Race Tracks and Motor Speedways

When your lead foot can stand it no more, obey the local speed limit over to a racing track. The ones here all make time and space for nonprofessional racers.

Been to one of these tracks? Post photos in the Driver's Gallery


Dover International Speedway
Dover, Del.
This track features a one-mile “superspeedway” and a variety of in- and out-of-vehicle instruction programs. You can hit speeds of up to 120 mph on the course, but even at half of that you’ll feel the burn: There are 2,000 feet of straightaway and 3,200 feet of corners. The track’s “Tame the Monster” program lets you zoom all day long.

Willow Springs International Motorsports Park
Rosamond, Calif.
The official racing school of Toyota Motorsports, Danny McKeever’s Fast Lane Racing School uses teachers and cars from the annual Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race.



Texas World Speedway
College Station, Texas
This is the only superspeedway in the Southwest and home of the Texas World Speedway Motorsports Club, which is open to almost any car that can pass the speedway’s technical and safety inspection. Another option is to take the track in a vehicle from the speedway’s fleet, which even includes a couple of automatics, for those who can’t drive a stick.

BeaveRun Motorsports Complex
Wampum, Penn.
Instruction is generally available here on weekdays, and there are two tracks, sprawled across nearly 400 acres, to choose from. The North Track is used for high-performance driver training; the Vehicle Dynamics area is for advanced street-driving techniques. There’s also cart racing, motorcycle training and room to pilot a vintage sports car or an all-out racer (if you happen to own one).




Mid-America Motorplex
Pacific Junction, Iowa
This is a nonprofessional track designed for race cars, street cars, motorcycles, and police cars, with classroom instruction available. There’s a 2.23-mile road course, a drag strip and a manmade recreational lake (hey, you’ve got to get out of the car sometime) on a 217-acre park not far from downtown Omaha.


Virginia International Raceway
Alton, Va.
The Virginia International Raceway’s Euro Rally program offers instruction and supervised races in carts, ATVs, and autocross, plus rally demonstrations throughout the year. The courses are between one and three miles long.

Nashville Superspeedway
Lebanon, Tenn.
The Nashville Superspeedway offers a variety of programs on its
1.33-mile concrete tri-oval track.


Sebring International Raceway
Sebring, Fla.
Sebring is steeped in racing history. The track now features instruction through a variety of vendors, including Panoz Racing School, Chin Motorsports and Speed Ventures, and if you need more than a day to study, there’s a hotel located smack on the track.