As the title says, are there any road courses near by (within say 3 hours) of NJ / NY metro area.

I would love to find a track like beaver falls around here. Someplace to go for the day to track around at your own pace for the day (so the track has to have open track days for the public)

Does such a track exist like that on the east coast or is it only CA that gets all the fun ?

 

Poconos and Lime Rock are probably the closest. Then Watkins Glen and Summit Point but they are over 3 hrs for sure. I'm not sure if they have open track days, I think what you are looking for are HPDE. I don't think tracks just allow anyone to go driving around.

 

Nobody has 'open' track days. The closest you will come to regular track time is Summit Point's FATT (Friday At The Track).
The other issue you are going to run into is the requirement for a roll bar. Tracks don't run events. They rent their track to an organization or club that hosts the event. Each organization/club might have their own requirement for a roll bar.
Here are some links to get you started:
http://www.pdadrivingschool.com/
http://www.summitpoint-raceway.com/
http://www.scda1.com/

 

Did you sign up for this when it was posted. $$ is due tomorrow for anyone who reserved a spot, after tomorrow the waiting list gets opened up.

 

Englishtown Raceway Park is supposed to open a new road course. It was scheduled for completion in 2005 but their website hasn't been updated. http://racewaypark.com/

 

Of course I signed up for it . Unfortunatly I was a little late and got stuck on the waiting list so I hope some people do not pay. He said that I was one of the first one the waiting list so I'm hoping for the best!


And yeah E-town was supposed to open up that road course. I have no idea what is taking them so long. I have been on the course though and it was pretty cool, definatly only big enough for 1-3 or so cars...its not wide enough for any more then that.


And yeah I guess I was talking about HPDE's and what not. I could have sworn though they had like open track days every once and a while?

 

I doubt it, to much liability to run just an open track day. You also have to pay to many people in case nobody shows up. You have to have corner workers, a paramedic in some cases on standby, guys ready to put out a fire, etc. Having guys with different skills on the course at the same time can cause problems.

 

Yeah I see what your saying.

might just be worth it for me to invest in a bunch of cones and go to some deserted parking lot to make a little home made autocross course

 

That would be awesome. I would go half on the cones with you , but I think that the cops would have you shut down in 20 minutes unless you owned the lot. I just want to practice driving the car more aggressively somewhere off of the street, but its kind of tough to do. Even at the track it seems like the more experienced drivers get pissed off with beginners. Maybe autocross is the answer.

 

Just drive aggressively on the street. Your road is my road course.