Area questions

[Tzuk95]

Hello All,

Im seriously considering a career move that willl place me in Knoxville. Icould also go to Charlotte so Im weighing my options. I know it sounds crazy but part of my decision is how active the SCCA is in the area and track day options. Obviously I can see the autocrossing action on this site. How about track days or track cross in the area? I have a supercharged Miata that Is my weekend stress reliever. I know the roads around the area are epic and autocross is fun eveywhere. Seems the Miata club in the area is active as well... Any info would be great!

[thrdeye]

Well, unfortunately, there's not a road course here. Road ATL, CMP, TGPR, Barber, etc. are all pretty close though.

[flier129]

Hello and welcome! Where are you coming from?

If you're not opposed to driving a tad..... There isn't a shortage of HPDE type events around the area between Lil Talladega, AMP, Road Altanta, CMP, Barber, up to VIR, and I know I'm missing a few. There's a few organizations that put these events together, Just Track It, Chin, and the like. Competition wise, hillclimbs have taken off over the past couple of years, along with NASA TT/PT.

There's a lot of different miata groups around Knoxville so you wouldn't be hard pressed to find a weekend drive to where ever. However, I've spent the last year in Carolinas and I can say the miata club there is better. Yeah I said it! I've been around the miata club(s) here for the past 14 years, so maybe I just need more time on the other side of the mountains? There's a LOT of fun roads from Knoxville, across to Boone, and south towards Atlanta and Greenville, SC.

ETR is a great region, with great competition, great people, and I'm glad I can call it home. On the flip-side, I've spent some time with CCR and it's almost as good!

[Tzuk95]

Im in the Pittsburgh area now. Pittsburgh Race Complex has a killer AutoX and they do track X too. Its about half the road course set up with the autoX timing equipment and just run for fun and bragging rights. I like autocross the most because of the toll the track puts on your car. But the occasional 100mph run blows the cobwebs out!

Ive vacationed at the Dragon by motorcycle for about 6 years now and asked my wife to marry me in the Smokey Mountain National park. We LOVE the area.

[EliseAutoXr]

I think you would be happy with either.... but obviously I'm a bit biased towards Knoxville

[ConeEater]

where are you in the burgh ?

I'm there as well and will be moving to Knoxville in a few months. I am the novice chief for the local SCCA region right now ( SCR )

[ConeEater]

oh, and soon the Corvette Museum's new motorsports park ( which is run by the guy who ran pittrace recently ) will be open in the fall. It's about a 2 1/2 hr drive from Knoxville as well

[Tzuk95]

Im in Morgantown now. I grew up in the South Hills. Its about 2 hours to Pittrace for me so Im not opposed to driving a little for the occasional track day. I should be in Knoxville around May-ish... Im a current member of SCR. Joined toward the end of last season. I drive a green NB Miata.

[ConeEater]

Im in Morgantown now. I grew up in the South Hills. Its about 2 hours to Pittrace for me so Im not opposed to driving a little for the occasional track day. I should be in Knoxville around May-ish... Im a current member of SCR. Joined toward the end of last season. I drive a green NB Miata.

hmmmm ok. I'll be in TN around the same time as well.

If you were at the last local events @ Pittrace you would've seen me there. I drive the Yellow Z06.

[Tzuk95]

Recognize the car and Im sure Id recognize you if I saw you. Im hoping to be here for the first autoX at Pittrace before I move... If not Ill be autoX'ing down there as soon as I get settled.

[Wheelman_13]

As some have said, while Knoxville doesn't have a "home" track, it is an easy half-day drive from about a dozen different facilities:

Within ~4-8 hours:
Road Atlanta
Atlanta Motorsports Park
VIR
Mid Ohio
Carolina Motorsports Park
Barber Motorsports Park
Summit Point
Talladega GP (aka "Little Talladega")
NCCAR (research track)
Roebling Road (stretching that easy one-day a bit here)
Future Corvette Museum

And while we are somewhat site-poor, ETR is pretty active with Autocross, and you also have Chattanooga and Atlanta regions if you need more of a fix.

[jcox07]

Always have national tours as well. ETR has a fair crowd that go to the national tours.

[ConeEater]

Yes, I recognize the car as well.


More of us Yankees infiltrating the south


Seeing as I've run a few events each year down with ETR I can say that if you like how we do thing @ SCR you'll like it here too.

They don't have lowkey autocrosses and I've never been to an event where they've done fun runs, they have allot of events at a variety of locations that are all within 15 minutes of town.

[Tzuk95]

Maybe we can get some fun runs going down there! I drove Dan's 666 Supercharged Miata during a fun run after the wounded warrior event and inspired my forced induction this last winter! How would you compare the size of the autox courses down there to Pittrace?

[ConeEater]

Maybe we can get some fun runs going down there! I drove Dan's 666 Supercharged Miata during a fun run after the wounded warrior event and inspired my forced induction this last winter! How would you compare the size of the autox courses down there to Pittrace?

I've never drove' Satan's chariot... but there used to be another one that ran with us that was similar... that's a hoot.

Depending on the lot, the courses are bigger down in TN, as their lots are able to handle it. Pellissippi is a nice surface as far as grip, but bumpy in spots. It's allot of space though.
Adesa auto auction is fun but very hard on tires. Very abrasive.
Chilhowie is a park and isn't a huge course but a blast. Kinda tight in spots with elevation changes all over. Those last two are both charity events here.

They run on a few other lots from time to time as well.

Just like @ SCR , ETR has national level drivers that understand course design and there's no gimmicy elements thrown in to mess you up.