Wolf Creek Autobahn

[JJ427R]

New track coming to Minnesota, only 8 miles from me.
High priced memberships though...
New website, virtual tour is pretty cool, not sure about the trees right at trackside..
https://wcautobahn.com/

 

[Norm Peterson]

I wouldn't worry much about the trees making it to final form, and not just those at the curbs. No event insurer in his right mind would go anywhere near anything like that beyond maybe 35 mph parade laps.


Norm

 

[JJ427R]

I wouldn't worry much about the trees making it to final form, and not just those at the curbs. No event insurer in his right mind would go anywhere near anything like that beyond maybe 35 mph parade laps.


Norm

Sorry Norm, that was meant as sarcasm....

 

[Norm Peterson]

I was just too amazed that they'd offer such an unrealistic simulation, starting with several cars sliding randomly around the skidpad all at the same time. Although they really weren't "driving" through their big track at much of a pace.


Norm

 

[JJ427R]

That skid pad thing caught my eye as well, you're not going to have cars randomly going around on it. VT designer could have done a much better job, I don't think he's a car guy.... just like I don't think the guys who design roads with traffic bottlenecks are car guys, that's a whole different discussion though....

The serious thing I question is about the dual straits, what happens when cars meet when they come together at the end of those straights going into a corner? Aren't the cars in the outside lane going to want to move to the inside of turn for the apex of the turn? Kind of reminds me of Road America where you come out of the pits into turn 1 and you have to stay to the inside of the turn and be concerned about cars coming down that long straight at high speed into the corner with you, that's the one thing I dislike about RA. At this new track both lanes will be moving at high speed.... that ain't gonna work...

 

[Norm Peterson]

Any chance they're either using the dual lane as hot pits only, or possibly for drag racing? FWIW, designing pit-out is probably a challenge no matter where you put it. And that's assuming that everybody is going to follow pit-out discipline instead of jumping right out to the normal racing line.

I think somebody suggested too strongly that at $150k this place was going to have a country-club atmosphere. So the VT guy immediately went to a golf and tennis mindset . . . just look at the people leisurely standing around on the deck.

That said, I really do hope they pull it off, and that they'll eventually let organizations like Chin or NASA or HOD or possibly AutoInterests rent the place a few times a year. Or even SCCA for a mid-week 3-session TNiA.


Norm

 

[JJ427R]

It does say somewhere in the brochure part of it where they will have two long straights, my thoughts it looked more like a pit lane....

I contacted them about the membership thing, and regarding handicapped accessibility as I'm in a wheelchair. It is initially going to be memberships only, here is the response I received:

At this time you do have to be a member to be on this course but we will be offering options for a day or weekend pass once we get closer. The bars, restaurants and events will be open to the public and everything will be handicapped accessible. There is a lot of be figured out yet in regards to "other options" but we are bringing in a track consultant to help with all that as we move along.

So this being said, they will be having it partially open to the public. I can't see them being able to keep it going on memberships alone, especially when $5000 is the cheapest membership and if they want to host public events. How do you have it only partially open to the public? As you said if they want to bring in other organizations to run that may have to change. However, I know of another similar facility in the Minneapolis area called the Automotorplex, but it does not have a track and they are sold out on garages and now building another facility, so maybe the membership thing alone will work for them. Here is the Automotorplex site http://www.automotorplex.com/

 

[frank s]

I imagine the Wolf Creek guys are influenced by the Thermal guys (http://thethermalclub.com/), who are in Southern California where there is apparently enough wealth and interest to maintain a significant presence. Thermal has hosted a few vintage car weekend events, which I believe were not open to spectators.

 

[JJ427R]

I imagine the Wolf Creek guys are influenced by the Thermal guys (http://thethermalclub.com/), who are in Southern California where there is apparently enough wealth and interest to maintain a significant presence. Thermal has hosted a few vintage car weekend events, which I believe were not open to spectators.

The huge difference is location, Southern Cal you can drive year round, it would be much more feasible to make a facility like this work, MN we are lucky to get 6-7 months of track driving a year, even the cheapest membership of $5000 (with limited track time) for Wolf Creek is a lot of money to pay a year for 6 or 7 months of usage.