It’s easy to sum up any race track with a circuit outline and a few vital statistics, but that’s about as interesting as experiencing a full race season through a tidy list of the winners’ names and the number of points they earned.
To grasp the magic fully, you’ve got to be there, to smell the air in pit lane …
No Laguna Seca?
Yeah these don't seem to be based on the criteria I would expect from the title.
In my book the generally regarded three best tracks in North America are Laguna Seca, VIR, and Watkins Glen in no specific order
For the record, Paul Newman's favorite track to drive was Hallett. Or so he supposedly said...
Having just run Hallett for the first time this past weekend, I could see that. A really fun track in the right car.
I see both Tremblant and Mosport made the list ... which are my two favorites.
It’s a little weird to see Summit Point and St Pete, but no mention of VIR, Mid-Ohio, or Road Atlanta.
Nelson Ledges has been resurfaced as one of the guys from the article was asking for. I haven't been back since the work was done, but I've been hearing lots of good things.
Lies!
Brock Jr is on to something but the rest of these guys just forgot to say Mid-Ohio. I accepted food and a shower to race someone else's Spec E30 and by NCAA rules that makes me a pro. So, listen the berkeley up!
Mid-Ohio
This article is over 3 years old. Would that explain any of these choices?
"
“If there is a heaven on earth, it is VIR.”
— Paul Newman"
Bridgehampton is by far the best track I have ever run. All the others seem tame compared to the Bridge. I think it is the only track that I really respected. You had to come to an understanding with that track and respect it otherwise it would bite you big time.
If it makes anyone feel any better, this article caused a lot of friction around the office, too.
No Road Atlanta?
No Sebring?
No VIR?
No Road America?
No Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca?
Maybe if we had asked four more people we'd have gotten those answers. But, as it sits, we can't fault anyone for their rationale.
I'll throw in a couple plugs for what I feel are criminally underrated tracks:
1. Hallett. Someone mentioned it before. Great track, and amazing in both directions. Great track to test on or race on.
2. Pacific Raceways. Just a throwback to a day when you had what you had and you made it work... and sometimes it worked brilliantly. The whole back section feels very European between the terrain and the track shape.
3. Las Vegas Speedway Outside Road Course. Yeah. I like it. So sue me. Lots of great "trap" corners that reward experimentation and committment.
I don't think Laguna is that good, the corkscrew doesn't feel as interesting as it photographs. Turn 6 is the fun one, but it's just a power track. Maybe if I drove faster cars I would change my tune.
Jaynen said:Yeah these don't seem to be based on the criteria I would expect from the title.
In my book the generally regarded three best tracks ..
"Favorite" isn't very specific criteria and it doesn't say "best."
Jerry said:This article is over 3 years old. Would that explain any of these choices?
NCM is newer than the list.
In reply to Kreb : I know! And no VIR either. Interesting.
In reply to WildScotsRacing :
Of course, Newman famously said that VIR was "Heaven on Earth." Not a bad endorsement.
The last sentence in the article is the key - "We ran a list of high-profile tracks in our February 2013 issue, so this time around we asked our experts to dig a bit deeper for sentimental favorites."
In other words, we already listed the real top ten so now let's for the second 10 or the quirky 10.
JG Pasterjak said:If it makes anyone feel any better, this article caused a lot of friction around the office, too.
No Road Atlanta?
No Sebring?
No VIR?
No Road America?
No Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca?
Maybe if we had asked four more people we'd have gotten those answers. But, as it sits, we can't fault anyone for their rationale.
I'll throw in a couple plugs for what I feel are criminally underrated tracks:
1. Hallett. Someone mentioned it before. Great track, and amazing in both directions. Great track to test on or race on.
2. Pacific Raceways. Just a throwback to a day when you had what you had and you made it work... and sometimes it worked brilliantly. The whole back section feels very European between the terrain and the track shape.
3. Las Vegas Speedway Outside Road Course. Yeah. I like it. So sue me. Lots of great "trap" corners that reward experimentation and committment.
jg
I love Pacific Raceways. In large part because of the feel of the back section.
A thread that resurrected a 3-year-old article that is now pulled to the top 4 years later. . .. . Made me chuckle. .
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