Thrills, Chills and Spins at the Hometown Track

Americans crave competition. And what's more basic than who's the fastest?

One of summer’s simplest pleasures resides in the grandstands at the racetrack. The shriek of spinning wheels. The aroma of burning rubber. Vibrations from rumbling engines perking your neck hair.

A combination of oval tracks, road courses and quarter-mile sprints pepper the North American landscape. No matter where you visit this summer, you’re sure to be near a local track.

Here are some places to consider watching a race or taming the track yourself:

• Spokane County Raceway: Complex includes a certified 1/4 mile (1320 feet) drag strip with an 1/8th mile concrete launch pad and a 2.25 mile road course. 750 N Hayford Road, Airway Heights, WA 99001 http://www.spokanecountyraceway.com/
• Sacramento Raceway: Complex includes a quarter-mile asphalt drag strip, 1 mile oval and a quarter-mile low banked clay oval. Located at 5305 Excelsior Rd in Sacramento
• Circuit Riverside Speedway Ste-Croix: Complex includes a .9-kilometer asphalt oval and a 1.7-mile dirt road track. Located at 6780 Route Marie Victorin, Sainte-Croix, QC. http://www.riverside-speedway.ca/cms/
• Calabogie Motorsports Park: Complex centers around a 5.05-kilometer asphalt circuit. Located at 462 Wilson Farm Rd, Calabogie, ON. http://www.calabogiemotorsports.com
• Circuit of the Americas: This 3.4-mile oval is home to the Grand Prix, concerts and other races. Located at 9201 Circuit of the Americas Blvd in Austin, TX. http://www.circuitoftheamericas.com
• Sebring International Raceway: America’s oldest road racing track features a 3.74-mile oval. Steve McQueen, Mario Andretti and Paul Newman have all raced there. Located at 113 Midway Dr, Sebring, FL. http://www.sebringraceway.com
• Blackhawk Farms Raceway: 1.95-mile asphalt road course between Chicago and Milwaukee. Located at 15538 Prairie Rd., South Beloit, IL. http://www.blackhawkfarms.com
• Central Illinois Dragway: This one-half mile dragstrip is one of the oldest in the state and has been hosting competitions in the rural community since 1969. Located at 12016 N Cr 1650E, Havana, IL. http://www.centralIllinoisdragway.com
• Royal Purple Raceway: This quarter-mile dragstrip sits outside of Houston in Baytown. The venue also includes a â…œ-mile dirt oval track. Located at 2525 FM 565, Baytown, TX. http://www.royalpurpleraceway.com
• Texas Motorplex: A quarter-mile dragstrip about 40 miles southwest of Dallas built in 1986. Located at 7500 W U.S. 287, Ennis, TX. http://www.texasmotorplex.com
• Gainsville Raceway: Quarter-mile racetrack for motorcycles, street cars, drag racers and more. Located at 11211 N. County Rd. 225 Gainesville, FL. http://www.autoplusraceway.com
• Maple Grove Raceway: one-fourth mile dragstrip opened in 1962. Located at 30 Stauffer Park Ln, Mohnton PA. http://www.maplegroveraceway.com
• Rolling Thunder Dragstrip: one-eighth mile dragstrip. Located at Pacific Junction , IA. http://www.midamericamotorplex.com
• LaPeer International Dragway: one-eighth mile track open to cars, motorcycles and snowmobiles. Located at 2691 Roods Lake Road, LaPeer, MI. http://www.lapeerdragway.com
• Spencer Speedway: Both an oval and drag strip await racers and spectators here. Located at 3020 Route 104, Williamson NY. http://www.spencerspeedway.org

Want to locate your nearest racetrack? Go to the directory at http://www.dragraceresults.com/track_directory.cfm.