Moving to MI, Ann Arbor

[SK400]

Well folks, 

As life has it.. I will most probably have to move to Michigan, Ann Arbor, for a new job opportunity by end of the summer.    Reaching out to the Caterham / USA7 community to see who might be in the Ann Arbor / Detroit area..     Anxious to hear who might be in the area already, what track to go to, what social events to attend.  I have an R400 with R500 engine Caterham and she is looking for friends in the area.  

 

Thank you in advance!

 

[Croc]

 

 

That's excellent news Seb! @SK400  You should become a member of M1 Concourse and then we can visit you and drive the track.

M1 Concourse – M1 Motorsports Club

 

Only 1 hour from Ann Arbor in Pontiac, MI.  The cheapness of the real estate in MI compared with your current waterfront mansion on Long Island Sound means that you can easily afford this plus buy a luxury garage at the M1 Concourse site to keep your automotive toys.  

 

Am I helping yet?

 

Also gives me a chance to try out Gingerman raceway about 2 hours away.

 

Will you be around for the September event at NJMP?  I am still hoping to see the mano a mano between You, Simon @simon450 and John @John Bnow that the power differential has been closed.  

 

 

[Dave W]

There is also Grattan and Waterford tracks close by.

Dave W 

[John B]

Seb, Best of luck with the new job! 

My Favorite track in the country is not far from MI. Road America at Elkhart Lake, WI. 4.5 miles of bliss! 

[bball7754]

Grattan is a fantastic track.  Bit run down, but the layout is incredible.

 

You’re also only about 2.5 hours from Mid-Ohio, 5 hours from Putnam Park, and 4 hours from Autobahn County Club outside Chicago.

[CarlB]

Gratten is a really nice track, but your car will be killer at Waterford. Waterford is very small you can probably set a track record. Perfect for a Caterham.

[Black Hole]

Congrats and good luck. I lived in Ann Arbor for six years and two degrees many moons ago. Great town but the roads are boring until you go well north. But they did build Mcity to test "interconnected vehicles". Looks like a perfect track for the 7 and right in town

 

Since they have an Automotive Engineering department check around as we had a lot of car nuts and associated activities when I was there. 

[SK400]

Thank you all very much for the wishes and all the track / area guidance.  
 

A few reactions and thoughts: 

1) Croc - yes, my intent is still to make the 10 hr drive to NJMP this September to see the gang and hopefully let lose all of our new horses 

 

2) I read a bunch on M1 concourse, waterfordhillls and gingerman. All options that I very much look forward

to exploring.  I did not know about Gratten, but the track looks great as well so thanks for the suggestion.  So many options with 2 hrs or so from AA.  
 

3) John B - agree with you on road America.  A bit further away (6hr?) but one of the great tracks in this country.  I drove it a few times once upon a time when living in Chicago.  (Spec Miata ). Also had some fun at autobahn a few times with our family car - a stock VW Passat..  was hilarious.  
 

4) I did not know about MCity.  Looks incredibly cool and agree this should be transformed in a track day venue of non connected, individual, highly competitive, and rubber burning vehicles.  

 

If there are any other Caterham or seven equivalent owners in the AA or MI area, please let me know or feel free to send me a pm.  

 

look forward to giving Waterfordhills’ track record a shot   
 

 

 

 

[escondidoron]

You might also want to check out GingerMan Raceway, just east of South Haven.  It is about 2Hrs west of Ann Arbor on I-94 to Kalamazoo, north on US131 and west on M43.  The track is 2.14 miles/lap with about 39' elevation change top to bottom. 

 

[Croc]

Seb - Someone in garage 6 at M1 Concourse has a Caterham.  Track tag buddy for you?

M1 Concourse – Private Garage Community

 

 

[Kitcat]

Waterford Hills is a great little 1.5 mile racetrack with a bit of elevation. It was one of the few tracks where i was super competitive in my 1700cc X-flow Cat.The lack of a straight stretch played to the car's strength. The facility was a little run-down when I was last there 3 years ago.

 

Nelson's Ledges, near Akron, is maybe 3 hours away. Like Waterford Hills, it is an older, historic,  facility but the new owners have repaved the track and all reports are that it's in great condition. I think it's the fastest track in the US, or was at one point (highest average mph). Also a natural for the Caterham. I recall a CSR 260 pushing Corvettes out of its way on one trip there.

 

I like Gingerman but hate Gratton. At Gratton, which looks like a golf cart path to me, I was never able too find a spot to pass, except for the long straight when all the slow, but high hp cars which held me up the whole way around, took off and left me in their dust. Once was enough there.

 

Autobahn is nice but flat as a pancake. Putnam Park is a nice fit for Caterhams and, at 2 &1/2 hours, the closest track to me, so I have done it many times.

 

Mid-Ohio is definitely worth the 2 &1/2 hour trip. It is a big time track and facility.

 

PittRace (Pittsburgh International Racetrack) is a newer facility that has 2 distinct tracks that can be linked into one large track. Its about 4&1.2 hours from you.

 

Basically, the Midwest is a hotbed of road racing tracks so you will be well entertained. And Ann Arbor is one of the cooler little towns in the Midwest. It is to Michigan what Asheville is to N Carolina. And as Croc has noted (in spite of a price spike over the last 12 months), housing is about 1/3-1/2 of comparable housing on the coasts

 

I often sign up with AutoInterests, which sponsors many Midwest track days, ditto 3-Balls Racing.

[bball7754]

Mike - Bit surprised you hated Grattan.  To me, it’s a roller coaster track, and never felt it had less passing opportunities than other tracks.  
 

But, hey, to each his own, right? 🙂

[Kitcat]

Thx Steve, I agree, my dislike of that track seems to be unique:). Maybe it was because folks in my run group couldn't be bribed to give a point-by? So I was always stuck behind a slower driver, lap after lap, all day. The organizer was oblivious.

[bball7754]

Mike - just curious, who was the organizing group?  I did two track days there with 3Balls Racing.

 

Steve

[Kitcat]

Hi Steve. I don't recall who the organizer was, but 3Balls Racing is likely. They run a pretty loose event, which I usually like, but the failure to impose consequences on over-confident, clueless, drivers for poor track sportsmanship was a bummer.