Would you want a racetrack near you or not?

[Small_Fryz]

Just a little question because sadly for me, the nearest racetrack is a hour away

You sir, need to visit Australia....

I drive 2 - 3 hours just to get to an appointment.. then drive home again...

 

[NLxAROSA]

Within 2 hours I could be at Zandvoort, Assen, Zolder or Spa. But another one wouldn't be bad I guess.

 

[JAHHAJ]

According to google maps I am 3 hours and 30 miniutes from the Top Gear Test Track which is close enough I guess but I would like a track closer.

 

[PeterJB]

How do you mean "banned touring cars"? It's never hosted the BTCC (and I got bored double-checking years previous to my own memories when I reached 1967...) and it certainly still hosts other classes of saloon car racing. What exactly did they "ban"?

And as for the chicanes being the only interesting bits... Camp corner? Quarry? Tower? Combe has some of the best corners in the country...

They used to hold vintage touring car races. I remember going about ten years ago and seeing touring cars from the late 80's racing. They stopped that and Formula Three in 2005 because of noise restrictions.

I find the layout to be quite bland, if it wasn't for the two chicanes it would basically be a glorified oval. They even used to have GT cars doing tests there.

 

[BobK]

Do you know any drag strips near Philadelphia? I would take my bicycle there lol

Well, there was one somewhere out along Route 30 if I remember correctly, not sure exactly where though. Out towards Lancaster, I think.

But Atco is/was the nearest major dragstrip to Philly, next would be the one in Englishtown.

 

[Nessy]

They stopped that and Formula Three in 2005 because of noise restrictions.

Yeah, i remember hearing something about that at the time.. Castle Combe villagers being very unhappy about loud cars etc, i remember getting some dirty looks driving through there with just a Tanabe super medallion (wasn't decatted) .

 

[MSTER232]

They stopped that and Formula Three in 2005 because of noise restrictions.

Still, GP3 is an okay replacement.

 

[BJBEOSmitty]

I hav to ask... What are these two things??

Top - an athletic track or soccer pitch perhaps. Take a car our there and race it sir!
Bottom - appears to be fresh water, mixing with the ocean water on some type of man made beach? Something else?

Edit - sorry, rotated 90 degrees inadvertently. Hopefully you won't fall off the edge.

 

[Slash]

I also live near a few dirt tracks and Lancaster Speedway, has a oval and a drag strip.

 

[alexlam24]

I also live near a few dirt tracks and Lancaster Speedway, has a oval and a drag strip.

Ok, I need a drivers license and a car now. 1 more month until I'm 16

 

[Slash]

Ok, I need a drivers license and a car now. 1 more month until I'm 16

I'm 17 and still don't have my permit. I don't want it.

 

[MagpieRacer]

Silverstone is an hour for me, Donington about 3/4, Brands Hatch about 3, used to be 2.

 

[MarinaDiamandis]

They used to hold vintage touring car races. I remember going about ten years ago and seeing touring cars from the late 80's racing. They stopped that and Formula Three in 2005 because of noise restrictions.

I find the layout to be quite bland, if it wasn't for the two chicanes it would basically be a glorified oval. They even used to have GT cars doing tests there.

You are missing out. The most interesting racing isn't the expensive, top-tier stuff, it's club racing.

 

[TommyWizard]

We dont have any big name circuits over here other than road races. Ok maybe Nutts Corner or Kirkistown but spart from that the gov' would rather spend money on football (soccer) or GAA / Gaelic.

Even though the country has raised brilliant racers its not something they want to dwell into.

So yeah, nearest track to me is 2 hours. After that, im either driving downsouth for hours or hoping across the pond to something mainland side.

 

[NotThePrez]

I have a track ~20 minutes from my house! The only problem is that it's the street circuit in downtown St. Petersburg, and it's only built once a year for the Indycar Honda Grand Prix.

Other than that, Daytona Speedway is about 3/4 hours away. Though I'd much rather visit Sebring.

And as far as noise goes, I'd be more than happy with hearing racing engines in the background every now and again.

 

[zedextreme8177]

Frankly, I'd trade having the Nurburgring in my backyard for living on a utterly beautiful island like that.

The beautiful islands are the smaller inhabited islands, basically Malé city is extremely crowded

I hav to ask... What are these two things??

Top - an athletic track or soccer pitch perhaps. Take a car our there and race it sir!
Bottom - appears to be fresh water, mixing with the ocean water on some type of man made beach? Something else?

*snip*

Edit - sorry, rotated 90 degrees inadvertently. Hopefully you won't fall off the edge.

Technically; if Australia is upside down, we'd be at 90 degrees since we are on the equator

Top: Correct, that's an athletic track. It's not really large though, about 400m long.

Bottom: That was a harbor for unloading container ships and stuff. It's now filled in, and the land is used for container handling.

I actually came up with a street circuit layout (using the artificial beach grounds on the right-most straights for the pits):

It's 5.87km long, but this is the average width of the roads, not to mention it's all cobblestone:

More photos of the roads here

A street circuit would be more practical in the artificial island on the north, since it's less densly populated, and has nice wide paved roads 👍

 

[GranTurismo916]

Monticello Casino & Raceway is 40 minutes from where I live. It would be nice to have one closer, but that's close enough for me. It's not a popular track though. Watkins Glen is 3hrs and 30 mins away from here.

 

[Zona]

I'm an 1hr:30 minutes drive away from Castle Combe.
34 Minutes away from Shakespeare County race Way.
15 Minutes away from Prescott Hill Climb.
34 Minutes away from Shakespeare County race Way.

There are also a few Karting Circuits which aren't too far away.

So I'm happy

 

[Adamgp]

Chicagoland speedway is about 45 minutes south of me in Joliet. There is a drag strip and dirt track there too.

There's also the Autobahn country club in Joliet, which is a road course, and a country club for sports car owners. Perhaps one day when I win the lotto I could go there.

Road America is not far to the north of me.

Blackhawk farms raceway is about an hour and a half away.

Close enough for me.

 

[alexlam24]

One thing I find funny is when I went to a drivers briefing at trackday with my uncle, everything they taught there is what I pretty much learned in GT5. What's even better is I could probably go around faster than some people

 

[nk4e]

I leave near the following tracks and possible drive times:
3 hours to Leguna Seca
4 hours to Irwindale
4-5 hours to Buttonwillow Speedway
6 hours to Las Vegas Speedway

 

[CodeRedR51]

The only tracks around me are the NASCAR track (Phoenix International) and the road course that is part of the Bondurant Driving school/Firebird drag racing complex.

No actual road courses.

I think the closest, dedicated road course is Miller in Utah.

 

[Crumpet]

I live an hour away from Oulton Park. I'm going to be camping there soon for one of the biggest events in the UK, the Gold Cup

 

[MarcoM]

Just a little question because sadly for me, the nearest racetrack is a hour away

An hour isn't that bad.

For me:
- Jaba Circuit in Posterholt. Asphalt small oval for stockcar racing 30 minutes
- Circuit Duivelsberg in Maasmechelen. Asphalt and dirt for rallycross and drifting 30 minutes
- Eurocircuit in Valkenswaard. Asphalt and dirt for rallycross 45 minutes
- Zolder 30 minutes
- Spa 1 hour
- Nordschleife 1.45 hour

 

[Jimlaad43]

Well, Silverstone is about 35 minutes away from my house, Thruxton just over 1 hour, Castle Combe 1m30m. I would love a track closer as well though.

 

[Stevisiov]

I live within 3 miles (displacement) of Oulton Park Race Circuit. The Noise does not bother me in the slightest, if anything I quite like it. I quite enjoy having a large national race circuit nearby.

 

[alexlam24]

I live within 3 miles (displacement) of Oulton Park Race Circuit. The Noise does not bother me in the slightest, if anything I quite like it. I quite enjoy having a large national race circuit nearby.

You have the best alarm clock in the world

 

[TheCracker]

I live an hour away from Oulton Park. I'm going to be camping there soon for one of the biggest events in the UK, the Gold Cup

Be sure to come over and say hi.

(Historic Touring Cars 30 & 40 there Monday only)

 

[RobFocus]

My nearest major circuit is Donington, about 65 miles away (1 hour and 10 minutes)

Wouldn't really want one any closer, you're never far from a racetrack in Britain anyway

 

[Callum B]

Nearest one for me is Croft and that's still an hour away. I envy my uncle he lives 1 mile away