Raceway Park of the Midlands CW
The Raceway Park of the Midlands is a motorsports complex designed by Alan Wilson that started operations in 2002 in the Iowan town of Pacific Junction, right on the Nebraska border, on a 30-minute drive from Omaha. Its main road course is a 2.22-mile circuit with 15 turns and a 40 feet wide polymer compound surface designed to optimize tire traction for all types of vehicles. This clockwise-oriented road course has an average speed of 75 mph and an average lap time of 1:46.528. The maximum velocity of the track is around 130 mph, mainly in the 1100-feet long straight run stretching from turn 15 to turn 1.
The landscape you can see from the track is plenty of open spaces and has almost no elevation changes in the whole trajectory. The typical humid continental climate of the midlands results from its long distance from the oceans in all directions, and there are stark temperature variations between seasons. Different arrangements for the vehicles are in order depending on these seasonal temperature and humidity differences. The course in Raceway Park of the Midlands is a perfect training track, and several local racing clubs use it for their driving education sessions.
The clockwise configuration at Raceway Park of the Midlands flows through 2.22 miles (3.57 kilometers) of Alan Wilson-designed asphalt featuring 15 turns across the Iowa-Nebraska border near Pacific Junction, approximately 30 minutes from Omaha. Running clockwise emphasizes the circuit's 40-foot-wide polymer compound surface that provides consistent grip across the essentially flat terrain—a deliberate design choice creating no significant elevation changes except a slight dip at station 3. The clockwise direction showcases the facility's 1,100-foot straight run stretching from Turn 15 to Turn 1 where vehicles reach the circuit's maximum velocity around 130 mph, with the layout's average speed of 75 mph and typical lap times near 1:46.528 reflecting constant directional changes rather than sustained acceleration zones.
Operating clockwise at Raceway Park positions the circuit for optimal flow through technical sections that have made the facility a regional destination since 2002 operations began. The relatively flat profile creates a pure chassis-and-driver challenge without elevation-dependent variables, rewarding setup precision and racecraft over power-to-weight ratios that dominate hilly circuits. The facility's 2005 completion of the alternative D-Curve configuration added a 1.4-mile short track option, though the full 2.22-mile clockwise layout remains the primary circuit for establishing lap records and hosting competitive events. Midwestern continental climate creates dramatic seasonal extremes—summer track temperatures can exceed 50°C during afternoon sessions while the racing season typically runs April through October to avoid winter weather. The clockwise flow serves the region's club racing community, track day participants, and driving experience companies seeking a technical challenge without the intimidation factor of circuits featuring blind crests or dramatic compressions. Raceway Park of the Midlands' location on the Iowa-Nebraska border positions it as a convenient facility for motorsport enthusiasts from Omaha, Des Moines, Kansas City, and throughout the Great Plains region.
