OK , I hope this thread works cause I don't think it's been done before so please join in. I did a search and nothng came up.

Everyone has a favourite racetrack. From Laguna Seca to Indianapolis.
What tracks have you been to and which are your favourite?

I know Monkey will have a few tracks that he'd care to menton being a racer and all. A few other members race? Tell us here.

From D1 to Dirt Tracks to Ice courses , there's thousands of circuits all over the world and seeing as though there's members from everywhere in this forum , it would be interesting to see some not so popular circuits that people go to , race at or like watching.

Here's mine...from the spectator side...

Daytona International Speedway. The Great American Race.
http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/276/daytonaaerialshotbgrv7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
It's when you're actually there that you understand the true size of this place. It is absolutely huge.
I was there in 1998 to see Dale Earnhardt take victory. A memory I will never forget.

Pikes Peak. One of the most unique and challenging races in all of motor sports. 'The Race To The Clouds'
http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/1377/33525819img3234ya0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
"Monster" Tajima currently holds the record in a Suzuki Grand Vitara...7min.38sec in the unlimited class.
http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/4634/001dz4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
an annual tarmac/gravel automobile and motorcycle hillclimb to the summit of Pikes Peak in Colorado [/URL], a distance of 19.99 km (12.42 miles) over 156 turns, climbing 1,439 metres from the start at Mile 7 on Pikes Peak Highway at 2,862 m on grades averaging 7%.

MT.Panorama - Bathurst Raceway. Home of the Super Cheap Auto Bathurst 1000 - The Holy Grail of the V8 Supercar Series.
I've been 6 times and plan to go up next year. It's on the weekend of my birthday so it's always a crazy weekend.
[URL=http://imageshack.us]http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/1695/dipper1mediummm2.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado)
http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/592/conrod2smalldu4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Circuit Length
6.213 klm

Previous Winners
2000 Jason Bargwanna/Garth Tander -Holden
2001 Mark Skaife/ Tony Longhust -Holden
2002 Mark Skaife/Jason Richards - Holden
2003 Greg Murphy/Rick Kelly - Holden
2004 Greg Murphy/Rick Kelly - Holden
2005 Mark Skaife/Todd Kelly - Holden

Current Qualifying Record
2003 Greg Murphy Holden 2.06.8594 Current Lap Record
2003 Greg Murphy Holden 2.06.8594



These are 3 of my favourites out of 10. 5 of which I have been to.
Tell us your best tracks and stories from being there if you have any.

I like Lyme Rock...it's short, fast and has many level changes that make it a tricky coarse...


And I know someone else will say Nurburgring...it really has become the standard for testing you car...it's long and narrow with many turns and a long ass straight...

Wow, the tracks you chose w/ turns are simply some of the best I've seen!.....

1) Nurburgring
2) Akina (it's a mountain pass in Japan)
3) Laguna Seca, gotta love that corkscrew!
4) Tsukuba
5) Infineon Raceway

and MANY more.....

Of the ones I've driven (in a real not virtual car!), it would be Barber Motorsports outside Birmingham. It's a great technical track and the best facilities imaginable!

Pikes peak...or Nurburgring .
Actually...I like Sepang...its in Malaysia...lol....

well, im always in willow springs and they have several tracks that i like first i like the streets of willow track then the big willow track and in drifting i like the top skid pad

Bathurst by an absolute mile, the history and the track itself. Are you going this year at all Wes?

Here is greg murphys 2.06.85 second lap:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kmkUVSVHoc8

I dont mind the Adleaide street circuit either, not because I am a local but because it is arguably the best internationally known track. It played host to the Australian F1 Grand prix form 1980 to 1995, hosted Lemans and hosts the biggest touring car event in Australia each year. That and I drive on it at least once a week as a public road.

I like Phillip Islands corse. One of the most historic races in Australia and I have raced on a replica track next to it. It also had a corcskrew type thing but probably not as dangerouse as the one on LS.
Melbourne F1 track because its the only one I have been to to see a race.

I love Bathurts. I've only driven on it on TRD3 and seen videos of people racing there, but to race or even spectate there must be an absolute spectacle, and the Conrad straight is bumpy and challenging, so it must be tricky for the drivers.

I also like Istanbul Speed Park in Turkey, for the quadruple-apex Turn 8, taken at 150mph plus in an F1 car, already caught out some drivers last year and probably this year.

As LoH said, Phillip Island is a great course, only been on it on TRD3 and seen videos of it, but sweeping corners and tight hairpins must make for exciting racing and probably an exciting race to watch.

There's loads of other circuits out there that have been forgotten to be mentioned, but I'm sure somebody else will mention them and we will notice their magnificence.

Put apart the Nurburgring from obvius reasons, my favourite track will have to be the Monte-Carlo one. Not specially because the track itself is excellent, but more because of it's huge history, because of the best drivers ever have all raced there, and mainly because the atmosphere that there is down there during the F1 Gran Prix is undiscrivable, absolutely amazing.

Are you going this year at all Wes?



Dude , it's on the weekend of my birthday!!!
Yep...i'll be there for sure.

Circuit de La Sarthe - Because it's only open during Le Mans.
Nürburgring Nordschleife - Because it's long, twisty, fun and challenging
Monaco - Because of the location, the spirit and the width of the track.

The GT4 freak is on the grass. But hell... The only track I've been at myself is a home-made, far too narrow dirt track in a potato field, so it's a little difficult.

how can nobody have mentioned monaco?? nurburgring full has to be number1 with laguna seca No.2 and monaco number 3. then in no specific order, tskuba, hockenheim, sunset peninsula infield.

Mine would be Heartland Park but that doesn't count cause it's a drag strip... It used to be Terminal Island but it's closed now. In fact I was supossed to go racing this weekend but it's raining in Topeka so there's no reason to bother driving up there.

As for road courses... Yes, the corkscrew is one of the hardest, scariest, and most fun turns I've ever seen.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway is great for it's long ass banked oval...

Buttonwillow in California is a good one for racers that like curvy tracks. It's got one straight and it's not very long.

I like racing anywhere, I don't care what track it is...

how can nobody have mentioned monaco?? nurburgring full has to be number1 with laguna seca No.2 and monaco number 3. then in no specific order, tskuba, hockenheim, sunset peninsula infield.


hehe their r 3 members i guess before u mentioned Monaco.........

Dude , it's on the weekend of my birthday!!!
Yep...i'll be there for sure.

I am hoping to go up there with my uncle. Should be a good weekend and I have not been since they rebuilt the new supercar paddock.

Did you know that conrod straight used to go all the way to the last corner instead of having that litlle kink?

Here is Tom Walkinshaw driving his Jaguar at the old Bathurst track:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kAgSTTNSVnU

I am hoping to go up there with my uncle. Should be a good weekend and I have not been since they rebuilt the new supercar paddock.

Did you know that conrod straight used to go all the way to the last corner instead of having that litlle kink?

Here is Tom Walkinshaw driving his Jaguar at the old Bathurst track:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kAgSTTNSVnU

Great video, thats how I think races should be aired these days in all forms of motorsport.
Great sound as well.

I think races nowadays should have more cockpit racing, by that I mean cameras that watch the drivers gearchanges, braking and accelerating etc. I have always loved it when they do these shots of either Mark Skaife or Russell Ingall driving around a ciruit.

I think races nowadays should have more cockpit racing, by that I mean cameras that watch the drivers gearchanges, braking and accelerating etc. I have always loved it when they do these shots of either Mark Skaife or Russell Ingall driving around a ciruit.
So do I. Its always a much more exciting and intrasting view from inside the car where you can see another 3 cars right in front and the senary rushing past. It gives a much better impresion of what its like to be there.

So do I. Its always a much more exciting and intrasting view from inside the car where you can see another 3 cars right in front and the senary rushing past. It gives a much better impresion of what its like to be there.

No argument here, When they do the hot lap inside a car before each race to show off the circuit from the drivers perspective I always turn up my TV just to hear the roar of the engines and it makes me feel like I am the one driving around the dircuit.

I am hoping to go up there with my uncle. Should be a good weekend and I have not been since they rebuilt the new supercar paddock.

Did you know that conrod straight used to go all the way to the last corner instead of having that litlle kink?

Here is Tom Walkinshaw driving his Jaguar at the old Bathurst track:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kAgSTTNSVnU

yeah , i was there 84/85 when the bmw's , nissans and jag's raced on the full length straight...in 1986 , Mike Burgmann hit the Bridgestone bridge at the end of conrod and died which is what caused the construction of caltex chase the following year.

From a mechanical point of view the Supercars need the Caltex chase anyway. They are not far off of valve bouncing in final gear and if they were valve bouncing for the last 500 metres of Conrod after the chase if it was still straight the engine would be shot very quickly.

I never knew anyone was killed at Bathurst, thanks for that piece of trivia.

On the subject how is the new supercar paddock at Bathurst, I have heard rave reviews. On TV it looks similar to the Clipsal/Adelaide Paddock which is great.

I have never raced before (in real life), but because of GT4 and F355 Challenge, my favourite race track, is the Nurbrgring.

monza easy

1. Sears Point (now called Infineon)
2. Laguna Seca
3. Nurburgring

- Nurburgring Nordschleife
- Circuit de La Sarthe (LeMans)
- Laguna Seca
- Monaco (F1 Track)
- Suzuka

[off-topic]

How much is the average cost of a lap? When I get a car, I wanna practice at Laguna Seca.....
[/off-topic]

^^ I found this, but it doesn't say anything about public driving :s... http://www.laguna-seca.com/

Well, for this week my favourite is Turkey's F1 circuit...seems quite good, with a lot of opportunities to pass as well...

I like Laguna Seca very much but the Nurburgring remains the best ever...
Also Tsukuba is a little great circuit! ;)
Hockenheimring wonderful

I wish that I had the pleasure on racing on any well known course, but that isn't the case.

If I could I'd go for the Nurburgring by all means.

I've been offline/busy; but I vote with Vick.

I went to the Rolex Grand Am race at Barber July 31. The place is stunning! It makes Rd ATL look like a dungheap even after Doc Panoz' millions made it less challenging, safer, and more whoring to corporate free-ticket types attending an ALMS race. They stay away in droves in bad weather.

Lots of great tracks already mentioned, but I still miss one:

Spa-Francorchamps.

Nurburgring Nordschleife
Spa Francochamps
Brands Hatch
Phillip Island
Bathurst
Paul Ricard

thats all I can think of at the moment.

BATHURST by a mile ive been there heaps and its all good , my favorite was the bathurst 24hr did anyone see that?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=If7UlbwH9zo&mode=related&search= that one

I saw it.

The yellow monaro won the race by 22 laps, It crashed just 7 hours in to the race after a bingle with a Porsche which slightly bent the rear axle but recovered to destroy the field.

Nathan Pretty also locked the gearbox and was forced to rock the car back and forth to free it up.