any tracks in or near NJ/NY where i can practice?

[dwadia]

I live in West Orange, NJ (if you're unfamiliar with it we'll just say ~20 miles from NYC) and would like to know of a track or tracks where i can practice driving. Not drifting per se, just do some laps. I would prefer to avoid joining any clubs or organizations, but if need be i might do it. Of course the closer the better, but i definitely wouldn't want much more than a 2 hour drive. If you have specific information (a club i need to join, a contact number, a web address, costs involved, whatever!) i'd love to have it. Thanks.

[MAX Power SR]

you can go to englishtown, NJ to raceway park. but i think it is a drag strip. like quarter mile thing not the circle tracks to practice driving. i not sure they might have a track like that there but i never saw it but they definitely got a 1/4 mile track.

[dwadia]

Yeah, i'm aware of their drag strip but i really want something like a road course to practice on. Thanks for the suggestion though.

[aznpoopy]

englishtown is the local track

but you won't find a real road course in NJ
VIR in virginia
summit point in upstate ny
lime rock in CT

[ep510]

englishtown is the local track

but you won't find a real road course in NJ
VIR in virginia
summit point in upstate ny
lime rock in CT

FYI Summit Point is in West Viginia I believe. I think you meant Watkins Glen in NY.

As for the original question ---track time is not cheap --getting in on your own without being part of a club event is unlikely. You would need to have a competition license to do "test days" that tracks hold.

Also --Pocono raceway in PA has some road courses.

There is talk of a racecourse being built in NJ --but I am not sure if it is finalized yet or not.

Try www.motorsportreg.com to find out some of the scheduled events clubs are holding.

[dwadia]

Yeah, it seems like i will probably have to get the track time during some club event. I was reading about HPDE's and it sounded good, except it's all full for this year!

A competition license isn't an option. Even if i wanted to, i could not afford even half of the cost to go through the courses required to get this.

I know the track time will not be cheap, but i'm hoping to at least keep it to around a couple hundred dollars. What i previously did (some Skip Barber courses) are several times this, and i can't even drive my own car.

I'll look into the one you mentioned at Pocono, and for next season i'll try to sign up for some stuff at Lime Rock before it's full. Do you guys think HPDE's are the type of thing i'm looking for? Do they tend to get competitive or do people just go at their own pace?

[aznpoopy]

FYI Summit Point is in West Viginia I believe. I think you meant Watkins Glen in NY.

yar you got me

iirc the road course was englishtown but its been in construction for a long ass time. dont know if it'll ever see the light of day

hpde is typically organized in groups

group 1 instructor required to sit passenger, you do laps, no passing except when signalled to pass

by the time you get to group 4 its basically open road racing

etc. hope that clears it up.

[ep510]

Do you guys think HPDE's are the type of thing i'm looking for? Do they tend to get competitive or do people just go at their own pace?

As mentioned most HPDE's are schools that teach you to get around the track. Most clubs allow you to progress at your own pace --or as in the case with the group I am involved with it is a combination of when you feel you are ready to progress and when your instructor feels you are redy to go to the next group.

HPDE's are the most bang for the buck out there.

Keep an eye on these sites --both run schools in the northeast ( we do a few of them together (and Nissans are welcome )

http://www.nybmwcca.org/ and www.patroonbmw.org

[dwadia]

Thanks guys, that does help clarify things. I'll keep an eye out for HPDE's although i guess it will be next season now. I'll also watch those two sites you mentioned in the last post. I appreciate all the suggestions :-)