where is there to race where i dont have to get a racing license?? im near sacramento california but i want a track that i can go on....not a drag strip, but REAL racing.....

doesnt sears point offer track time for a fee??

thanks for any info..

David

 

Hey, David, welcome to R&C. California has a very active S2000 racing community. The majority of us usually run with SpeedVentures: http://www.speedventures.net/. Unfortunately, SV only has one event up in Northern California next year.

There are many different groups that put on HPDE events. Check out the websites for ThunderHill, Sears Point (Infineon) and Laguna Seca for information on groups that run there. I'm sure some of the NorCal guys (krazik, et al) can give you the list of some groups to run with. Definitely come to a SpeedVentures event when you can!

 

Thunderhill is about an hour north of Sacramento and is a great 3 mile road course.

 

whats required to run that track? is it only a group run? or could i head up there whenever i have time?
thank for your guys input..

David

 

You can only run as part of a sanctioned group, like SpeedVentures. Usually, you can find anywhere from 1-10 of these "HPDE" events per month at a given track. Hopefully someone has a list of good groups that run at ThunderHill. Picking a good group is crucial, because the organizers are directly responsible for how safe you will be.

A bare minimum requirement is a well-maintained car and a good helmet (SA2000 would be a good bet). Some groups require a lot more, including fire suit, roll bar, fire extinguisher, etc.

 

safety wise you need an approved helmet. A good group is NASA (National Auto Sport Association I think). They've been around a long time and have excellent instructors, and you'll want some instruction your first time on a race track.

 

Here in the Northeast, I run with the COM Sports Car Club. We do a high performance driving school on Sat. and run timetrials on Sun. of various weekends. We go to Watkin's Glen, Mosport, New Hampshire International Speedway (1.6 mile roadcourse, NOT nascar oval), Mt. Tremblant and Summit Point. Open to any sportcar, varies from '79 RX7 to ex- TransAm car. Very safe, lots of tracktime.