High Plains Raceway Full
High Plains Raceway Full Notes:
A road course built out of necessity in record time, literally in the middle of nowhere, by a group of motorsports enthusiasts and amateur racers, the High Plains Raceway sits in 460 acres, an hour's drive east from Denver, Colorado. Its name perfectly reflects the geographic location of the track in semi-arid plain land at 5210 feet above sea level. The group of local racing clubs in charge of the project, known as CAMA (Colorado Amateur Motorsports Associates), completed the construction of the raceway in 2008. The resulting track has four possible configurations for amateur racing and allows public access on open lapping days.
The 2.55-mile circuit has 300+ feet of total elevation change and adjusts nicely to the field's topography, offering uphill and downhill segments on the course trajectory. It has both on-camber and off-camber turns, straight runs long enough to develop high-speeds, as well as tight turns that challenge drivers to upscale their abilities with the wheel. The High Plains Raceway goes in the clockwise direction and has an average speed of 75 mph, with an average lap time of 2:01.78. The track also incorporated a replica of Laguna Seca's Corkscrew, The Plains Corkscrew, a similar blind turn combination that adds a vertical dimension to the racing experience.
Full Notes:
High Plains Raceway's Full configuration delivers 4.104 kilometers of Colorado's most elevation-intensive road racing challenge through 15 turns including the signature Plains Corkscrew replicating Laguna Seca's famous descent, operating at 1,588-meter elevation near Byers, 45 kilometers east of Denver. This clockwise layout combines 91 meters of cumulative elevation change per lap with grades reaching 10 percent through sections like the Ladder to Heaven climb and Danny's Lesson curve, creating the dramatic vertical challenge absent from most flat-terrain circuits. The 864-meter front straight rewards power and aerodynamic efficiency before Turn 1's braking zone, while the Plains Corkscrew's blind downhill left-right combination tests commitment and chassis setup across Colorado's premier high-altitude road racing venue where thin air reduces power output 15-20 percent compared to sea level performance.
The Full configuration's character derives from relentless elevation transitions and high-altitude atmospheric conditions. The 15-turn layout features banking ranges from 1.5 percent common to 4 percent steepest, with off-camber sections including Turn 1's 1.5 percent negative camber testing brake-turn technique through the circuit's tightest 80-foot radius, 160-degree corner. The Plains Corkscrew section drops dramatically like Laguna Seca's inspiration but compressed into Colorado high-plains landscape rather than coastal hillsides, creating psychological challenge where blind entries demand memorized brake points. High altitude creates unique challenges—1,588 meters elevation means naturally-aspirated engines lose 15-20 percent power while turbocharged vehicles maintain better performance, affecting competitive balance. Colorado's continental climate produces dramatic temperature swings from summer track temperatures exceeding 45°C to spring and fall sessions near freezing, with afternoon thunderstorms common during racing season. MRA motorcycle racing, club events, and track day organizations utilize High Plains Full as the Rocky Mountain region's premier elevation-challenge circuit. The configuration particularly rewards drivers mastering downhill brake-turn transitions and altitude-adapted power delivery, separating thin-air expertise from sea-level visitors struggling with reduced power and altered brake-cooling across America's most vertical club racing venue east of California hillside tracks.
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