22 replies to this topic

[eVader]

Supermom - there are several tracks not too far from Folsom to enjoy from the Sac Raceway to Thunderhill.

[ducky]

Supermom - there are several tracks not too far from Folsom to enjoy from the Sac Raceway to Thunderhill.

If you don't mind going to Sonoma, there's this http://www.jimrussellusa.com/

[tsukiji]

If you don't mind going to Sonoma, there's this http://www.jimrussellusa.com/

Last time I checked, that place was waaaay out of my price range. Guess we know who's part of the 1%

No prices on the website ..... Is it someplace the 99% can afford now? Or is it cheaper to just drive through Montana?

[ducky]

Last time I checked, that place was waaaay out of my price range. Guess we know who's part of the 1%

No prices on the website ..... Is it someplace the 99% can afford now? Or is it cheaper to just drive through Montana?

1%, very funny:) I drive an American-made car that is over a decade old - paid for, though.

It is definitely pricey, at least it was about five years ago. It does make for a great birthday gift for those with "the need for speed" if you get family members to all chip in. Let's face it, racing around a track is a luxury and not a day-to-day necessity so I won't be asking for the 1% to pay more taxes so I can afford it.

[dimeracer]

Last time I checked, that place was waaaay out of my price range. Guess we know who's part of the 1%

No prices on the website ..... Is it someplace the 99% can afford now? Or is it cheaper to just drive through Montana?

You can take your own street car on the track for about $200 for the day. Car clubs like the Golden Gate Lotus Club, NorCal Shelby Club and others will rent the track and then charge the entry fee to participants. Most of these clubs will allow other types of cars besides their own marquee. If your car is a convertible it has to have a roll bar, but otherwise, all you need is a helmet, and I think they will even provide loaners at Thunderhill. Track days are a great way to get that spirited driving out of one's system in a much safer environment than on the public streets. Check the Thunderhill event calendar; My link there are similar events at Infineon and Laguna Seca, but they are more pricey. Thunderhill is a great facility for this type of event.

[Harold]

You can take your own street car on the track for about $200 for the day. Car clubs like the Golden Gate Lotus Club, NorCal Shelby Club and others will rent the track and then charge the entry fee to participants. Most of these clubs will allow other types of cars besides their own marquee. If your car is a convertible it has to have a roll bar, but otherwise, all you need is a helmet, and I think they will even provide loaners at Thunderhill. Track days are a great way to get that spirited driving out of one's system in a much safer environment than on the public streets. Check the Thunderhill event calendar; My link there are similar events at Infineon and Laguna Seca, but they are more pricey. Thunderhill is a great facility for this type of event.

NCRC also hosts lots of track days at several tracks in Northern CA and also Reno

And Monday, Jan 23, they have a $99 day with a no-rain guarantee at Thunderhill. This is a real bargain for anyone that wants to find out what driving on a road course is like. This is also a very safe track, nearly every corner has no wall to crash into, if you are going too fast, you can just drive off straight into the dirt and slow down as safely as possible. all beginners are required to have an instructor in the car with you that will also tell you how to drive, where to accelerate, where to brake, where to turn. It really is a lot of fun.

[Homer]

Sacramento raceway has bracket racing on wednesday nights for $15.

[tony]

Back to the original topic, this area would be a prime location for some structural changes to slow traffic. Parkway Dr. is excessively wide because it's designed for on-street parking on both sides, but never has it. The road could easily be narrowed by about 20' either at the outsides or with a long median between Willow Bend Rd and the first Houston Circle (broken only for a left turn [pocket at Humbug Cr Dr., and even that may not be necessary). The narrowing would provide two benefits: 1) slowing traffic and 2) shortening the crossing distance for pedestrians at the four crossings in the area. The median would have the added benefit of providing a pedestrian refuge in the middle of the street, so trail users would only have to deal with one direction of traffic at a time. Either of these could be combined with a speed table (a long, raised area) through the three intersections, but good luck getting that past the fir dept.

A cheaper, but likely less effective alteration would be to stripe parking lanes and bike lanes, which would tend to keep cars closer to the middle of the road where they would be more visible, and may slightly slow traffic as well (similar to what has been done on Lembi Dr. and N. Lexington. Unfortunately, with the nearly complete lack of on-street parking, this solution is not likely to be very effective.

If you're interested in dealing with the problem beyond enforcement, request that it be dealt with at the Traffic Safety Committee. No guarantees, but better odds than talking about it here (and, it would give the committee a reason to meet).