Houston Speed Sports Park in Houston, Texas, was the next track we ventured to on our USA Road trip. This was on the back of our blog where we had a last-minute trip to Atlanta Motor Sports Park. Then we thought far where else can we go? So, we ended up driving about another 15 hours out to Houston. Pretty boring drive on the way there. We travelled through I think it was Louisiana, Alabama and down the south parts of the United States.
Our first impressions of Speedsportz Racing Park was that it was completely flat, no undulation at all. It presented nice, the curbs all painted well, the facility itself looks nice. A massive paddock for plenty of big teams to park up at major races. The out grid has some shelter. It's only a very small grid, probably a one class at a time sort of deal. But again, you've got some protection away from the elements. The Alan Rudolph Academy is based at the racetrack where Alan can conduct arrive-and-drive packages and coaching available to drivers.
They deal predominantly with the Birel chassis. At the back they've got in-house facility to change your tires, sell you spare parts and prep karts. Really accommodating guys down there, happy to help us get on track and experience the facilities.
The layout of the track presents heaps of passing opportunities. I really like the circuit. I think it offers enough for the driver, as it's got some fast and flowing chicanes for the first half of the track, which is cool. This leads into a long back straight and that presents obviously a massive opportunity to pass in the braking zone. Quick little switchback, then you sort of make your way through a couple of fast right hand corners and then you make your way into another left-hand hairpin corner. Another 180 degree turn again presents an opportunity to overtake your competition.
Then you head into a fast left-hand kink that leads into another right hand 180 degree turn that leads onto the main straight. Another opportunity to overtake, but this one is a corner if you do overshoot the overtake that could get switched back onto the main straight. I like racetracks where the last couple of corners you can overtake. You don't sort of want fast sweepers to finish a race where it's, it's very, very hard to overtake for the race win.
Overall, Speedsportz Park was a great racetrack. Technical in certain parts, curbing that you can shorten the track and hard braking zones make this drivers circuit where engine power isn’t a necessity like some other layouts.
To learn how to drive this track fast, be sure to check out our track guide here that gives drivers all the braking markers, throttle zones and apexes from every angle.
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