I've been an avid open tracker for amost 2 years. What is an Open-Track Event? This term is generally describing a non-competitive non-timed on track experience where you run your personal vehicle with other participants. There are typically different "run" groups or levels provided based on your experience or simply your comfort level. Each group has a tremendous mixture of vehicle capability. Meaning, that in any single group you will find low horsepower vehicles mixed with high horsepower vehicles. You will also find mixtures with regards to vehicle preparation. Some vehicles are completely stock and are driven to the track while others are professionally prepared and arrive on trailers. Regardless the participants and the organizers are generally very concerned about safety and personal responsibility. You will rarely see contact between cars at an opentrack event. Vehicle damage is typically the result of driving beyond ones personal limits or beyond the vehicle limits. Thus incidents in such events are the result of ego and aggression.
The track I visit most frequrntly is Texas World Speedway in College Station, Texas. It is a 2.9 mile road course consists of 15 turns and a half-mile long front straightwawy. It is a high speed, medium diffuculty track with banked turns and elevation changes. Which is essentially a very fun track especially for high horse power cars. There are several different car clubs currently hosting various open tracking events each month. I usually attend about 5~6 events there each year. Participating in open track events not only provides me tons of entertainment but also makes me a much better driver. Becsuse one could learn the proper driving techniques in a safe, controlled enviroment. In addition, I have also made a alot of friends who share similar interests with me in open track events. To me, this the best form of leisure activeties and I plan to keep on doing it for years to come.
