Friday 30 December 2011

Driving at ORP in Grass Valley

By Bob Wilson


When you first come to Grass Valley, OR on your way to an event where you will be driving at Oregon Raceway Park, you may be surprised to find it's home of one of the coolest race tracks in the Pacific Northwest. Grass Valley is a little town in the middle of electric windmill and farm country with numerous wonderful individuals that are happy and proud to have this cool track in their area. Those of us who enjoy auto racing and high performance driving are equally contented that this great track was made feasible for us all to enjoy.

Oregon Raceway Park (also known as ORP), is located 1 or 2 miles just out of the town in the middle of farmland. Simply because there aren't any large hills, do not think that this track is flat or dull because it is anything but that. It's precisely the opposite. One of the biggest overall elevation change for a road course is boasted by ORP. This 2.3 mile track includes 16 turns and a lot of these turns are blind due to the rolling hills in the terrain. Many drivers will accelerate and enter a turn not knowing what awaits them in Grass Valley. But the Oregon Raceway Park is a forgiving track should you make a little mistake, so don't let that concern you.

This is a fast and fun track. It has extra curbing precisely where it is required and is 40 feet wide all the way. As this has been written, the pavement is fresh and smooth since it is a young track. Turns 9 & 10 are called "half-pipe", which is real fun. Just get the auto into the fast left, then right and let it shoot out while experiencing phenomenal grip. That section contains lots of g-force which can put quite a bit of wear on the various parts eg the wheel bearings. To ensure your Audi or Porsche makes it thru the day at ORP, it's vital you've got the proper race track preparation. Though folk in the community are super cool and this is a brilliant venue for driving, there are no race shops nearby.

The view you experience while spending a day or a few at ORP in Grass Valley is a pleasing surprise. There are gorgeous vistas of the mountains in the distance while standing in the paddock on a sunny day. This is not all you'll find while resting in the paddock, you will also notice the fine owners from the Grass Valley Country Market and Deli serving you with foods and drinks. Whether or not these kind people are not around, a short drive west will have you at their main store.

Speak to anyone who has participated in the excitement of driving at ORP, and they will tell you it is certainly worth the drive to one of the Pacific Northwest's newest additions of high performance driving locations.

However Before you head down to the track, confirm your auto is in great shape for the journey there, back and all that fun in-between. Bring your Porsche or Audi to Motoring Unlimited in Issaquah, WA for a track day inspection or any performance upgrades you've been dreaming of!




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