Oregon to Ohio: Looking for Tracks and/or Events

[bgsterling]

Hi all,

Earlier this year, I posted about possibly taking a roadtrip in the Exige from Portland, OR to Columbus, OH. Work responsiblities have fallen into place and my better half is on board (for now). I still need to get a couple things worked out. One of those is finding an HPDE and/or Auto-X event or two. Here are the particulars around the trip (subject to change):

• Dates: August 7th - 24th time frame. There's some flexibility here.
• Confirmed Destinations: Palatine, IL and Hilliard, OH
• Route: Portland through Eastern Washington, across the narrow part of Idaho, across most of Montana, down through the northeast corner of Wyoming, across South Dakota, along the Minnesota/Iowa border, through Wisconson, down into the Chicago area, down through Indiana to the center of Ohio.

I chose this route because I've previously driven Ohio to California twice taking the I-80 route. Nine hours across Nebraska where the North Platte River crosses you 17 times was not particularly fun the first time and even less so the second time. I thought I'd try I-90 this time. Not that I'm sold on the interstate, but I do have to get from point A to point B. If there are some good roads I should incorporate into the route, please let me know.

So on to the point of this post. I know there's Blackhawk in Illinois and Mid-Ohio in Ohio, but are there any other tracks along my route? I've got to imagine there are some. Any links to tracks on my route, clubs hosting events, or known events in my time frame would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[breezy7]

Check out MVPtracktime.com. They are having an event in Joliet,Il on Aug 18. Joliet is in the Chicago area and I believe the track is called Autobahn.

[bgsterling]

Originally Posted by breezy7

Check out MVPtracktime.com. They are having an event in Joliet,Il on Aug 18. Joliet is in the Chicago area and I believe the track is called Autobahn.

Thanks, Breezy7. The course looks big with lots of straights, since they're running the whole course. It could be interesting. I've never been on a "power" track before.

[dasmoofler]

There's also Blackhawk Farms in South Beloit (Northern Illinois by Rockford).Blackhawk Farms Raceway

Are you visiting RacyTracy?

[bgsterling]

Originally Posted by dasmoofler

There's also Blackhawk Farms in South Beloit (Northern Illinois by Rockford).Blackhawk Farms Raceway

Are you visiting RacyTracy?

Thanks for the link. I saw a post about an event at Blackhawk last night after I posted this. I'll have to look into that.

No, I'm not visiting RacyTracy. I have some business to take care of in Palatine. I'm not opposed to meeting up with other Lotus folk (or general car nuts), so maybe a night out to Durty Nellie's might be in order.

Thanks for the head's up on Blackhawk.

[bgsterling]

Things have fallen into place, so I'm going for it. I'm going to take the Exige from Oregon to Ohio starting next week. It's been years since I've taken this level of a roadtrip, so I'm both excited and a little nervous. I guess we'll see if I can still do this. Here's the general schedule:

• Wed, 8/6 - Portland to Salt Lake City. Pick up my college roommate in SLC.
• Thu, 8/7 - Aim for Lincoln, NE or so. Anybody know if Dude's in Sidney, NE is open for lunch?
• Fri, 8/8 - Arrive in Palatine, IL. Head over to Durty Nellie's for beer.
• Sat, 8/9 - Hang out in Palatine. Get a Chicago Dog, see some friends, probably drink more beer.
• Sun, 8/10 - Put roommate on plane, head to Hilliard, OH, meet up with my wife, kid, parents, and nephews
• Mon, 8/11 to Thu, 8/15 - Hang out with family
• Sat, 8/16 to Sun 8/17 - Mid-Ohio track event w/ Dad
• Mon, 8/18 - Thu, 8/21 - Head back to Portland. Probably take the northern route mentioned in the first post.

When I write this down, it sounds pretty stupid. But quoting Risky Business, "Sometimes, you just got to say 'What the f**k".

So there you have it. If you see a Graphite Gray Exige S with Oregon plates in your area, it's me. Gimme a wave or feel free to caravan for awhile. Also, any recommended stopping points along the way there or back, let me know. I'll probably be checking in at various points along the way, but wish me luck!

-Brad

[dasmoofler]

If you see me, well, that's me.

[slaughtr]

Well, August 9 and 10 are Summerfast in Pocatello, a tri-state autocross challenge for Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming but it looks like you'll already be through to Salt Lake by that time.

I'll be there Sunday the 10th.

The Packwood Prosolo is August 23-24 on your way back, also.

[Mr.C]

Now I know why you asked me how I like my Bridgestone Re-01's.
I think it definitely makes sense to change to some less agressive tires for this trip and save the AO48's for a better purpose...
My offer still stands. If you have time and want to see how you like them, just come over to my place and you can take my car for a spin
Otherwise have a safe trip. It looks like you might be back just in time for the Club Lotus Northwest track day on the 29th...

[bgsterling]

DasMoofler: And wherever you go, there you are.

Slaughtr: Thanks for the heads up. I'll check out the event for the ride back. I may be pretty cooked by then.

Mr. C: Yeah, that's one of the reasons for the interest in the RE01's. I took a good look at my A048s yesterday. They're not totally cooked for the road, but no more track days. I might run the A048s to Ohio, put some R888s on for Mid-Ohio and then drive them home. By then, my new wheels with new A048s should be waiting for the CLNW track day. Then again, I don't really need that aggressive of a tire for the road. I should probably just get the RE01s, deal with their "shortcomings" compared to a more agressive tire at Mid-Ohio, and then have a good, longer term street tire. Can you tell I'm going a little about picking tires? I should probably take you up on your offer.

-Brad