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Summer Road Trip

Discussion in 'North Star Chapter' started by mntrailboss, Nov 6, 2013.

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    mntrailboss

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    I'm planning a little road trip next summer and was wondering of anyone had recommendations on tracks (Brainerd, or Elkhart Lake type) where you can get your car, or perhaps one of their rides, on a track for a day or two. MN, WI, IA, IN, NE neighborhood...

    If this falls flat, I might wheel down to S.C. and try the M school thing....

    Bob
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    MGarrison

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    Elkhart Lake type....? Like, as in, one of the major road courses in the U.S.? Since the combination of Road America's straights add up to make it one of the highest-speed tracks in the country, it kinda falls into a class of it's own. This is the time of year when club chapters are finalizing event dates/schedules/commitments, & even if they're set, they might not be on chapter website calendars - it would take querying the chapter event organizers.

    Brainerd is the track in Minnesota I'm aware of; Wisconsin - Road America, & the Badger Bimmers run there usually the first weekend of October, which falls out of your summer window. Indiana - Putnam Park; joint Hoosier & Bluegrass school, typically somewhere mid-June. Last year, the Iowa chapter had a driver school @ Heartland Park in April, which is more spring than summer, if they follow the same schedule for 2014, & Mid-America Motorplex in early June. Best I could find, looks like the Great Plains chapter covering the Dakotas, Western Iowa, & Nebraska didn't run any driver's schools. I believe Windy City did Grattan, & Gingerman in 2013.
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    dmmai

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    Hey Bob,
    We did a little summer road trip in that area a couple of years ago. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

    If you can work it out, Road America is a great track to spectate and Really fun to drive.
    Teamspeed usually does a weekend HPDE in May.
    Laps, Inc. hosts a track day at R.A. in May and a weekend event in July. Kinda pricey. A lot of exotics.
    The Shelby Club runs there in late June.
    This year there was an "AutoInterests" HPDE at Road America the last weekend of July. Much more cost effective.
    I'm not aware of track cars for rental there but, anything's possible. Skip Barber maybe...

    The Iowa Chapter has a good, long-standing weekend HPDE at Mid America Motorplex in early summer. MAM isn't a bad track. Flat ... like as in pool table flat ... but, interesting. Not far from Omaha.
    They also team up with 3 other chapters to put on the annual Flat Out Classic at Heartland Park Topeka (Kansas) in the spring. It's a comprehensive event with DE, autocross school, auto-X event, car show and BBQ dinner. Roughly an hour west of Kansas City.

    Putnam Park is a fun little track. There are a couple of HPDEs there each summer. The facilities are kinda limited but it's a nice place.

    You should be able to work out a fun trip next summer.
    .
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    ganseg

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    I am sorry i am late to this thread. North Star's event at BIR is June 6 and 7. Registration isn't up yet, but you can either watch our site or MotorsportReg. Not as fast as RA, but there is one corner (turn 2) that is 120mph in my lightly modified E36 M3.

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