Google maps

[JohnW8]

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.5715279,-86.0720136,690m/data=!3m1!1e3

Does anyone know the condition of this lot at Talladega SuperSpeedway? The size looks usable to me but I don't know the surface condition.

[c-evoVIII]

For some odd reason I think that maybe gravel and not concrete/ pavement. C

[HPEVOX]

Yes I asked about this one last year. I was told gravel.

[chuck schultz]

When we visited, several years ago, I think the slightly darker grid was asphalt, and the rest was crushed rock. Also, there appears to be at least 8 light poles.

According to Google earth, it looks about 600 feet long, and 350 widening to 500 feet wide. One lap's about 2000 feet, and a zigzag course with a dozen cones could be 3000 feet or so. The lanes look about 60 feet wide.

The rent's probably pretty high, too.

[JohnW8]

Didn't they run a Formula SAE event out there somewhere a few years back?

[chuck schultz]

SAE event

That was over in what was (may still be) the ARCA hauler area, which is a rectangular space surrounded by chain link behind the Xfiinity garages. It looks smaller than the area you were looking at at first. Great pavement, but not enough room, as far as I can tell. It was tight for the SAE folks.

[bimmertech]

Chuck is right. The arca compound has great pavement, but is much too small to run a.course.

[JesseW]

i used to work out there, there is definitely enough good places out there to have an autocross. Alabama state troopers also do drivers training in one of the lots. the thing to do work be set up a course behind the garage and run around the old road course with some cones. the problem with the road course was that Harley Davidson at one point had bumps ground into it for ride handling, not sure if that's been fixed or not. the area north of turn 3 is a huge piece of concrete, but I can't remember the condition.

Moral of the story is that it is only about 20 minutes from Anniston, so C should go over and check it out, you can drive around most the outside of the track with no one giving you any trouble. there is a guard shack at the tunnel under turn 4.

[chuck schultz]

Thanks for reminding us that, now that Harley-Davidson has stopped using the facility, some areas that were off-limits may now be available and suitable for autocross.

The road course appears to be less than 30 feet wide, but the main entrance road, North Boulevard on Google Earth, seems to have an area 120x800 feet that might be usable, and could have traffic diverted around it, if necessary. That piece of concrete outside turn 3 appears to be 400x400 feet plus a 300x400x500 foot triangle,not including the old runway.

Also, there's a 200x1300 foot piece of nice-looking asphalt at the airport which gets little use, other than on NASCAR weekends.

[nicktcr]

The area Chuck is referring to is in the attached photo. I have no idea the condition of the surface, but the 400'x775' area is similarly sized (slight shorter, but average wider than) to the Oak Mtn. lot. There is another space that appears possibly connected by old runway (runway itself is about 750'x150') that is approximately 275'x500' triangle that is circled in the photo. If it is usable and could be seamlessly connected, the overall space could be substantial. Couple all this with the fact that it is outside of the "big track" might mean it could be quite affordable.

All of this however is heavily hinged on whether or not the surface is usable at all. The photos make it look like a mud/gravel mix, or at best a very rough and unpleasant cheese grater surface. If no one else gets by there, I'll try and scope it out next time I head to CMP to shoot.