Possible Future ALMS Venues in North America?

[Tim Northcutt]

This is a different approach to something that was discussed somewhat in the "Season Announced" thread, but I wanted to do this as a Separate topic, because many of the following are either "proposed" road courses, or are in various stages of development here in North America....

I am seeking your thoughts on these venues...and I am including links to their sites so that you can see for yourself how far along (or NOT far along) they might be at this time....

Some even have aerial photos, "virtual lap" links, and other features....

So take your time and look these over closely...

Some we are already aware of, but some of these I had no idea that they were even on the drawing board, let alone well under progress...

I'll divide this into USA and Canada so it will be a little easier to look at, and as noted above...I'm very interested in your thoughts:

USA:

Autobahn Country Club (Chicago Area):
3.6 mi. course
www.autobahncountryclub.net

Last Lap Race Facility (Lake Havasu City, Arizona)
1.7 mi. course
www.lastlapracefacility.com

Liberty Bell Motorsports Park
(Douglassville, Pennsylvania..not far from Philadelphia)
2.8 mi. course
www.libertybellmp.com

Rauch Creek (Central Pennsylvania, near Harrisburg)
2.3 mi. course
www.rauchcreekracing.com

Thunderbolt Raceway (New Jersey)
4.1 mi. course
www.njmotorsportspark.com

Tulsa Raceway Park (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
2.3 mi. course
www.tulsaracewaypark.com

NOTE: The Tulsa area is within a 2.5 hour drive for 3 million people, so this is at least a possible large population area to be served

Valley Motorsports Park (New Hampshire)
3.3 mi. course
www.clubmotorsports.com

Canada:

Active Mountain Raceway (northeast of Vancouver)
2.5 Mi. course
www.activemountainraceway.com

Calabogie (Ontario, Canada)
3.0 mi. course
www.calabogiemotorsports.com


Remember, we're focusing on "New" or "Proposed" venues here...

If you know of others, please add them plus a link, and tell us something that you know about them...

I'm sure that each of us has an existing venue in mind and would love to see the ALMS at Montreal, or Mt. Tremblant, or VIR, or Barber Motorsports Park, or wherever....


If possible, please put those in either the "2005 ALMS Season Announced" thread, or the "2005 ALMS Season What Would You Like To See" thread....

Now....Your Thoughts????

[Tim Northcutt]

I apologize....

Like an idiot, I mis-spelled "Rausch Creek"

here is the link:

www.rauschcreekracing.com


ADDED NOTE:

General Layouts also can be found on the Ten-Tenths affiliate:

www.etracksonline.co.uk

Or on another good site:

www.racincircuits.net

['70 Mach 1]

Another track under construction in central California, Riverside Motorsports Park.

http://www.rmpracing.com/

[jhansen]

Question Tim: Would you prefer to see one of the current venues taken off the schedule, or do you want additional races?

The reason I ask is that I'm curious about this exercise. I rather like the schedule and the number of races the ALMS does. Considering the level of sponsorship and the type of teams competing I believe a schedule of around 10 races is about right. And I'm sure that is what many of the teams communicate to the ALMS. As for the venues, the ALMS hits most of the top notch road course facilities in North America. On top of that, these tracks have a history in road racing.

I would say that the second Road Atlanta date was not ideal. If I were adding a track/new venue to replace it I would choose a track in Mexico. The only circuit that I'd really love the ALMS to get to would be Watkins Glenn. I could sacrifice a venue like Limerock if we could get the Glenn.

[Tim Northcutt]

Thanks!!!

I forgot about that one....

[Bob Riebe]

Tim:
Thanks for the links.
The Autobahn is the only track that really has a layout that is not more than a squirt and spurt go-kart track. Some are just very large go-kart tracks, but on some the big tracks shifter karts would actually be quite impressive.
I suppose Thundebolt isn't too bad, but had they left out the Trackside Villas chicane, it would have been quite impressive.

As you seem to do well investigating road racings more political feature, do you have any connections to find out what happened and why the person who owns Greenwood in Iowa is absolutely adamant to keep it shut down.
When I would mention the track to some road racers in the seventis, they would know it existed and some even said that people had approached the owner to open it and he told them no, in no uncertain terms.
Now that would be an interesting track. Last I heard it was still out there, untouched and unused.
Bob

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally posted by jhansen
Question Tim: Would you prefer to see one of the current venues taken off the schedule, or do you want additional races?

The reason I ask is that I'm curious about this exercise. I rather like the schedule and the number of races the ALMS does. Considering the level of sponsorship and the type of teams competing I believe a schedule of around 10 races is about right. And I'm sure that is what many of the teams communicate to the ALMS. As for the venues, the ALMS hits most of the top notch road course facilities in North America. On top of that, these tracks have a history in road racing.

I would say that the second Road Atlanta date was not ideal. If I were adding a track/new venue to replace it I would choose a track in Mexico. The only circuit that I'd really love the ALMS to get to would be Watkins Glenn. I could sacrifice a venue like Limerock if we could get the Glenn.

I don't want to drop any venues...

I like what they have done as well...

As you know, we've talked about "Bridge" venues in other threads, because it seems to be an area that the ALMS would like to address...

I see those as being "North to South" to link Mosport and Petit Le Mans, as well as "East to West" to connect Lime Rock to Sears Point, or even Petit to Laguna....

Or for that matter, from Portland to Road America???


Thus those venues in Pennsylvania or New Jersey might have some merit....

and I believe that Tulsa sits on, or near the old "Route 66", so it is a natural "stop-over" to the West Coast...


But I'm not in favor of "cutting" anything....I like where the ALMS races right now.....

[tblincoe]

i think the best track in regards to layout and location would definitely be autobahn... the track would need some infrastructure upgrades to accomodate a large grid of cars as well as fans. this would include an extension to the pitlane as well as grandstands, viewing mounds, and parking. all of this could be done it looks like by the amount of land surrounding the track.

['70 Mach 1]

Would the Pocono road course be suitable for ALMS type races? I know American GT raced there earlier this year, and it would have the infrastructure to support a larger race, but I don't know much about the road course layout and condition.....

[Bob Riebe]

Originally posted by '70 Mach 1
Would the Pocono road course be suitable for ALMS type races? I know American GT raced there earlier this year, and it would have the infrastructure to support a larger race, but I don't know much about the road course layout and condition.....

If they ran the current North road course, that would be intersting indeed!
Got to www.racingcircuits.net

['70 Mach 1]

Originally posted by Bob Riebe
If they ran the current North road course, that would be intersting indeed!
Got to www.racingcircuits.net

Thanks for the link, Bob, some interesting layouts they have to offer there...

[paul-collins]

Either North or Long would do by me - I particularly like the idea of North for its long straight sections.

[Tim Northcutt]

If Pocono uses any of the Oval, there would need to be a serious paving job done to it...but Pocono already exists....

Personally, I think a lot of the courses attached have certain qualities that they would offer....

I like Thunderbolt's big course a lot!!!

Rausch Creek has some interesting aspects as well, including some great elevation changes!!!!

and both of those facilites would be equipped with adequate facilites to handle major racing events....at least the sites indicate that they are building the places with the infrastructure and safety elements needed for an ALMS-type event...

Liberty Bell also looks to have a good combination of fast sections and slower portions of the facility in the full 2.8 mile layout...


The New Hampshire track has some good stretches in the middle sections of the course, plus big runoff areas (150-200 ft.) and 390 ft. in elevation changes!!!!

I do like many elements of Autobahn, but I don't know about the length of the straightaways....it is a minor objection....because I would drive up there for a race in a heartbeat...

I think Tulsa also has some nice features with some fast stretches as well as some challenging curve combos....

If they can get it built, I also like Active Mountain a lot, and it could serve as a good "Pairing" event on the West Coast before Laguna

Two races each on the two West Coast trips makes sense to me, and would be better for the teams....

Calabogie has some interesting freatures, but it is my understanding that it is too close to Mosport to really make much sense....and their focus would seem to be club racing...

The only track that looks to be "point and squirt" to me is the one in Arizona....But Lake Havasu City is a resort town that is virtually equidistant in travel from Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Phoenix...

A late october or early November race (before or after Laguna) or...

A pre-Sebring Event in mid-late February...

I know, it is blasphemy to precede Sebring!!! but other racing seasons start early in warm climates, and it would help to possibly fill a need for the Series to serve thre big metro populations (especially Souther California race fans) with an event at that time of the year....

There...I got that off my chest!!!

[Tim Northcutt]

Besides...Pocono is a roval...and I don't know if the Series wants to run rovals anymore....

['70 Mach 1]

Originally posted by Tim Northcutt
Besides...Pocono is a roval...and I don't know if the Series wants to run rovals anymore....

Yeah it is a roval, but not like a Daytona or Homestead .... It seems like the track would be more similar to an airport track or Portland or the Indy F1 circuit with its lack of elevation changes and (highly) banked corners.

[Tim Northcutt]

I agree with that point, '70 Mach 1...

But the ALMS seems to be focused on the purpose-built places....and they have gotten away from rovals...

Besides, if they could race at a new "state-of-the-art" facilities like Thunderbolt or Rausch Creek (at least that is what the sites say they will be), do you think the ALMS would pick Pocono over one of those two places??

But I agree with you and Paul Collins on the North and Long courses...

The turn they go through on the right side of the diagram is an 18 degree bank and the dogleg on the oval backstretch would make for some interesting passing opportunities as well....

['70 Mach 1]

Finally got a chance to take a quick peek at Rausch Creek and Thunderbolt and they do look like they would be nice facilites, so I'd probably go with either of those over Pocono, since Pocono as you mentioned would be needing a re-pave.... it doesn't have enough of an advantage over the newer tracks that probably covet a "crown jewel" event to add to their calendars...

[billnchristy]

dont forget:

http://www.dragonsridge.com/park/park.asp

map:

http://www.racingcircuits.net/UnitedStates/index.html
(go to D or search Virginia)

[billnchristy]

this place was opened in 2002, i dont know how much has been mentioned about it:

http://www.midamericamotorplex.com/code/track_main.asp

http://www.springmountainmotorsports...t/Default.aspx
(private track in Nevada)

http://www.hallettracing.com/images/...ttrack1600.jpg
http://www.hallettracing.com/
(Oklahoma, looks like a baby Road America, size of LRP)

There you have it, although instead of future ALMS venues, how about future Sportscar venues so we can include all our favorite series like SWC, GA,GAC, ALMS, and hopefully someday WTCC...

[Bob Riebe]

Originally posted by billnchristy
this place was opened in 2002, i dont know how much has been mentioned about it:

http://www.midamericamotorplex.com/code/track_main.asp

http://www.springmountainmotorsports...t/Default.aspx
(private track in Nevada)

http://www.hallettracing.com/images/...ttrack1600.jpg
http://www.hallettracing.com/
(Oklahoma, looks like a baby Road America, size of LRP)

There you have it, although instead of future ALMS venues, how about future Sportscar venues so we can include all our favorite series like SWC, GA,GAC, ALMS, and hopefully someday WTCC...

Bill&Christy:
This is one area where I have a gut feeling that GARRA is a better, more 'merican operation than IMSA and ALMS.
I have a feeling that if GARRA got an invite from near any of the tracks on this list and any of those on privious lists, which included the new MidAmerica, that they would ask minimul questions before they would say " what the hell, let's give 'er a shot. You don't know whatcha got till ya try it."
There is nothing wrong with the IMSA tracks but many of the tracks GARRA has or does use remind me, in a surrealistic nuanced manner,(Oh sorry a ephemeral wave of ALMs elitism came over me) of racing thirty seven years ago" We do'n need no stinkin amenities. were here to race, now move I gotta whiz and your standin at ground zero."

Bob

[billnchristy]

like Limerock?

[Bob Riebe]

Originally posted by billnchristy
like Limerock?

Up to the mid-seventies, many tracks had just enough amenities, to be legal.
Sheeit, how I miss the way thngs were before girlie-men took over.
Bob

[Bob Riebe]

Looking at some of these tracks throught racingcircuits.net one gets a better layout view than at the websites. plus you can use the old string method to guestimate distances.

Thunderbolt, could be a very fine circuit, I actually like it better than Autobahn. It seemed to be absolutely the best of the bunch.
I wish it weren't so darn far from here.

Libertybell has possibilities. as does Valley.
Oval trackers will like Rausch, it goes round the traditional 'merican direction.
The rest either had too many slow corners or too many corners for the distance.

[Bob Riebe]

Has anyone else had trouble getting in or posting?
My first post did not seem to go through so I sent it again only to find a double post.

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally posted by billnchristy
this place was opened in 2002, i dont know how much has been mentioned about it:

http://www.midamericamotorplex.com/code/track_main.asp

http://www.springmountainmotorsports...t/Default.aspx
(private track in Nevada)

http://www.hallettracing.com/images/...ttrack1600.jpg
http://www.hallettracing.com/
(Oklahoma, looks like a baby Road America, size of LRP)

There you have it, although instead of future ALMS venues, how about future Sportscar venues so we can include all our favorite series like SWC, GA,GAC, ALMS, and hopefully someday WTCC...

We talked about Hallett and Mid-America in the "Season Announced" thread, as well as "Heartland Park" in Topeka....

The track in Nevada is very intersting and could serve the Southern California market due to the close proximity to Las Vegas...

But on www.racingcircuits.net, it is listed as a "test Track and Proving grounds....

Does it have any facilities for fans, media, the big apddock that would be needed, etc???

Finally the Dragon Ridge venue supposedly has been finally approved by the Kent County Board...but ther seems to be BIG opposition from NASCAR and from VIR for this place to get going....

Let's see if it comes about...