NOLA is a 65 million dollar facility, It is barber like in the swamp. It has no elevation changes and is very fast. Make the drive it's worth it.
Roy, where are you from in Mississippi? There are few sportbike riders in the state, fewer that are not just posers with polished frames and extended swingarms, fewer still that like doing track days. I live in Stringer which is just north of Laurel along hwy 59 on the east side of the state. I'm hoping to make at least a couple of the closer STT track days this season, but with my oldest graduating HS this year and headed to Ole Miss in the fall I have no idea what discretionary income I will have. I really want to do the 23rd at NOLA, but I have promised my wife that I would have some house upgrades done before May and time is running out. Checkout a forum that a buddy of mine started at MississippiRides.com. We are trying to use it to connect with other riders in the area. We could use a fast guy like you on there!
I have driven 15hrs to ride NOLA. Great track - really fast, for many who've never ridden Brainerd probably the fastest you'll ever ride knee down! and don't forget that it's in New Orleans. Driven a long way to ride Barber (& Jennings too). Not nearly so fast but cool elevation, not as much as Road Atlanta, Road America or Laguna Seca but total fun well except for 5, I hate 5 F$@%^#&# turn... Will ride NOLA and Barber again, at least once a year. Worth every cent! One of the most fun tracks in the US to ride is Miller Motorsports Park. Technical, Fast and World Class Facilities. Long way from anywhere.
That's awesome to know that there are at least a couple of other track riders so nearby. I surely plan to do more track days and have settled on STT as my preferred organization. I did the STT member appreciation event at tally last November. Had a great time for most of the day. You may remember me if you were there because I had to push my blue Buell XB9R back into the paddock! It quit on track and I was able to coast off track, but not nearly back to my pit. That was a bit embarrassing, but better than dying on track or being the cause of a red flag. The bike now has a much fresher engine, ready to go again! I just don't know if I will be as willing to hammer that vtwin to redline like I was that day!
Which direction do they normally (or always) run NOLA? Based on the comment about 90 deg turn at the end of the straight I assume it is run CW direction. My only other track experience is a couple of times at Tally, so I really look forward to riding a track with more right hand corners! I have two Tally track days on my current front tire and I don't think it would handle another heavy left turn trackday.
I'm south of Jackson between byram and Raymond. Yes definetely get out a do some trackdays. I don't get to do near as many as I'd like to with my racing schedule and finances required to do both would bankrupt me quick plus time off from work is only so much. Stt has some good guys that can get you up to speed quick. That guy they speak of in meridian is an ok guy with funny looking shoes but he rides good.
I will have to look for those funny shoes. So far I like STT over the other that I tried out which is two letter org that begins with N and ends with 2, although the other org offered me a bump to Intermediate after my second morning session. "Hey you're going pretty fast out there, you can go to I after lunch if you want" I didn't do it because I was so totally not comfortable with the track experience yet and had slid the rear once which let me know I was going fast, but was not doing it right yet.