New listmember - Any American Club Racers on the list?

Just joined the list.

Was wondering if there were any American club racers on the list or if the list was mostly frequented by our European counterparts on the other side of the ole Atlantic.

A little about myself:

I am currently a college student...its hard to find time to hit the track enough! I'm beginning to campaign a 1992 E36 BMW 325is in SCCA ITS Club Racing. I also plan to run in K-Prepared class with BMW CCA Club Racing as well as in the PS-4 class with NASA-Virginia Region.

Also compete with my father in various enduroes running a 1995 M3 CSL "Lightweight".

We are currently building a 2000 Ford Cobra R on a shoestring budget to run in the Speedvision GT Championship, though we may eventually run a BMW 328 in the Speedvision Touring Car Championship as well.

Thanks for the bandwidth. Look forward to discussing my racing habit with you folks. :)

-Bryan Watts

------------------
Auto racing, bullfighting, and rock climbing are the only real sports...
all others are games.
-Ernest Hemingway

Welcome aboard BMW racer. We've had a few racers from your side of the pond. Don't see why we won't get more. Why not tell your friends to join up?;)

I'll try and spread the word to the local club racers. Glad to be onboard.

------------------
Auto racing, bullfighting, and rock climbing are the only real sports...
all others are games.
-Ernest Hemingway

Hello BMWracerITS. Yes, there is at least one other American road racer on this board -- my husband, Frank, and I race a Mustang in SCCA's American Sedan class in the Midwest Division. We attend the Runoffs each year, but do not race at that event (don't have the extra $8,000 it takes to put on a front running effort); we have been corner workers for about 8 years and attend in that capacity. I am also a nationally licensed T&S worker and SCCA rally safety steward.

Frank and I have worked Trans Am, WC & USRRC events at Brainerd, Des Moines, Minneapolis and Heartland Park (our home track), and we have worked the NASCAR truck races at Heartland for four years. Our former partner in the AS car, Paul Brown, is now running a Saleen Mustang in WC-GT. Frank is the 1992 Midwest Division Champion in AS class and has been chairman of the American Sedan rules advisory committee for the last three years. I am the Chairman of the Midwest Division's executive committee and former RE for Nebraska Region SCCA.

We starting lurking on this board because of our interest in BTCC (thank you Speedvision). We took a month long trip to England in 1999 and, with a little help from our British friends, worked corners at the Brands Hatch BTCC race in May of 1999. We also attended the BTCC Thruxton race (first time I have been a spectator at a racing event since the 1992 Indy 500), and visited Oulton Park, Donington and Snetterton. We are in the planning stages of our return trip to England (in July/August of 2001) and hope to visit a few of the tracks we missed -- perhaps even working another event.

So folks. Tell us about your favourite circuits. Where they are, what they're like. You've seen the bul****t, er, stories from the rest of us.;)

Favorite?

Hmmm. At one point, Road Atlanta (Atlanta, Georgia) was my favorite. A very exciting track, with extreme elevation changes and some truly great downhill esses. Unfortunately, Panoz has placed quite a bit of concrete around the track in attempts to lure the high speed (Cart, ALMS) guys to the track, making club racers weary of crunching up their cars.

Other tracks around the Southeast, here in the US, that I enjoy include:

Roebling Road (Savannah, Georgia): A very, very flat track. Made up of very large, constant radius turns. There are no decreasing radius turns on the entire track. This track requires a great deal of patience as one must wait forever to reach the apex after turn in in nearly every turn.

Charlotte Motor Speedway (Charlotte, North Carolina): High banked NASCAR speedway with a small infield road course. Infield road course actually has a fair amount of elevation change. The oval is fun to run on and is a very different experience, especially at night, under the lights.

Carolina Motorsports Park (Kershaw, South Carolina): A very interesting track, very flat like Roebling. Some very, very fast sweeping turns, and also a very tight session that reminds me of an autocross. Along the back straight, there is a kink that is taken at full throttle around 120 mph. At the apex of the kink, there is a bump that actually causes the inside wheels to lift of the ground. Truly a test of one's manhood to stay on the throttle, those who don't end up exiting the track backwards! :)

Finally, we come to my new favorite!

Virginia International Raceway (Danville, Virginia): This track was frequented in the 50's, 60's, and 70's by everything from Can-Am cars to the Trans-Am series. NASCAR greats such as Richard Petty drove the track in Trans-Am cars and consistenly missed a certain turn that is now called "NASCAR turn." Carol Shelby won the first race here. The track was shutdown and forgotten until a few years ago. The track has now been completely repaved with all the modern techniques. The layout of the track was maintained, though it was widened a bit.

This track has a short North Course that is an absolute blast to drive, with an uphill section of blind, sweeping, four wheel drifting turns.

On the full course, there is a section called the upper esses which are taken at full throttle by those who are brave. In my father's BMW M3 race car, you enter the esses at 100mph and exit at over 120mph, truly the most fun I have ever had in a car.

This track has MORE elevation change than Road Atlanta, as well as two very long straights, and all sorts of corners, from fast sweepers, to decreasing radius turns. I can't put into words how much I like this track.

The track has also been set up for club racers, and one can join it like a Country Club. For a fee, one recieves a certain amount of hours on the track per year. The facilities, tennis courts, horseback riding, swimming pool, and sporting clays are there to entertain the family while you are on track. There is also no concrete around the track, preventing vintage and club racers from hurting there wallets if they should run off course.

You can go to http://www.virclub.com to see more about this wonderful place.

Thats the best I can do on short notice. I know of a site that has in car video's posted from most of these tracks. When I find it, I'll post a link so you can see for yourselves.

-BW