title

The Track

Thunderhill (see their official site) is owned by the Northern California SCCA, and is a wonderful 3-mile counter-clockwise figure-eight format, located 90 miles north of Sacramento. This track has a little bit of everything, including elevation changes, two blind turns, a sweeper, an off-camber turn and two high speed turns at the end of straights. There will be seven flaggers on the course, the track controller, and an additional official to manage the staging process. 

Thunderhill gates will open at 7:00am. As usual, please come prepared with your tech sheet completed. There will be a mandatory briefing before entering the track, with the first runs starting at around 9am until about 4:30pm. We will not be using any chicanes on the track. We may drive over the hill at turn 5, or through the bypass, and we may run the track in either direction. Check the event page for the specific event you're attending for specific routes and schedule.

There will be an ambulance and a tow truck on site. Let's make sure we don't use them. You might stop and fill  up with gas in Willows, on your way to the track. Gas (including high octane unleaded) and air will be available at the track.

There's a good track primer (as well as ones for Sears Point and Laguna Seca) on the NorCal Shelby Club's web site at http://www.norcal-saac.org/ot/otbook.htm. There's a general performance-driving primer on that page as well. The Open Tracking site has a good selection of in-car videos you might peruse, in you're new to the track.

Helmets are available to rent from the track office.

Here are a few references to get acquainted with if you're going to run the track clockwise:

Specific Track Rules

Please be especially cautious on Highway 162, the entry road to the track from I5. The speed limit is 55mph, and it is a public road, with active policing. This is NOT part of the track, and we need to be understanding of the neighbors to the track.

Thunderhill has a 103Db sound limit. They're testing sound periodically at different corners, and violators will be notified with a chance to correct issues. Curiously, Thunderhill also has a Mandatory Muffler requirement - regardless of sound levels.

Thunderhill does allow convertibles with factory roll bars, hoops, and pop-ups. This includes Porsche Boxsters, BMW M3's, etc. Stock 3-point seat belts are fine. Please be aware of NCRC's convertible rules though.

Passing Rules

Turn numbers are designated by the Thunderhill track, and are the same regardless of which way around the track you're driving.

When running counter-clockwise (the "normal" way), Limited groups will allow passing in designated areas. These are the straights between 15-1, 1-2, 9-10, and 13-14, as well as the section between turns 6 and 8.

When running clockwise (the "not normal" way), Restricted groups allow passing only in designated areas. These are the straights between 1-15, 14-13, 10-9, and 9-6.

Passes as made "off the line", typically with the passing car heads toward the inside of the next turn.

Accommodations

Note that since you'll want to be at the track between 7:30-8:00am, you may want to stay at a local hotel the night before, rather than making a long drive in the morning. The recommended hotels are:

Baymont Inn & Suites (was Amerihost Willows)

199 Humboldt Ave
(530) 934-9700
Free continental breakfast; Group pricing if you let them know you're coming to the track with NCRC

Golden Pheasant Inn

249 Humboldt Ave
(530) 934-4603
Free continental breakfast

Best Value Inn

452 N. Humboldt Ave
(530) 934-7026

Days Inn

(530) 934-4444

Super 8 Motel

(530) 934-2871

Other hotel recommendations are at http://www.sfrscca.org/RoadRacing/accmtrack.htm

On occasion, we'll provide camping service at the track itself for a multi-day event. Please confirm with us for each event. We'll have the track gates open until midnight the night before each track day of event so you can come in rather late. On a 2-day weekend, the gates would be open as follows:
Fri 4pm - 12am
Sat 6am - 12pm, 6pm - 12am
Sun 6am - 4pm

Also try Pat & Larry's for a good steak - they have a banquet room too. Go East a couple lights to Teham, then South a couple blocks.

There's a BBQ place in a strip mall opposite the Chevron and down 1/2-block on the main drag - soda fountain there too.

The Casa Ramos between the Golden Pheasant and Amerihost has decent Mexican food, and is typically where we do pre-registration the night before the event.

Granzelli's, in Williams, has good food if you're headed south after the event. About 1/2 hour outside Willows

Towing

L&T Towing, 417 North Colusa Street, Willows (530) 934-7300 is a AAA towing company, and has nice big flatbed trucks. Call AAA direct though for service.