We all have had different experiences at different events around the country. We all probably like something different. Some of us I'm sure, have been to more events in more places than others. So what was your favorite track to run on and why?
I have raced at six different venues in the last four years including parking lots, road courses around campuses, and professional race tracks. I think my favorite is the one in my own back yard. Five Flags Speedway is a half mile banked oval in Pensacola, Florida. It was the first Electrathon race I ever saw and kind of embodies what Electrathon racing is to me. With it's ample width and banked turns, it is not a "drivers track" but allows the engineering that went into the car and the decisions made in setup to speak for themselves.
I also like their use of electronic lap counting and real-time data and lap times being available on the "Race Monitor" app.
The track is getting kind of rough, but I still like it overall.
I have been on 24 different tracks with 65 races and each of those races on each of those tracks I think have a great story, but these are probably my most memorable
My favorite nostalgia track was at Wharton high school (1st picture) where I had my first ever win after about 1.5 years of racing, and that was a little track with a killer 90 degree turn where more than 1 car has flipped.
My favorite track as a driver is at the University of South Florida (2nd picture) on a 1/4 track that has 10-ish turns and is really tight and fast. However I have only raced here 3 times, and in those 3 times I have had 2 catastrophic failures, the first was faulty wiring that took 45 minutes into the race to fix, the other time was a front axle that snapped in half on the starting line.
But the track I somehow always have the most fun at is in the worlds roughest parking lot at the Energy Whiz Olympics in Cocoa Beach Florida (3rd picture). But it has some fast turns, some slow turns, some fun straights, and a really fast chicane. But the only reason this track is fun is because of the people I race against.
This track it is only as fast as the driver will push it, the track won't use all your battery, but it will break a car. My first time on this track the weld holding my spindle bracket broke with 2 minutes left in the race. However this didn't kill my car, it just gave me a lot of extra camber on my right wheel. However the moment I crossed the finish line my car collapsed and I had to re-weld it between races. The reason I pushed this last 2 minutes was to beat the super car at the time, #321.
But probably my coolest moment at a track was my last race of the season in Cocoa beach. There was a group of kids watching and waving at me while I was racing, and I would wave back, before I know it they are cheering me on. In the last 2 minutes, the race leader and I are on the same lap and we are approaching the hardest turn on the track. I somehow make it ahead of him and I hear these kids start clapping for me. Once the race is over they all come up to me and give me high fives, take pictures of me and my car, and they told me how much fun it was for them to watch me and this other person drive. So this was probably my favorite moment on a track.
-- Edited by Nitoragro on Sunday 5th of May 2019 02:32:40 AM
My favorite would be The Run for The Peaches track in Quitman GA. The track is a Brooks County High school parking lot with huge elevation changes. Running the track counter clockwise, the car accelerates down a steep hill and through a sweeping left hand turn onto the longest straight. You must carry the speed through the corner for a good lap. A bump in the middle of the turn adds to the excitement. Clockwise, there is an off camber downhill corner that is great for overtaking if you get it right, embarrassing if you get it wrong. The many elevation changes make a challenging track for the driver.
Another nice thing about this race was the bushel of Georgia Peaches to the winning HS team. A nice reward that the whole team could share. The race organizer, Donald Morgan, retired in 2016 and the race has not been run since.
USF, Middleton (parking lot track) and the Solar Center are also excellent. Lots of corners, bumps and/or elevation changes to challenge a driver.
Five Flags in Pensecola is fun with those big banked turns and Barber is the most scenic track.
I am disappointed that I never had a chance to attend the Run for the Peaches race before it went away. I was prepared to go in 2017 but it was cancelled and that was that.
unfortunately my favorite "tracks" no longer have races...
Lacey Washington "electric grand prix" (on the streets & parking lots of Lacey WA)
DaVinci Days Corvallis Oregon, originally on the streets around Oregon State University (best) then parking lot @ Reser Staium
Hood River Oregon streets encircling Full Sail Ale brewery
and Oregon Raceway Park Grass Valley Oregon 2.5mile road course with 400ft of vertical climbs/descents VERY hard to finish the hour
unfortunately there was only ever one "demonstration" event at ORP
my favorite event that still exists is "the dave cloud memorial" @ Portland international Raceway Portland Oregon
both long and short track events...
