What are your favorite tracks? (or what makes a good track?)

[FordCosworthPanoz]

My Top 20 Favourite circuits right now:

1. Nordschleife
2. Mosport
3. Road America
4. Watkins Glen
5. Bathurst
6. Spa Franchorchamps
7. Circuit de La Sarthe
8. Portero de los Funes
9. Suzuka
10. Darlington Raceway (not a circuit, but still awesome)
11. Road Atlanta
12. Sebring International Raceway
13. Interlagos
14. Brands Hatch GP
15. Monza
16. VIR
17. Zonda
18. Lime Rock
19. Monaco
20. Laguna Seca

10-20 years ago a lot more European circuits would have been on that list.

[Jonerz]

Originally Posted by FordCosworthPanoz

My Top 20 Favourite circuits right now:

1. Nordschleife
2. Mosport
3. Road America
4. Watkins Glen
5. Bathurst
6. Spa Franchorchamps
7. Circuit de La Sarthe
8. Portero de los Funes
9. Suzuka
10. Darlington Raceway (not a circuit, but still awesome)
11. Road Atlanta
12. Sebring International Raceway
13. Interlagos
14. Brands Hatch GP
15. Monza
16. VIR
17. Zonda
18. Lime Rock
19. Monaco
20. Laguna Seca

10-20 years ago a lot more European circuits would have been on that list.

Good list, I'd never really thought highly of Interlagos, but the front straight and the entry to turn one sure is cool.

I was watching a race with Porsche Boxters (and a couple of old 944s) on YouTube a few weeks ago on an interesting circuit, but I can't for the life of me remember it's name. Was really thin and wound through trees and had interesting elevation changes, very pleasant to look at, would love to drive it one day. It should be on this list, but here are the tracks I can remember the names of!

1. Watkins Glen Short (mainly because I have a fascination with the speed of the place. I think if an LMP car ran there it would be the fastest track in North America in terms of average lap speed.)
2. Road Atlanta
3. Mosport
4. Road America
5. Nordschleife
6. Circuit de la Sarthe
7. Watkins Glen + Boot
8. Brands Hatch (the long version)
9. VIR (another personal fascination, particularly with LMP pace through the esses)
10. Spa
11. Suzuka Circuit
12. Monza
13. Donnington
14. Phillip Island
15. Laguna Seca
16. Bathurst
17. Mid-Ohio
18. Lime Rock
19. Oulton Park (honorable mention to Castle Comb and Cadwell Park)
20. The roval at Daytona (another speed fascination)
=20. Pukekohe

Chris

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Originally Posted by Jonerz

Good list, I'd never really thought highly of Interlagos, but the front straight and the entry to turn one sure is cool.

I was watching a race with Porsche Boxters (and a couple of old 944s) on YouTube a few weeks ago on an interesting circuit, but I can't for the life of me remember it's name. Was really thin and wound through trees and had interesting elevation changes, very pleasant to look at, would love to drive it one day. It should be on this list, but here are the tracks I can remember the names of!

1. Watkins Glen Short (mainly because I have a fascination with the speed of the place. I think if an LMP car ran there it would be the fastest track in North America in terms of average lap speed.)
2. Road Atlanta
3. Mosport
4. Road America
5. Nordschleife
6. Circuit de la Sarthe
7. Watkins Glen + Boot
8. Brands Hatch (the long version)
9. VIR (another personal fascination, particularly with LMP pace through the esses)
10. Spa
11. Suzuka Circuit
12. Monza
13. Donnington
14. Phillip Island
15. Laguna Seca
16. Bathurst
17. Mid-Ohio
18. Lime Rock
19. Oulton Park (honorable mention to Castle Comb and Cadwell Park)
20. The roval at Daytona (another speed fascination)
=20. Pukekohe

Chris

Actually, I'm one of the few that prefers the short course at the Glen to the Boot, love the high speed and medium speed corners along with the long straight going into what is usually 'turn 10' much more exciting. Also, as much as I hate to admit it I also prefer the new La Sarthe with the esses after the Dunlop bridge and Chicanes, I think it's made the circuit much more about driver skill and made it harder on mechanical components than simple high speed and braking.

As for Interlagos, on sims the run from Mergulho (Turn 11) on the previous lap to Turn 8 on the next is one of the best in motorsports. Also the Senna-S seperates the men from the boys when it comes to overtaking.

[Deleted]

Mine in no particular order

Mont Tremblant
Mosport
Road Atlanta
Road America
Sebring
Laguna Seca
Long Beach
Barber
Portland
Lime Rock
Virginia
Nurburgring Nordschleife
Circuit de la Sarthe
Brands Hatch GP
Portrero de los Funes
Adelaide
Albert Park
Bathurst
Okayama/Aida *
Guia

* Dunno why but I always really really liked Okayama for some strange reason

Spa used to be up there somewhere but gone now for reasons mentioned before.

Anyway, back to the topic, the start time of this race in question has been brought forward by just 30 minutes so we'll still see some sunset-ish running on track. VIR race seems to have the same timeslot (2:30-6:30 PM).

[adam46]

My 20 In no particular order;
Brands Hatch GP
Nordschlife
Linas-Monthelry (Roval course)
Laguna Seca
Circuit De La Sarthe
Brands Hatch Indy
Silverstone
Bathurst
Phillip Island
Spa
Monza
Road America
Sebring
Cadwell Park
Montreal
Interlagos
Old Hockenheim
Suzuka
Anderstorp
Castle Combe.

[adam46]

Originally Posted by adam46

My 20 In no particular order;
Brands Hatch GP
Nordschlife
Linas-Monthelry (Roval course)
Laguna Seca
Circuit De La Sarthe
Brands Hatch Indy
Silverstone
Bathurst
Phillip Island
Spa
Monza
Road America
Sebring
Cadwell Park
Montreal
Interlagos
Old Hockenheim
Suzuka
Anderstorp
Castle Combe.

One change: Anderstorp out, Watkins Glen in.

[kurski]

1. Circuit de la Sarthe
2. Potrero de los Funes
3. Montreal
4. Interlagos
5. Surfers Paradise
6. Laguna Sega
7. Fuji
8. Mont Tremblant
9. Road America
10. Paul Ricard
11. Algarve
12. Nurburgring/Nordschleife
13. Mugello
14. Watkins Glen
15. Suzuka
16. Macau
17. Monaco
18. Signapore
19. Spa Franchorchamps
20. Monza

[Mike Hedlund]

Only speaking from the ones I've driven, my top 5 would be:

1. Spa
2. Watkins Glen (long course)
3. Sonoma / Infineon / Sears Point
4. Laguna Seca
5. Daytona Roval (Entering T1 at 190mph makes it one of the most difficult corners to get rite, and one of the most awesome)

Hopefully next year I'll have driven more outside of the US and can refresh my list. :-)

-mike

[BSchneiderFan]

I'm going to go for alphabetical order, and current tracks only:

Brands Hatch GP
Dundrod
Elkhart Lake
Isle of Man TT
Istanbul
Laguna Seca
La Sarthe
Monaco
Montréal
Monza
Mosport Park
Nürburgring Nordschleife
Paul Ricard
Road Atlanta
Sears Point
Silverstone
Spa-Francorchamps
Suzuka
Watkins Glen long
Zandvoort

[The Badger]

My top 10 :

(1) Brands Hatch
(2) Spa
(3) Le Mans
(4) Monza
(5) Sebring
(6) Road Atlanta
(7) Mugello
(8) Bathurst
(9) Suzuka
(10) Hockenheim , the big one .

[Matt]

Plenty of Cup teams test at Road Atlanta.

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Also, for those that wanted to see an LMP around Watkins Glen, here you go...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60byFV6OpA8

[Deleted]

Testing isn't racing. IMSA will never race at the Glen unless something very radical happens

[BSchneiderFan]

Originally Posted by FordCosworthPanoz

Also, for those that wanted to see an LMP around Watkins Glen, here you go...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60byFV6OpA8

Fantastic! God, but he's working hard.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by FordCosworthPanoz

Also, for those that wanted to see an LMP around Watkins Glen, here you go...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60byFV6OpA8

Any idea whose old Lola that is? B06?

[The Badger]

Theres still a few brilliant tracks , imo , missing off my list , but I wasnt going to pick 20 .

Daytona would be another one of mine .....

[TF110]

Great video, flat out through the esses. It'd be great to see current LMP1's at the Glen. As for my favorite tracks, Spa, LeSarthe and Suzuka are my top 3.

[skycafe]

74 Ranch would be George Robinson. What the orgin was before that....

[skycafe]

I guess they have sold on the R&S?? Now with Lola Judd http://74ranch.com/autoracing/index.html

[Purist]

I think posts 55-58 from the Road America thread would also more aptly fit into this discussion.

Speaking of those posts, I want to nip a few things in the bud, just in case. Chiana mentioned New Jersey Motorsports Park. I think both Thunderbolt Raceway and the Lightning Circuit have decent enough layouts. What probably hurts them, especially Thunderbolt, is that there is nothing right up by the track. It's empty ground, so there's no spatial reference close to the track, and no good frame of reference to tell how fast the cars are going. Also, Grand-Am, after their first race in 2008, has been using one of the chicanes there. Finally, on this track, it is NOT an Alan Wilson creation; it is a Bruce Hawkins design, I'm pretty sure.

I have a general dislike of the Alan Wilson tracks as well, but two have some definite redeeming features, and decent enough layouts: Barber and Calabogie Motorsports Parks.

[Purist]

And I would like to offer my list of top street/parkland circuits here:
1. Guia/Macau
2. Vancouver (1990-97)
3. Monaco
4. Burke Lakefront Airport
5. Norisring
6. Pau
7. Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
8. Surfers Paradise (1991-2009)
9. Long Beach (1975-81 and 1992-98)
10. Adelaide (F1)
11. Las Vegas (2007)
12. Bicentennial Park (1987-95)
13. Albert Park
14. Porto
15. San Antonio (1990)
16. Sao Paolo
17. Tampa (1988-90)
18. Birmingham (UK)
19. Exhibition Place
20. Belle Isle (1998-2001)

I don't think there will be too many disagreements with the top several. However, I could understand if people want to debate some of the others on there.

[Mt. Lynx]

In no particular order:
La Sarthe
Silverstone
Imola
Nordschleife
Mt. Panorama
Road America
Laguna Seca
Road Atlanta
Sebring
Potrero de los Funes
Suzuka
Monza
Spa-Francorchamps

In short, I like the so called "drivers circuits".

[PascaLM]

In my opinion, the best track should include :
- a Raidillon,
- a Corkscrew,
- a Spoon,
- a Parabolica,
- a Banking,
- an Esse,
- a long straight,
- a Flugplatz,
- a Karussell,
- an Epingle.

[FAS33]

Mount Panorama - Bathurst.

[RacersGroup]

My Top10:

1. Nürburgring / Nordschleife
2. Road Atlanta
3. Spa Francorchamps
4. Le Mans / Circuit de la Sarthé
5. Sebring
6. Zolder
7. Road America
8. St. Petersburg
9. San Luis
10. Brands Hatch GP