Putnam Park worth the drive?

It's a nice track. Heard it was repaved end of season this year so that will be a big factor.
Because of it's location, I would call it my home track and find it a blast.
That being said, also really enjoyed Mid-Ohio, Gingerman and Autobaun.
If you need a place to crash or camp give me a shout out.
For a change of pace, it's worth the drive. IMO

 

I'd say it's worth it to try at least once. Putnam is a fun, simple track. No blind turns, not much elevation, but the course flows well and you spend a lot of time leaned over without having to think too much. It's a great track if you just want to shut your brain off and go fast. I'd say it's kind of like a bigger, less technical, ACC North.

The biggest bummer about Putnam is there's no camping, which adds that extra cost to a track weekend and makes the mornings kind of crazy... I still plan to go there a couple times this year though.

 

Putnam for all purposes is the track I have ridden the most over the last 8 years... probably 120 or more days on that track
it is a flowing pretty fast track with only 2 real spots of elevation change and 1 hard bus stop turn... over the last few years putnams surface has gotten worse and worse with the club (their car club) running basically everyday there wasn't an event just tearing it up with ripples and so on..

they have completed a repave just a few weeks ago and seems like it would be solid...

my mantra is every track is worth it to try at least once... god forbid me to say this but even nelson ledges(currently shut down)

 

It's worth the drive from Atlanta.... Do it!!! Dead Bear will always be my favorite turn...

 

Ah yes.....Putnam!.....the location of my very first track day way back in 2005. At the time, I was riding a CBR 1000RR and in one of the afternoon sessions I was exiting Dead Bear and of course, being a new rider to track riding, I got a little ham-fisted with the throttle on the way out. I spun up the rear tire, leaving a blackie and causing the rear end to come out just a little bit. I was smart enough to stay on the gas and on the exit, I inadvertently brought the front end of the bike up into a very nice hanging wheelie....all the time saying oh shit, oh shit, inside my helmet. Everything straightened out and I brought the front end back down just in time to get through the slight right hand kink. After it was all over, I realized what I had done and thought, damn, I'll bet that would have looked pretty good on a video. Back in the paddock area after the session was over, I was still kind of shaking a bit, realizing that I had been pretty fortunate to not have wadded the bike up.........and looking like I knew what I was doing at the same time...........Ah yes.....Dead Bear, I'll always remember it, and that day.

PS.........I'm older and wiser now!

 

Putnam is such a fun track and most certainly worth the drive in my opinion. Coming out of dead bear always makes me chuckle. =)

 

Putnam is awesome! It makes you feel like you're going real fast. I've only been once but want to go again. I wish it was closer

 

Putnam is the track that popped my cherry to this sport that said it has a special place, i've kind of refused to go the past year & a half because of the old pavement, but with the repave i'll be heading back. I'm told it doesn't have as much grip as it used to & that may change with time, but even cars are going over a second slower a lap, but its well worth the upgrade in pavement for a little bit higher lap time.

 

I've got a big yard, a spare room.. Need a place to flop come one come all.
Will crank up the BBQ.

Putnam doesn't allow camping, I'm 30 miles from there. Takes about 45 minutes on the back roads.

 

Remember the movie, "Field of Dreams?"

You walk out of the cornfield, leathered up and helmet in hand. A vast rolling meadow of green grass and white rail fence stretches before you. You notice a ribbon of asphalt looping through it. Then a sportbike flashes by, high in the revs, third, maybe fourth gear but HAULING! The engine note warbles as the rear tire lays a long, dark stripe through the apex and sparks dance off the footpeg. You turn misty eyed to the corner worker and ask, "Is this Heaven?" "No," he replies. "It's Putnam Park."

 

LOL,, the white picket fence is nice..

Looking forward to new asphalt, it was a tad tough on the tires.

 

Fun track. Drove there many times from Chicago. Just be careful when it's green.

 

Green???

I'm not slow, just not that fast.

 

First thing in the morning when the track is cold/damp/etc..

 

True,, that track was not wet friendly. Will see how the new asphalt changes that.
Off topic to putnam, Grattan is NOT cold friendly, did it at 40f and the tire snakes suck.