open events that you can participate in, without putting up the big money to be a member. I will go there again, probably many times, but only because it is handy, not because I like the place.

Now, after saying all of that, I think the short North course is interesting with nice flow, while the South course is more like a go-kart place and in my humble opinion the south course sucks. Put them both together and the track sucks at bit less.

UstaB-GS549

I prefer the South course over the North. But that's just me.

DANNOV

I certainly don't enjoy the S8 to S10 combination, or S11 -S12, or S1 - S3. All of these segments are designed to slow people down and are in no way challenging corners where a driver can improve his skills. It would not create any hazard to eliminate the S8-S10 mess as well as S11-S12 slowdown area, and it could be easily accomplished.
There are two kinds of tracks, one is the real race track (Road America, VIR, Brainerd, Mid-Ohio, etc), the other type is the track designed for Drivers Ed events (Autobahn, Gingerman). Alan Wilson has made a good career for himself designing many of the latter courses, and there are many more coming.

JimBacus

But then I prefer the full circuit over either half circuit, because that allows you to take some speed over the jump and into the flowing part of the north circuit.

snitz

Thanks for comments! I am very new to the track, but looking to learn.

I get the impression from what I am hearing that this track is fine for a few years, as I an learning the ropes, but to grow as a driver once I have more experience I need to venture out to tracks like Road America?

DANNOV

In the Chicago area, the Autobahn, Gingerman and Blackhawk are great places to learn. You should be aware that the drivers education events at these tracks usually offer instruction, and you can learn a lot without taking much risk. Road America is a different story; it is big, very fast, and unforgiving of driver errors.

I do track events with the Porsche Club of Chicago and last weekend we were at Gingerman, which is just outside of South Haven, Michigan. A very good and safe track for a beginner. The Porsche Club charges $295 for the weekend, and if you are a beginner you can get an instructor for the whole weekend, at no charge.

Also, you don't have to be a member or even own a Porsche to participate. They usually open the Gingerman event to non-members to fill out the field. We had a diverse collection of cars last weekend including 350Z's, BMW's, a VW GTI, a Toyota Supra, but strangely no Corvettes appeared. Over the weekend you can get in about eight 1/2 hour sessions and probably put on almost 300 track miles. You should check out the websie at: www.pca-chicago.org

The season is winding down but there may be some events you can still get into. If you want to learn, the Gingerman event next year is a good place to start.

UstaB-GS549

OK, I will agree the over-90 zee corner between S9 &s10 is a little annoying.

I wish they could jack up Grattan and move it closer to Chicago. That is one of the more technical tracks in the area. As much as I like RA, parts of it are boring. 14 to 1 and 3 to 5.

DANNOV

Don't like blinding speed and high speed corners do we? In the case of turns 1 to 3 it all starts much earlier, requiring that you get a good jump off fast corner 14 and maintain speed and momentum through fast corner 1 to 3 (i.e. connecting one 4455' straightaway to the other 3888' straight). If you can maintain speed and momentum all the way from 14 to 5, you can cut a very fast lap.

Not a strict technical section but it is a test of your ability to carry high speed momentum and a test of courage. These two sections scare a lot of people as does turn 11 (the Kink). Just before you go into turn 1 you are hitting a top speed that is probably higher or as high as any road course in the US, and on turn 5 if you do it correctly and carry your speed into the corner, the dip at the end of the straight is scary. Road America is unlike any go-kart track (read that: Autobahn) I have ever seen.

Those sections of Road America that you mentioned are boring only if you do them slow. You might want to try to pick up the pace and use your brakes less.

JimBacus

I was at the Autobahn...

UstaB-GS549

I ran a 2:34 with a stock Z06 on used scrubs. GS-CS on front and Victoracers on rear.

DANNOV

I didn't mean to put mean to put you down with my comment (but subconsciously maybe I did!), but not long ago I ran a 2:48 at RA with a 2003 Boxster S on Michelin Super Cup tires. The Boxster has at least 105 less HP than a Z06, and I can ony hit 128 mph before braking for turn 1. So, I think I am carrying speed and momentum, which was my point.

I do not like to boost, but there is something else that you should know about me. I am 68 years old. Come back when you are in your 60's and we can compare lap times. I hope you will still be running at that age, there are few around at that age that can still do it or even want to risk it.

Incidently, I also regularly run a 8:30 mile (on foot) without the benefit of the Boxster. I dare say, I am a pretty fast old man.

DANNOV

Makr\ke that 150 less HP than the Z06.

UstaB-GS549

I will be 60 in 2 years.

DANNOV

The next 10 years are the toughest! Glad to see that you are on the track at such an advanced age. Perhaps we will encounter each other some day, if you ever do a track day with the Porsche club, look for me, I'm #75.

UstaB-GS549

Will do.

Right now, my biggest problem is getting my walker on the passenger seat after getting in. I put tennis ***** on the feet to keep from scratching the paint.