Where can I track my car in Boston?

[GreenFrog]

Apologies for not posting in the regional subforum - just figured that this thread would gain more traction here. Please move this thread of necessary.

Anyway, as the title indicates, where can I track my car near Boston? What are the membership requirements? Costs? How long can I track my car for?

Thanks!

[Marcus-SanDiego]

I moved the thread to the track and autoX forum.

[Hermes]

It doesn't look like BMW CCA Boston has any planned for a while. They do have some karting events planned though.

The last one seems like it was at Devens Airport (Ayers, MA). You should check with the SCCA chapter near you also

http://www.boston-bmwcca.org/events/ultimate-calendar.aspx

[GreenFrog]

Oh, people can only track their cars during scheduled events? I always thought it was the type of deal where you sign up for a membership and go to the track whenever you wanted.

Also, is there a difference between motorcross and tracking? I don't want to drive my car through cones and whatnot.. my idea was to drive my car on a closed track with some twisties and whatnot.

[Hermes]

ok...

'track' you usually pay for a day/laps, depends on the place

'autocross' is the cones you're talking about

If you don't have experience start with the cones, then work your way up to a real track


EDIT:

Connecticut
* Lime Rock
Massachusetts
* Palmer Motorsports Park (under construction)
New Hampshire
* New Hampshire International Speedway
New Jersey
* New Jersey Motorsports Park (Thunderbolt Raceway)
* Old Bridge Township Raceway Park
New York
* Watkins Glen International
* Monticello Motor Club
Pennsylvania
* BeaveRun Motorsports Complex
* Pocono International Raceway
* Alpine Motorsports Club

[GreenFrog]

Ahh.. gotcha. Thank you sir! Where did you find that list of track locations? There's gotta be more than one in MA..

[Hermes]

http://www.trackpedia.com/ (http://www.trackpedia.com/wiki/Main_Page)

There used to be a lot more tracks in the US, most have closed so that's probably the case out by you. Also, these are TRACKS, not drag strips so the list is small for that reason too. I would still recommend you join CCA, its worth it for all the fringe benefits

[GreenFrog]

I am a member of the BMW CCA! Totally forgot I had just signed up for that a couple weeks ago haha. What are some of the fringe benefits besides the oem car parts 10% discount and occasional meet up?

[LivesNearCostco]

When I lived in Massachusetts I mostly rode a bicycle and the (T), but some of the NorthEast BMW HPDE guys seem to mostly go to New Hampshire Intl. Speedway or Lime Rock, per the list Hermes made above. Besides local BMW CCA driving schools, check out the NASA NorthEast Region and see where the local Porsche club(s) run.

Looking the NASA NorthEast 2011 calendar http://www.nasane.com/events.html, for some reason they didn't go to New Hampshire this year, but they had events at NJMP x3; Lime Rock x2; Pocono x3; Watkins Glen x2

Porsche Club NorthEast web site says they did did NHMS like 6 times this year, plus one trip each to Calabogie, Watkins Glen, an dMont Treblant in Quebec.
http://www.porschenet.com/JCMS/component/option,com_events/Itemid,137/

If you buy or lease a new BMW (maybe a CPO one too), CCA membership gets you a discount. If you sign up for M Performance Driving school in South Carolina, CCA membership gets you a discount. For me the biggest benefit of joining the CCA is it got me to try AutoX, which got me to try a Car Control Clinic, which led me to try track days (HPDE), which caused me to blow a lot of money on track days and suspension updates. At least in California, the CCA track days are some of the most expensive but also the most tightly run and most safety minded--all students have an instructor in the car except maybe the fastest "A" group. Starting with CCA gave me the confidence to try other groups (like NASA) that are less expensive because they only assign instructors to the beginners.

[Hermes]

I am a member of the BMW CCA! Totally forgot I had just signed up for that a couple weeks ago haha. What are some of the fringe benefits besides the oem car parts 10% discount and occasional meet up?

http://www.bmwcca.org/membershipbenefits

Also, it could be more than 10% discount, it just seems like that's what everybody has gone down to. I remember it being around 20% when I joined, but that was before the economy took a fat dump. Check your chapter newsletter, I'm assuming Boston Chapter is who you signed up with or are you part of White Mountain Chapter in NH?

http://www.boston-bmwcca.org/

http://www.whitemtn-bmwclub.org/

[GreenFrog]

Hmm.. how much does a day at the track cost you?

Hermes: I'm signed up with the Boston chapter.

[Hermes]

$$$ - it all depends on the track.

example, here is one coming up in SoCal I found posted on another forum (but that site seems to have a SoCal member base)

When: Saturday, November 26, 2011
Where: Big Willow @ Willow Springs
Racing from: 8am-5pm
Drivers Meeting: 7am
Participates Accepted: 50
Full Price: $240
Early Bird Price: $200 (First four days of registration)
Registration Opens: Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Your run group goes on once a hour, you should be literally getting two track days in one. Photo cd included in price. (pictures of your car on the track will be burned on a cd for you to take home with you). Lap timing is optional, helmet rentals are available, professional race car drivers will be available to instruction.

[LivesNearCostco]

Track days I have seen advertised in California range


$50-$80/day for Autocross on a stadium parking lot or airfield
$99/day for HPDE at small track like Streets of Willow, without instruction
$120 to $190 for a full size track in a remote area, instruction included only for beginners; buy your own food
$200 for 5 laps in a NASCAR, Formula, or exotic sports car (they provide the car)
$220-$280/day on a full-size track with BMW CCA, everyone gets an instructor; water and lunch included
$300-$500/day on a famous track (like Laguna Seca) during a summer weekend with the Porsche or Ferrari club (HPDE at Laguna Seca or Infineon as low as $220/day if it's a weekday or not summer)
$800-$1600/day with a famous racing school on a famous track (Infineon or Laguna Seca), they provide a prepared car

[ZHPRegistry.net]

i HIGHLY recommend joining BMWCCA and attending the Boston Chapter auto-x series at Devens. This is one of the top venues of auto-x in the country. Where else would you find a 1.5 mile long course spanning across two military base runways. As other's said this is different from track but can be as much fun (if not more).

[GreenFrog]

I am a member of BMWCCA but haven't heard of anything about auto-x at Devens. Are these events typically advertised (i.e. will I get alerted about them via email?)

[Hermes]

Are these events typically advertised (i.e. will I get alerted about them via email?)

with our chapter I usually see my notification from facebook on upcoming chapter events, but it also is posted on their website and in our newsletter. It all depends on your chapters way of doing things.

e.g., next month's autoX in San Diego announced in Fahren Affairs this month
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c288/jhermes/other%20stuff/IMG_2199.jpg


I would like/join these two pages on facebook if I were you
page: facebook/Boston CCA (http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Boston-Chapter-of-the-BMW-Car-Club-of-America/124037864327572)
group: facebook/Boston CCA (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=115130135177452)

for example, when I say I get notifications on my facebook it is from the facebook group page for our chapter. Just looking at the one for your chapter it doesn't seem as used. Your group has 55 members while ours has 276. I would just contact them and see what they say

[Chad44]

Sign onto the boston chapter's website, then you can access the "ultimate calendar" which gives you access to all the planned events and tells you the sign up date. For the autocross events, they typically open a month in advance and fill up the first day. The boston chapter has a great venue at the Moore Airfield in Ayer, MA... This past year was my first year racing, I bought my zhp in the middle of the season, and my goal is to get to the track. However, I will say I sure am glad I spent a year in autocross before making it to the track, since that time in the cones lets you get very familiar with your car, so when you get to the track- you'r money will be better utilized.
On a typical autocross day, we get 8 runs each. I would suggest signing up for the autocross school early in the season as it allows for about double the seat time as an autocross, and is the only time I have ever hit brake fade in my car.
If you would like to get involved and just meet some guys, then you could go by F1 racing today (Sunday) and meet some of the guys. They will be grabbing a drink and food after the karting event... If i can escape the wife and my home duties, I will be going down there just to catch up with the guys.
If you go, just introduce yourself, and if you can find Eric Kaul- he is the membership chair and would gladly introduce you- they are a very friendly bunch of guys! (If you go, tell them Chad sent you!)