America’s Best Road Courses

Our country is known for its oval tracks, but the less obvious truth is that the U.S. is also home to some of the finest road-racing courses in the world. The great circuits featured here generally date back to a time when racetracks were supposed to have elevation changes, blind corners, and distinct personalities. Most of the ones built in the past two decades are relatively similar to each other and essentially drama-free, designed to be safe rather than challenging. In the good old days, danger was an accepted part of the deal, and we think a scintilla of fear makes for a more challenging competition venue. Of course, we aren’t featuring all of them—some stellar circuits, such as Mid-Ohio, didn’t make the ultimate cut, and this will certainly inspire heated arguments. But, hey, isn’t that what the internet is for?

This Post: America’s Best Road Courses

Road Atlanta

WHY WE LOVE IT

Old-timers swear this track was ruined in 1998 when new owner Don Panoz inserted a chicane into the long back straight, thus bypassing the infamous dip prior to the blind last corner.

But they’re wrong: This undulating ribbon is still one of the most exciting places to drive a car, any car. And it’s insanely quick. The only truly slow corners are the chicane and Turn Seven, which leads onto the back straight. We love the blind approach to Turn 12 and how you have to carry the precise amount of speed up the front straightaway into Turn One. The stretch out of that corner into Turn Five is like running through a huge soup ladle with curves in it.

The track feels like it’s in Gone with the Wind country, but it’s less than 50 miles from downtown Atlanta. Swells can stay at Panoz’s Chateau Elan resort if they can’t abide Atlanta traffic.

WHERE IT IS: Braselton, Georgia

WHEN IT OPENED: September 1970

LENGTH, NUMBER OF TURNS: 2.54 miles, 12

HOW TO GET ON IT: Skip Barber (www.skipbarber.com) invites you to one of its schools here. Clubs—such as Porsche and BMW—rent the facility, but individuals have to contact the track for pricing and insurance information (800-849-7223). (www.roadatlanta.com)

HISTORICAL NOTE: An open field became a racetrack in just six months after Can-Am officials awarded the Bridgehampton race to Road Atlanta’s founders.

DAN R. BOYD, DAVE SMITH, ROBERT CAMPBELL, BRIAN HIGASHINO, GETTY IMAGES , MARC URBANO, WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL, DMT IMAGING, KEVIN WING, PIERRE MUNSON PHOTOGRAPHY

Sonoma Raceway

WHY WE LOVE IT

Once called Sears Point, the track features a tantalizing mixture of corners—many of them approached blind—and a significant amount of elevation change. Both NASCAR and the IRL use adulterated forms of the track, but our favorite layout is the original 2.53-mile plan that mixes the technical section from Turns One to Seven with the sphincter-tightening esses on the backside of the track. There’s no long straightaway, but Turn 11 becomes a good spot to overtake as it’s approached by the high-speed Turn 10 and a short back straight.

Like all the best U.S. tracks, there are subtleties to some sections that take repeated visits to learn. The right, left-right, and right flicks of Turns Two through Four seem simple enough, until the camber tries to spit you into the hillside every time around. And the approach to Turn Six is tricky: You turn in after cresting the brow of a hill, leading to many a missed apex.

Its home in Sonoma Valley is only 35 miles from San Francisco and 20 from Napa, so plentiful lodging and memorable chow—not to mention some of the world’s best wine—can be found nearby.

WHERE IT IS: Sonoma, California

WHEN IT OPENED: December 1968

LENGTH, NUMBER OF TURNS: 2.53 miles, 12

HOW TO GET ON IT: Infineon’s driving schools are run by Jim Russell (www.jimrussellusa.com). Track rentals run from $5500 to $20,000 a day, depending on the time of year and day of the week. You’ll need $5 million in liability insurance. If you’re a member of a car club (BMW, Porsche, and Shelby, for example) or belong to an organization such as Hooked on Driving (www.hookedondriving.com), you can also get time on Infineon. (www.infineonraceway.com)

HISTORICAL NOTE: More than 9.5 million cubic yards of dirt got moved in a track renovation between 2000 and 2002.

DAN R. BOYD, DAVE SMITH, ROBERT CAMPBELL, BRIAN HIGASHINO, GETTY IMAGES , MARC URBANO, WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL, DMT IMAGING, KEVIN WING, PIERRE MUNSON PHOTOGRAPHY

Virginia International Raceway

WHY WE LOVE IT:

When we picked VIR as the venue for our annual Lightning Lap performance shootout, we called it the nearest thing to the Nürburgring’s fabled Nordschleife, which is used regularly by many automakers for high-performance development. Equating VIR with the Ring may be a stretch. But it’s the closest approximation we’ve found in the U.S., and it’s set in beautiful countryside.

WHERE IS IT: Alton, Virginia

WHEN IT OPENED: August 1957; closed October 1974; reopened March 2000

LENGTH, NUMBER OF TURNS (FULL COURSE): 3.27 miles, 17

HOW TO GET ON IT: VIR is busy from mid-January all the way to mid-December. A one-day full-course weekday rental costs $8200, which includes EMS crews. If you want corner workers, add $2160. VIR’s driver school is Faasst Performance Driving (www.faasst.com), and most major car clubs book the circuit for track days. (www.virnow.com)

HISTORICAL NOTE: The circuit was designed in 1956 by four guys—Ed Welch, Ed Alexander, Hooper Johnson, and George Arnold, with the help of financier Ed Kemm. None of them was a track designer. Thus the radius of Turn One was determined by the turning circle of a construction contractor’s bulldozer.

DAN R. BOYD, DAVE SMITH, ROBERT CAMPBELL, BRIAN HIGASHINO, GETTY IMAGES , MARC URBANO, WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL, DMT IMAGING, KEVIN WING, PIERRE MUNSON PHOTOGRAPHY

DAN R. BOYD, DAVE SMITH, ROBERT CAMPBELL, BRIAN HIGASHINO, GETTY IMAGES , MARC URBANO, WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL, DMT IMAGING, KEVIN WING, PIERRE MUNSON PHOTOGRAPHY

Watkins Glen General

WHY WE LOVE IT:

This is the birthplace of American sports-car racing, tracing its heritage to hay-bale-lined village streets in 1948. Revised many times over the years, the track has two basic configurations—a 2.45-mile short course used primarily for NASCAR races, and the longer version (3.37 miles), finished in 1971, used for most sports-car events. The Glen layout is a superb blend of flat-out stretches, such as the run up through the esses (Turns Two, Three, and Four) to the back straight and inner loop, and technical sections (Turns Six, Seven—a.k.a. the Boot—Eight, and Nine) that demand precision. The countryside, overlooking Seneca Lake, is gorgeous; the village is picturesque; and take in at least one meal at the old Seneca Lodge.

WHERE IS IT: Watkins Glen, New York

WHEN IT OPENED: 1953

LENGTH, NUMBER OF TURNS: 3.37 miles, 11

HOW TO GET ON IT: Rent the Glen? It requires a two-day minimum, which will cost at least $16,500. Also, the Glen will rent only to recognized motorsports organizations. Best bet for a track day is on the coattails of an affinity group (BMW club, etc.). The high-performance Trackmasters course (www.trackmasters.com) is $270. (www.theglen.com)

HISTORICAL NOTE: This hallowed track was home to some out-of-control partying in the ’70s, primarily at a damp infield known as the Bog (since drained), and the partying (since quelled) often ramped up to riot levels, including the destruction of private cars.

DAN R. BOYD, DAVE SMITH, ROBERT CAMPBELL, BRIAN HIGASHINO, GETTY IMAGES , MARC URBANO, WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL, DMT IMAGING, KEVIN WING, PIERRE MUNSON PHOTOGRAPHY

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

WHY WE LOVE IT:

Before 1988, when the track grew to incorporate two new turns, it was a ballsy, flat-out place. But the added tightness has made Laguna a technical challenge, with a mixture of slow, medium, and fast corners that flow together beautifully if you get it right. If you overdrive the track and have a bad day, your brain will explode trying to figure out where you’re losing the time.

Our favorite turns are the quickies—Four, Six, and Nine—but the most important corners are Five and 11 because they lead to the longest “straightaways” on the course. And then there’s the Corkscrew, the left-right corner that plunges downhill and is the course’s signature turn. The first few times through, you’ll think you’re falling off the planet, but, eventually, you’ll get the hang of it. We were always told to aim for a tree on the hillside opposite the corner but later found our gut feel more trustworthy.

Most tracks are in the boonies, but Mazda Raceway is close to Carmel and Monterey and a sea of hotels, restaurants, and shopping. This means your companion can have a relaxing day on the coast while your head’s exploding at the track.

WHERE IS IT: Monterey, California

WHEN IT OPENED: November 1957

LENGTH, NUMBER OF TURNS: 2.24 miles, 11

HOW TO GET ON IT: Sign up for one of Skip Barber’s driving schools at www.skipbarber.com. Or rent the track for between $8000 and $15,000 a day, depending on the time of year; corner workers and EMS crews are extra. You’ll need a $5 million liability insurance policy. Several track-day organizations, such as Speed Ventures (www.speedventures.com), have events there. (www.mazdaraceway.com)

HISTORICAL NOTE: In the 1960s, the track was on an Army base, and MPs routinely wrote tickets to civilians.

DAN R. BOYD, DAVE SMITH, ROBERT CAMPBELL, BRIAN HIGASHINO, GETTY IMAGES , MARC URBANO, WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL, DMT IMAGING, KEVIN WING, PIERRE MUNSON PHOTOGRAPHY

Road America

WHY WE LOVE IT:

This is one of America’s oldest permanent road circuits, and one of its most beautiful. Although the track’s facilities and access to viewing have steadily improved over the years, the track layout is basically unchanged, a tribute to the intelligence of the original designers. They made excellent use of the natural terrain, which features moderate elevation changes.

At 4.05 miles, Road America is one of the longest U.S. circuits—the Grand Course at Virginia International Raceway and the full course at Miller Motorsports Park are longer—but it’s very fast, so spectators don’t have to wait too long for the field to come around again. From a driver’s point of view, the most challenging turns—aside from the Kink—are the Six-Seven left-right combination at the top of the hill after Turn Five (the approach goes under a pedestrian bridge and is semi-blind) and the 13-13A combo following Canada Corner. The latter is a rhythm section, and the second half is a blind entry.

WHERE IS IT: Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin

WHEN IT OPENED: September 1955

LENGTH, NUMBER OF TURNS: 4.05 miles, 14

HOW TO GET ON IT: The Skip Barber school (www.skipbarber.com) offers a number of courses here. There’s also the Road America Driving School ($375), a course offered in cooperation with Wisconsin’s Drive-For-Life school and oriented for defensive driving. Car clubs provide the best price to get on track. Rentals run from $16,000 to $22,000 per weekday, depending on the size of the group. (www.roadamerica.com)

HISTORICAL NOTE: This track was used in Winning, the 1969 movie that gave Paul Newman the racing bug.

DAN R. BOYD, DAVE SMITH, ROBERT CAMPBELL, BRIAN HIGASHINO, GETTY IMAGES , MARC URBANO, WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL, DMT IMAGING, KEVIN WING, PIERRE MUNSON PHOTOGRAPHY