{"id":4292,"date":"2020-02-08T21:14:54","date_gmt":"2020-02-08T21:14:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leithcars.com\/blogs\/1421\/?p=4292"},"modified":"2020-02-08T21:14:54","modified_gmt":"2020-02-08T21:14:54","slug":"6-racetracks-can-drive-car","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/?p=4292","title":{"rendered":"6 Racetracks Where You Can Drive Your Own Car"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Across the Southeast, there are several racetracks where you can drive your own car; you just need to know where to look to find them. Lucky for you (and us), most are within a short drive of the Triangle, offering various ways for you to participate in a motorsports event. Whether it\u2019s attending a high-performance driving school, racing a specially built go-kart or driving your own car on a racetrack, we&#8217;ve put together a list of six regional road courses that will offer you a bit of everything.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4302\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4302\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-4302\" src=\"#BLOGPATH#\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Screen-Shot-2020-02-05-at-5.23.22-PM-1024x559.png\" alt=\"6 Race Tracks Where You Can Drive Your Own Car\" width=\"1024\" height=\"559\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Screen-Shot-2020-02-05-at-5.23.22-PM-1024x559.png 1024w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Screen-Shot-2020-02-05-at-5.23.22-PM-300x164.png 300w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Screen-Shot-2020-02-05-at-5.23.22-PM-768x419.png 768w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Screen-Shot-2020-02-05-at-5.23.22-PM-1536x838.png 1536w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Screen-Shot-2020-02-05-at-5.23.22-PM.png 1942w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4302\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ford Mustangs navigate the turn nicknamed &#8220;NASCAR Bend&#8221; at VIR during the annual Holiday Charity Laps event.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Located from Virginia to Georgia by distance and drive time from Raleigh, any of these six tracks are sure to please the car enthusiast who wants to learn how to get the most out of their vehicle. <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/virnow.com\/track\/getting-on-track\/\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Virginia International<\/span> <span style=\"color: #000080;\">Raceway<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, just across the North Carolina state line near Danville, is the closest track on our list and also happens to be our recommended road course. Several of our Leith dealerships participate in annual events at VIR each year, like their spring and <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/5FSC49Gt1hQ\">fall charity laps<\/a><\/strong><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Virginia International Raceway<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">VIR offers several track configurations. The &#8220;Full Course&#8221; is 3.27 miles in length, while the &#8220;Patriot Course&#8221; stretches for 1.1 miles entirely inside the Full Course. The &#8220;North Course&#8221; is 2.25 miles long and the &#8220;South Course&#8221; covers a distance of 1.65 miles.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Some of VIR\u2019s turns have unique names like &#8220;Oak Tree,&#8221; &#8220;Roller Coaster,&#8221; &#8220;Hog Pen,&#8221; &#8220;Horse Shoe,&#8221; &#8220;NASCAR Bend,&#8221; (because NASCAR drivers Richard Petty, David Pearson and Wendell Scott had some trouble in the turn during a Trans-Am race in 1966) &#8220;Snake,&#8221; &#8220;Spiral,&#8221; &#8220;Fish Hook&#8221; and &#8220;The Bitch.&#8221;\u00a0 VIR offers a lot more than racing and track days too. Here&#8217;s our guide to <a href=\"#BLOGPATH#\/automotive\/getting-the-most-out-of-your-vir-experience\/\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong>getting the most out of your VIR experience<\/strong><\/span>.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em> <strong>Alton, Virginia &#8211;<\/strong><\/em><strong><em>\u00a01 hour, 30 minutes \/\u00a0 80 miles from Raleigh, North Carolina<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4334\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4334\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-4334\" src=\"#BLOGPATH#\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-1-1024x576.png\" alt=\"6 Racetracks where you can drive your own car\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-1-1024x576.png 1024w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-1-300x169.png 300w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-1-768x432.png 768w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-1-1536x864.png 1536w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-1-2048x1152.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4334\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A 2019 Porsche 718 Cayman from Leith Porsche basks in the sun at VIR during Spring Charity Laps.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Carolina Motorsports Park <\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Known as the Road Racing Center of the Carolinas, Carolina Motorsports Park has been developed by a group of enthusiasts and racers from the Southeast. The full 2.3-mile road course opened in July 1999. The site is an old World War II fighter-training base located south of Kershaw, South Carolina, and is a one hour drive south of Charlotte International Airport.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><em>Kershaw, South Carolina &#8211; 3 hours \/ 162 miles from Raleigh, North Carolina<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4338\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4338\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-4338\" src=\"#BLOGPATH#\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-5-1024x576.png\" alt=\"6 Racetracks where you can drive your own car - Carolina Motorsports Park\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-5-1024x576.png 1024w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-5-300x169.png 300w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-5-768x432.png 768w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-5-1536x864.png 1536w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-5-2048x1152.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4338\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Where WWII fighter planes once raced across the sky, you can now drive your own car across the finish line.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Dominion Raceway &amp; Entertainment <\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Dominion Raceway &amp; Entertainment is a multipurpose facility located off I-95. Located between Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Virginia, Dominion Raceway includes a 2-mile road course, a 4\/10ths-mile paved NASCAR oval, 1\/8th-mile drag strip, festival concert venue and more.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><em>Woodford, Virginia &#8211; 3 hours, 13 minutes \/ 198 miles from Raleigh, North Carolina<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4336\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4336\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-4336\" src=\"#BLOGPATH#\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-3-1024x576.png\" alt=\"6 Racetracks where you can drive your own car\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-3-1024x576.png 1024w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-3-300x169.png 300w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-3-768x432.png 768w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-3-1536x864.png 1536w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-3-2048x1152.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4336\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Dominion Raceway, north of Richmond, offers several types of tracks, including a drag strip.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Roebling Road Raceway<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Roebling Road Raceway, formerly known as Savannah International Raceway, is a 2.02-mile road racing course located just outside Bloomingdale, Georgia. The course opened in 1959 and is relatively unique in that it lacks any accommodations for spectators; there are no grandstands, picnicking areas, nor any other sort of viewing facilities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><em>Bloomingdale, Georgia &#8211; 5 hours, 35 minutes \/ 339 miles from Raleigh, North Carolina<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4339\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4339\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-4339\" src=\"#BLOGPATH#\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-6-1024x576.png\" alt=\"6 Racetracks where you can drive your own car - Roebling Road Raceway\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-6-1024x576.png 1024w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-6-300x169.png 300w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-6-768x432.png 768w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-6-1536x864.png 1536w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-6-2048x1152.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4339\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Roebling Road Raceway is the very definition of &#8220;old school.&#8221; Opened in 1959, Roebling Road is strictly for going fast.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Road Atlanta<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Road Atlanta is a 2.54-mile road course located just north of Braselton, Georgia. The raceway is used for a variety of events, including professional and amateur sports car and motorcycle races, racing and driving schools, corporate programs and testing for motorsports teams.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><em>Braselton, Georgia &#8211; 5 hours, 31 minutes \/ 363 miles from Raleigh, North Carolina<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4337\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4337\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-4337\" src=\"#BLOGPATH#\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-4-1024x576.png\" alt=\"6 Racetracks where you can drive your own car - Road Atlanta\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-4-1024x576.png 1024w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-4-300x169.png 300w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-4-768x432.png 768w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-4-1536x864.png 1536w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-4-2048x1152.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4337\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Road Atlanta keeps a pretty full schedule all year featuring a variety of hands-on events for the amateur racer.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Atlanta Motorsports Park <\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Atlanta Motorsports Park is the first green, sustainable motorsports club of its kind for high-performance cars, motorcycles and karts. In addition to providing events for club members, Atlanta Motorsports Park offers private track rentals and corporate group options, as well as one of the most unique kart tracks in the nation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em> <strong>Dawsonville, Georgia &#8211;<\/strong><\/em><strong><em>\u00a06 hours, 24 minutes \/ 394 miles from Raleigh, North Carolina<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4340\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4340\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-4340\" src=\"#BLOGPATH#\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-7-1024x576.png\" alt=\"6 Racetracks where you can drive your own car\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-7-1024x576.png 1024w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-7-300x169.png 300w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-7-768x432.png 768w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-7-1536x864.png 1536w, http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6-Racetracks-where-you-can-drive-your-own-car-VIR-7-2048x1152.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4340\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Atlanta Motorsports Park features one of the most unique go-kart tracks in the nation.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>Learn how to get your car prepped with our\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"#BLOGPATH#\/automotive\/get-your-car-ready-for-track-day\/\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000080;\">track-day checklist: 8 Ways to Get Your Car Track-Ready<\/span>.<\/strong><\/a> <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Written by LeithCars.com Media.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Across the Southeast, there are several racetracks where you can drive your own car; you just need to know where to look to find them. Lucky for you (and us), most are within a short drive of the Triangle, offering various ways for you to participate in a motorsports event. Whether it\u2019s attending a high-performance [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,4,12,14,20,22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-automotive","category-cars","category-classics","category-events","category-lifestyle","category-nascar-automotive"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4292"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4292\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.leithcars.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}