Thunderhill CW
Thunderhill Raceway Park is a motorsport complex located in northern California, an hour and a half drive away from Sacramento. It is without a doubt the most versatile racing facility in America, having several possible layouts such as 2-mile, 3-mile, and 5-mile road courses, as well as a 315’ x 550’ skidpad and a 662’ x 363’ autocross pad. Thunderhill follows designs planned by Steve Crawford, who envisioned building two independent road courses next to one another: a 2.87 miles East track and a West track with 1.99 miles. The 5-mile combination of both racetracks forms the longest road course in the United States.
Thunderhill East started operations in 1993, adding the West course in 1995. The East track takes advantage of the natural elevation changes in the field, having 15 exhilarating turns where drivers often lose sight of what is coming right ahead of them. The straight segments are ample and long enough to allow easy passing between drivers. Thunderhill West is more technical, requiring top driving skills to leverage momentum while taking its ten turns, which come in quick succession. The 25 Hours of Thunderhill, the most famous event of the circuit and longest endurance racing competition in America, takes place on the combined 5-mile road course since 2003.
The West clockwise configuration at Thunderhill Raceway in California utilizes the western circuit sections in clockwise direction at this comprehensive facility in Northern California's Central Valley. The West designation indicates a specific routing focusing on particular portions of the property, with clockwise flow creating intended corner sequences. This variant serves events requiring specific layout characteristics or moderate circuit length appropriate for certain vehicle classes and skill levels.
Operating the West CW showcases Thunderhill's exceptional infrastructure where multiple configurations serve diverse motorsport requirements across the expansive property that includes America's longest road course variants. Central Valley's climate creates year-round racing potential though summer heat frequently exceeds 40C. The West clockwise configuration provides specific technical challenge serving San Francisco Bay Area motorsport community, demonstrating Thunderhill's role as Northern California's premier club racing facility with comprehensive layout variety supporting simultaneous events.
