For some car enthusiasts, there is nothing like driving a car hard on a racetrack in a safe manner. This article provides some information for car enthusiasts living in the SCV who may not know how to go about getting track time.
There are several race tracks in California that can be used by the novice and skilled racer alike. Some are only about one hour from the SCV, like Willow Springs Raceway, which is out the 14 Freeway by Edwards Air Force Base, or California Speedway, which is out the 210 Freeway by the 15 Freeway, in Fontana. Some are about one and a half hours away, like Buttonwillow Raceway Park, which is North of SCV up the 5 Freeway. And some are several hours away, like Laguna Seca Raceway, which is in Monterey, several hours North of the SCV up the 101 Freeway.
How do you go about setting up some track time on these courses? With very few exceptions, you can’t just drive there and say, “I’m here, I want to drive my car on the track.” Most often, you have to be part of a group, where a person or company in that group is “hosting” a track event. That person or company is the one renting the facility, paying for insurance, track personnel, ambulance services, etc. This is the trick to getting access to these facilities. You need to network with the persons and groups that host such events, so that you can find out about them and attend if you want.
There are several things you should you expect at a well-run track event. Find out beforehand about the following. You want there to be a relatively low number of cars on the track at any one time. You also want to know that the runs will be divided by skill level and/or passing rules. You also want to make sure that there are flag persons situated around the track, making sure everyone is driving in a safe manner. Safety first, fun second, should be the rule of the day at any track event.
But even in the safest environment, there are risks. Your car could get chips, nicks and cuts from flying pebbles, tire rubber (with bits of asphalt in it) and other debris. There could be a crash of vehicles. You could drive your car off the road by accident. So make sure this activity is right for you.
In short, there are ample opportunities for car enthusiasts living in the SCV to drive in a fast and challenging, but safe, manner around a racetrack. If this interests you, you should look into it.
For more information, please contact Michael Rossi at 310-717-8806 or email mrossi@inslawgroup.com .