Charley Hoyt

I am new to HPDEs and I really like them. I am curious how some of the more experienced drivers would rank the tracks in the California area...such as Big willow, Willow springs, Button willow, Autoclub speedway Roval, Autoclub inner road course, Laguna Seca, infinion, Spring mountain, etc.. Which are your most and least favorites?

Thanks,
Charley

bobmoore2

Least Favorite:
- Autoclub Inner road course. -- Not technical. Not challenging. No interesting/unique features. Just a really large flat ... Almost like a very large autocross.

Top four (in no particular order):
- Buttonwillow -- It has several interesting and challenging features. And it can be ran in several configurations and in both directions.
- Infineon --A very challenging track. Several of the turns have minimal runoffs, which can be very exciting. Driving it VERY fast requires lots of courage.
- Spring Mountain (the 3.1 mile course) -- Very technical and challenging. Lots of interesting features. It takes lots of skill and practice to drive it very fast.
- Streets of Willow -- Several interesting and challenging features, but it's also a great track to learn on, because the speeds are relatively low. I learned how to balance a car with the throttle (oversteer vs understeer) at this track several years ago.

Olitho

I like all tracks, but if I had to run just four, but not in any order:

1. Buttonwillow for the reasons Bob said
2. SoWS for the reasons Bob said
3. AutoClub Speedway, the ROval has started to grow on me, but not the infield only course
4. Spring Mountain, it has a lot of variety like Buttonwillow

Olitho

PS. I did not see you signed up for the Corvette Challenge at WSIR in two weeks.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/sout...on-opener.html

rmackintosh

I love Laguna and Sears Point! Both are awesome....Sears is VERY technical.

mousecatcher

it doesn't get better than infineon.

ryan0

big willlow cause its kind of a benchmark that doesnt change.

and laguna... cause its laguna.

SIK02SS

Sears point for sure love the track, seems like everytime you run there you learn something new about certain areas of the track

buttonwillow-- I'm 0-2 there as far as finishing weekends, but the track and various configurations are really awesome.

Thunderhill-- very fun track, has some technical mixed with speed capabilities that depends on the driver

streets of willows- not the fastest track, but vey fun and pretty technical

Glennm27

I live on the East Coast but have always dreamed of driving Laguna Seca. I hope I get the chance someday.... If I ever get to spend considerable time out west I'd make it a point to also visit Infineon and Sears Point

longdaddy

it's very easy to combine those two

my favorite as far as just having a good time would be LS.
Infineon is a challenging track, and very rewarding when you start "getting it". Pretty intimidating on the first day though.

J Ritt

1. Buttonwillow has some very interesting corners and small elevation changes. The various configurations make it challenging, and really allow you to have fun hitting the various turns from different angles and speeds. I always had fun at Buttonwillow, and everyone else out there always seemed to be having fun as well. With a couple of nasty exceptions at either end of the front straight, most of the turns have a good amount of runoff, and would be nice for a beginner. The various configs seem to have a nice flow to them, and it was definitely my favorite SoCal track. Some of the turns are very rewarding when you hit them just right. Sliding over Lost Hill in either direction is a trip.

2. Streets of Willow is probably where i pushed hardest when I lived in CA. I always enjoyed that track. As a beginner, spending time there will probably help your driving quite a bit. Go out on the track with Oli or one of the other local fast guys. You'll see some places where you can gain a ton of time. It has some interesting turns. Playing around with your entrance to the bowl, and seeing just how fast you can get through the downhill kink afterwards is enough to keep you busy all day. Once you learn that track, it's a lot of fun to drive other cars and see how they handle. It's really fun to drive out there toss some cars around that track, and drive back home the same day.

3. I only drove Spring Mtn. once, but I enjoyed it. I wish it had more elevation changes though. I felt like it didn't flow as well as buttonwillow. It's also a bit of a haul from LA, and it's in the middle of nowhere. Coyotes would probably eat your spleen if you broke down on the way there...make sure you have a friend with you.

4. Cal Speedway Roval- Not all that fun to me. Going into Turn 1 has a high pucker factor because of the danger element, but I never really got too excited about that track...kind of flat and boring IMO.

5. Willow Springs always bored me terribly. It's fast, but it honestly put me to sleep. I just never enjoyed it nearly as much as the other tracks.

I sadly never made it up to NorCal to drive any of the tracks during my time in CA...only as a spectator.:o

ryan0

you were doing it wrong..

J Ritt

lol...maybe. I think i was running 1:33 ish there, but it was a long time ago. Well...7,8,9 certainly don't put you to sleep...but I just never got into that track. Maybe I was just too scared to enjoy it.

SIK02SS

I can agree with you on WSIR. I like more technically challenging tracks over pure speed tracks, so it's pretty low on my list..I do have fun while there though :o

DarkMastyr

I've only been to Thunderhill, Laguna, and Infineon. Of the three, I enjoy Infineon the most since it's so technical and requires so much more focus to get right.

meldog21

I just did some google earth searching of the tracks. It's cool that some had cars or bikes running when the shots were taken. I wish I could run the motorcycle course at Auto Club Speedway. That way you'd have all the speed without the turn one high speed cornering next to a wall. I like tracks that allow the same configuration for cars and bikes. That way I can compare my lap times and speeds. Last time on my bike at Auto Club I was hitting 157-159 every lap on the front straight before braking for the chicane. The bikes use a chicane on the front straight right at pit out. I would imagine that in the car using the roval would put turn one entry speed around that same speed or more. Seems kind of sketchy for street cars to be doing 160 in a turn with a wall right next to you.

Oh, I highly recommend the google earth view of the tracks. Except for T hill which is more fuzzy than the rest. In the Auto Club shot you can see the rubber marks where the chicane is placed for motorcycles at pit out.

Dog

longdaddy

check laguna seca and thunderhill on google "street view" for a cool easter egg

davidfarmer

my $.02

1. Laguna is fun to drive, yet the easiest of the three that I've driven. The Corkscrew looks cool, but the track is very straightforward. However, it happens to be one of very few counterclockwise circuits

2. Sears is the most difficult track to learn in the country that I'm aware of, and I've driven a lot of them. Blind hills, blind corners, off-camber.... BUT it's very rewarding when you get it. The carousel can be hard on engines however.

3. Spring Mountain....don't waste your time or money

speedmon

These are my favs too.....
Thunderhill is a great track....its just so far away that SoCal folks rarely ever get there......but Corvettes can really be fun here. The front straight into the big sweeper can really test your courage.

SOWS is where I was originally trained to drive so I may be biased...but very technical, elevation changes, all kinds of turns, and challenges a driver as much as the car (suspension, brakes, acceleration, etc). The track is a little tight for a corvette, but for the money you pay, I think its the best bang for a DE buck. When I'm driving this track agressively in a vette, I only use 2 gears, 2 and 3.

Buttonwillow is fun because its technical, but its kinda flat.

Sears point has everything...including increased danger. I've seen the most number of accidents here.....never car to car, always car to wall.

mousecatcher

oooh i have to beg to differ there. turns 5 and 11 are fairly straightforward but the rest ... yes easy to make it around at 9/10 (compared to other tracks), but very hard to get past that point.

turn 3 -- have to slide it in all the way to the apex, and the car is on the edge of losing it all the way to track out. touching the dirt at the exit at first is scary but after awhile you find it's not a big deal (although you don't WANT to do it, just because the car is always just about to get away from you here sometimes you find yourself off)

turn 4 -- have to find just the right amount of lift and wow you just barely make it out. touch the dirt for a huge pucker.

turn 6 - blind at turn-in and will wreck your car if you get it wrong (too fast) and HUGE penalty if you are too slow. and you MUST stay in the throttle hard to get weight to the rear. very very difficult corner.

turn 8 - not as hard as it looks, lots of fun and you don't take much of a penalty for being a bit slow

turn 9 - omg omg omg

turn 10 - omg omg