924Board.org

[dgz924s]

I did my first DE at Mid American Motorsports Complex and it is an excellent track for the beginner, has it all except undulation! But I am looking to get a schedule for DE events this coming season and would like some good tracks to run on for a Group 2 DE'er. I am in the Midwest but not at all restricted to tracks in the Midwest. I hear that the Glen is NOT a good track for the rookie! Any opinions welcome! So what is your pick for the best track to get a well rounded experience at? Thx! D

[924RACR]

I wouldn't rate it as a "well-rounded" thing, rather as a tradeoff between fun, exciting tracks vs. the risk of damaging your car, and how much, if you go off.

#1, go to Mid-Ohio. Can't miss it, best in the middle of the country, love it, awesome track, there's a reason the SCCA holds the Ruboffs there every year. And it's a nice track in spite of those reasons. </soap> It's got excellent corner groupings, nice long straights, elevations, walls, everything. Just stay out of the gravel and off the walls. That's the downside to it. Nothing like taking turn #1 flat-out blind with no sight of your apex, not lifting, or drifting hard turning right into Thunder Valley as you hit the crest and the back end gets loose and you steer left though you're turning right. OTOH, the wall gets real close real quick and you can really screw up a car there. You'd better know what you're doing before you try that one, get a few dates at other tracks first.

Safest track I've heard of and been at is definitely Gingerman - South Haven, MI. can't hit a damn thing, except mud, grass, and, way out there, light wire fencing (like you'd see around a cow pasture). Excellent for newbies and fresh clean cars that want to stay that way. It's also very boring once you've been to the "big" tracks and racing hard, as there's virtually no elevation changes, and all corners are decreasing radius. You can't hurt anything, and can always see where you're going, so there's no major "pucker factor" corners. Very technically challenging, but not nearly as rewarding. Turn 2-3 never feels "right." However it's an excellent place to learn what you're doing.

Grattan, to cap off the list of tracks I've been on (excluding Waterford), is in Grattan, MI, near Grand Rapids. It's also a very fun track, nearly as much fun as Mid-O, except lacking any real high-speed corners. Lots of fun elevation changes, especially mid-corner (turn 3), plus a front straight that was a drag strip - top speed! Probably longer, when combined with the lead-up to the front straight, than Mid-O (which is very long, enough to get out the paper). However there's also still ample opportunity to ball up your car if you experience brain fade. Should easily be able to break 100 on the front straight, as with the back straight at Mid-O.

Hope that helps, it's about all the advice I can give due to limited track exposure. I will be at Beaverun (in PA) next weekend (10/19-20) for the 944Cup event... it's a short track (1.6mi), but looks to have some good straights and elevation still... should be fun!


_________________
Vaughan Scott
Webmeister
'79 924 #77 SCCA H Prod racecar
'82 931 Plat. Silver
#25 Hidari Firefly P2 sports prototype

[924RACR]

Oh, yeah, you may wish to also ask this on the rennlist racing forum, since there may be more people in your area on there than here, or at least with more experience on those tracks... I know it's quite a ways to get to any MI/OH track, BTDT in reverse! However, if you do happen to get over here, do give a holler...

_________________
Vaughan Scott
Webmeister
'79 924 #77 SCCA H Prod racecar
'82 931 Plat. Silver
#25 Hidari Firefly P2 sports prototype

[dgz924s]

Great info! Gingerman sounds like MAM, Flat wide open and nothing to hit. 2.3 mile track 13-15 corners. Turn 3 will tighten your colon! Hard decreasing radius, definetly a "rotate the car" corner! I did some fast parade laps at Topeka but it also is tight in areas to hit something. Yes I am looking to keep the car in one piece! for now!hehe GL at Beaverun! Thx! D