Closest Track to Los Angeles?

codizle915 · 10-16-2009, 12:07 AM

What are some tracks by LA and what are some rates that are usual for racing?

davedave · 10-16-2009, 12:55 AM

road course ? 1/8 or 1/4

FStop7 · 10-16-2009, 02:11 AM

Tracks: Buttonwillow, Willow Springs, Spring Mountain

1/4 mile: Fontana

jblaze · 10-16-2009, 08:25 AM

willow springs is world famous for fun

M3_LIN · 10-16-2009, 12:46 PM

you could check out the track events at el toro that OCRC puts on:

see my car at the event:

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=309280

Ed lin

SpencerM3 · 10-16-2009, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jblaze

willow springs is world famous for fun

+1

kloh · 10-17-2009, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M3_LIN

you could check out the track events at el toro that OCRC puts on:

see my car at the event:

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=309280

Ed lin

Thanks for the link! Once my M3 gets past it's break-in period I'm going to have to check this out. It's so close to home!

mastek · 10-18-2009, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by codizle915

What are some tracks by LA and what are some rates that are usual for racing?

- Buttonwillow is 3 hrs North ... and put together by leftover driveways .... but challenging.
- Willow Springs is extra boring after 10 laps & useless in the heat of summer.
- Spring Mountain is AWESOME ..... but in Nevada ... but worth the 8 hour drive.
- Auto Club Speedway Roval is close (Fontana) & fun = highly recommend.
- Laguna Seca = worth the 6 hour drive.
- Infineon = worth the 8 hour drive.

$150-$300 for a full track day of HPDE
Racing is with NASA, BMWCCA, NCRC, TCRA, POC

aus · 10-18-2009, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mastek

- Buttonwillow is 3 hrs North ... and put together by leftover driveways .... but challenging.
- Willow Springs is extra boring after 10 laps & useless in the heat of summer.
- Spring Mountain is AWESOME ..... but in Nevada ... but worth the 8 hour drive.
- Auto Club Speedway Roval is close (Fontana) & fun = highly recommend.
- Laguna Seca = worth the 6 hour drive.
- Infineon = worth the 8 hour drive.

$150-$300 for a full track day of HPDE
Racing is with NASA, BMWCCA, NCRC, TCRA, POC

So is Buttonwillow worth going to?
It's it just as hot as Willow in the Summer?
Thanks.

FStop7 · 10-18-2009, 06:49 PM

I like Buttonwillow a lot because there is a lot of runoff pretty much everywhere. If you make a mistake or if something happens you really don't have to worry about hitting a wall.

mastek · 10-19-2009, 05:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FStop7

I like Buttonwillow a lot because there is a lot of runoff pretty much everywhere. If you make a mistake or if something happens you really don't have to worry about hitting a wall.

no .... u just have to worry about flipping/rolling over when you go off and your car hooks in that soft dirt
+ when its windy (80% of the time).... the track gets dusty and slippery.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aus

So is Buttonwillow worth going to?
It's it just as hot as Willow in the Summer?
Thanks.

it does get hot in summer but its more manageable then the Mojave/High desert heat of Big Willow.

definitely 'worth' going to Buttonwillow if u havent been before .... just be careful; technical course, not well suited for heavier cars, bumpy, track surface changes and try to go off head 1st lol

karussell · 10-20-2009, 01:21 PM

For southern california I would rank the tracks from most challenging/fun to least as 1. Buttonwillow, 2. AAA (formerly California) speedway Roval configuration, 3) Willow Springs Streets, 4) Big Willow

Northern california man they have the greatest tracks. I love love Infineon. Seca is close second. and Thunderhill is just amazing...if only it were further south!

Buttonwillow is safe enough if you go off straight. you can go off for a mile straight (unless you are in the infield). The problem is there are several sections where if you drop a wheel and if its damp you will spin and either flip or hit something hard. such as exiting the esses.

I don't like Willow Springs (big track). Its boring at 7/10ths. Its great at higher limit but then if you go off you have about 90% chance of coming back with nothing but the steering wheel. huge ditches created by water runoff from the hillside make it a game of luck if you exit going straight. i have seen a car jump over a ditch and land in and area completely surrounded by ditches. lucky landing.

AAA is great fun. the high speed turns 1 and 2 and the infield offer a mix of speed from willow with some technically challenging series of corners in the infield. just make sure your brakes can handle turn 3 into the infield. on the old e46 m3, it was a brake boiler.

in general only thing lacking in southern california tracks is any real elevation change. the northern tracks have all of the technical challenge and wonderful elevation change.

still best track to learn at in california is either buttonwillow or thunderhill. technical tracks both with minimal hard things off track...so long as you go off straight.

RENN Spec · 10-20-2009, 04:48 PM

I don't know about AAA being challenging...

mastek · 10-21-2009, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason@Renn-Spec

I don't know about AAA being challenging...

ACS (Auto Club Speedway) is not technical, but challenging enough that not many ppl break 2min in cars that could do 1:55's with a decent driver.

I love it - its got the best of both worlds - but definitely void of elevation changes

RENN Spec · 10-21-2009, 01:57 PM

Yeah, I think that's it. I definitely see your point regarding that track but to me elevation change is what makes a track fun!

Dr_Gunner · 10-21-2009, 09:59 PM

Has anyone ever been to the track at El Toro in Orange County. The events are put on by a company called Orange County Race Craft. They have track days and a driving school.

Originally, I was thinking of going to the driving school at willow springs but might go to OCRC instead since its so much closer for me. Any thoughts? Thanks

aus · 10-21-2009, 10:51 PM

Gunner, you should just go to both and let us know. I'm going for the CCA event at Willow. The CCA events at AAA are great.

mastek · 10-22-2009, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aus

Gunner, you should just go to both and let us know. I'm going for the CCA event at Willow. The CCA events at AAA are great.

Yes - please let us know --
Is this on the old El Toro Airfield ??

I was actually working with a developer 4 years ago to develop that closed Airfield into a full blown F1 Track (for an F1 US Grand Prix West race).... but the whole thing was scrapped when a different developer bought the property for housing development.

RENN Spec · 10-22-2009, 01:13 PM

It's kinda expensive but I think it'll be fun for El Toro.

Ape_X · 01-28-2010, 10:06 PM

www.speedventures.com

They run fun and safe events. And they run also at all the tracks everyone here is listing. PIck your poison.

Dave

Splinter4784 · 01-28-2010, 10:31 PM

Speed ventures is the best company imo

They usually have 2 to 3 events per month

Gonna be hitting willow springs track and streets for Feburary

Splinter4784 · 01-28-2010, 10:51 PM

Speed ventures is the best company imo

They usually have 2 to 3 events per month

Gonna be hitting willow springs track and streets for Feburary

10-16-2009, 12:07 AM	#1
codizle915 Private First Class 16 Rep 103 Posts Drives: YMP Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (0)	Closest Track to Los Angeles? What are some tracks by LA and what are some rates that are usual for racing?
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10-16-2009, 12:55 AM	#2
davedave Captain 40 Rep 788 Posts Drives: Godzilla Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Somewhere iTrader: (7)	road course ? 1/8 or 1/4
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10-16-2009, 02:11 AM	#3
FStop7 I like cars 329 Rep 5,052 Posts Drives: M6 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Newbury Park, CA iTrader: (3)	Tracks: Buttonwillow, Willow Springs, Spring Mountain 1/4 mile: Fontana __________________ My photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/racelap/
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10-16-2009, 08:25 AM	#4
jblaze Private First Class 11 Rep 117 Posts Drives: 05 range rover vogue SE Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: France iTrader: (0)	willow springs is world famous for fun
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10-16-2009, 12:46 PM	#5
M3_LIN LM-R Whore. 125 Rep 854 Posts Drives: 2009 White M3 Sedan Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: LA iTrader: (1)	you could check out the track events at el toro that OCRC puts on: see my car at the event: http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=309280 Ed lin __________________ 09AWE90M: Light headlight tint, Full front end clear bra wrap(Harris@InstyleGraphics), Ceramic tint(40%), Piaa GTX H3 bulb, HID 8k AE, 6k Low, INT Luxer1 lights, RD springs, LMR 20X9 +8, 20X10 +18 (Dave @ Status), Vertice CF hood Ducts(Dat @ VertexUSA), Tecnocraft FULL Envy Intake system+plenum(KEVLAR)+cabin filter covers, Meister GTC exhaust, Arkym F LIP.
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10-18-2009, 06:49 PM	#10
FStop7 I like cars 329 Rep 5,052 Posts Drives: M6 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Newbury Park, CA iTrader: (3)	I like Buttonwillow a lot because there is a lot of runoff pretty much everywhere. If you make a mistake or if something happens you really don't have to worry about hitting a wall. __________________ My photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/racelap/
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10-20-2009, 01:21 PM	#12
karussell Lieutenant Colonel 353 Rep 1,749 Posts Drives: 4 wheels Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: NorCal iTrader: (1)	For southern california I would rank the tracks from most challenging/fun to least as 1. Buttonwillow, 2. AAA (formerly California) speedway Roval configuration, 3) Willow Springs Streets, 4) Big Willow Northern california man they have the greatest tracks. I love love Infineon. Seca is close second. and Thunderhill is just amazing...if only it were further south! Buttonwillow is safe enough if you go off straight. you can go off for a mile straight (unless you are in the infield). The problem is there are several sections where if you drop a wheel and if its damp you will spin and either flip or hit something hard. such as exiting the esses. I don't like Willow Springs (big track). Its boring at 7/10ths. Its great at higher limit but then if you go off you have about 90% chance of coming back with nothing but the steering wheel. huge ditches created by water runoff from the hillside make it a game of luck if you exit going straight. i have seen a car jump over a ditch and land in and area completely surrounded by ditches. lucky landing. AAA is great fun. the high speed turns 1 and 2 and the infield offer a mix of speed from willow with some technically challenging series of corners in the infield. just make sure your brakes can handle turn 3 into the infield. on the old e46 m3, it was a brake boiler. in general only thing lacking in southern california tracks is any real elevation change. the northern tracks have all of the technical challenge and wonderful elevation change. still best track to learn at in california is either buttonwillow or thunderhill. technical tracks both with minimal hard things off track...so long as you go off straight.
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10-20-2009, 04:48 PM	#13
RENN Spec Major 141 Rep 1,314 Posts Drives: 488 Pista, M2CS, Tundra Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Arcadia, CA iTrader: (3)	I don't know about AAA being challenging...
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10-21-2009, 01:57 PM	#15
RENN Spec Major 141 Rep 1,314 Posts Drives: 488 Pista, M2CS, Tundra Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Arcadia, CA iTrader: (3)	Yeah, I think that's it. I definitely see your point regarding that track but to me elevation change is what makes a track fun!
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10-21-2009, 09:59 PM	#16
Dr_Gunner Enlisted Member 4 Rep 36 Posts Drives: JB e92 M3 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: LA iTrader: (1)	Has anyone ever been to the track at El Toro in Orange County. The events are put on by a company called Orange County Race Craft. They have track days and a driving school. Originally, I was thinking of going to the driving school at willow springs but might go to OCRC instead since its so much closer for me. Any thoughts? Thanks
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10-21-2009, 10:51 PM	#17
aus Major General 892 Rep 9,032 Posts Drives: Odysse Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Seal Beach, CA iTrader: (10)	Gunner, you should just go to both and let us know. I'm going for the CCA event at Willow. The CCA events at AAA are great. __________________ Let me get this straight... You are swapping out parts designed by some of the top engineers in the world because some guys sponsored by a company told you it's "better??" But when you ask the same guy about tracking, "oh no, I have a kid now" or "I just detailed my car." or "i just got new tires."
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10-22-2009, 01:13 PM	#19
RENN Spec Major 141 Rep 1,314 Posts Drives: 488 Pista, M2CS, Tundra Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Arcadia, CA iTrader: (3)	It's kinda expensive but I think it'll be fun for El Toro.
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01-28-2010, 10:06 PM	#20
Ape_X Enlisted Member 1 Rep 39 Posts Drives: 08 M3 Sedan Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: West LA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 M3 Sedan [0.00]	www.speedventures.com They run fun and safe events. And they run also at all the tracks everyone here is listing. PIck your poison. Dave
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01-28-2010, 10:31 PM	#21
Splinter4784 414 little horsies 56 Rep 405 Posts Drives: 2008 M3 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Beverly Hills iTrader: (2)	Speed ventures is the best company imo They usually have 2 to 3 events per month Gonna be hitting willow springs track and streets for Feburary __________________ Race Precision Inc
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01-28-2010, 10:51 PM	#22
Splinter4784 414 little horsies 56 Rep 405 Posts Drives: 2008 M3 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Beverly Hills iTrader: (2)	Speed ventures is the best company imo They usually have 2 to 3 events per month Gonna be hitting willow springs track and streets for Feburary __________________ Race Precision Inc
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