How to Find Motorsports Events Near You
You have decided you want to try autocross, a track day, rallycross, or just show up to a car meet. The next question is straightforward: where do you actually find these events? The answer is spread across a handful of websites, organizations, and social media groups. Once you know where to look, you will have more options than free weekends.
MotorsportReg.com
MotorsportReg.com is the central hub for grassroots motorsports registration in the United States. Most SCCA regions, many NASA chapters, and hundreds of independent clubs use it to manage event sign-ups. If an event exists and takes online registration, there is a good chance it lives on MotorsportReg.
Create a free account and use the event search. You can filter by:
- Location: Enter your zip code or city and set a radius. Start with 100 miles. If you live near a metro area, you will find plenty within 50.
- Event type: Autocross, HPDE/track day, rallycross, time trial, and more.
- Date range: Look a month or two ahead. Events fill up, especially popular ones at well-known tracks.
- Organization: Filter by SCCA, NASA, or specific clubs if you already know which one you want.
MotorsportReg also sends email notifications for events in your area if you opt in. Set up your preferences once and let it tell you when new events are posted. This is the single most useful thing you can do to stay informed about local events.
SCCA (Sports Car Club of America)
The SCCA is the largest amateur motorsports organization in the country. They sanction autocross, rallycross, time trials, and road racing through a network of regional chapters. Almost every state has at least one SCCA region, and many have several.
To find your local region:
- Go to scca.com and look for the "Find Your Region" tool.
- Enter your location. The site will show you which region covers your area.
- Visit that region's website or Facebook page. Their event calendar will list upcoming autocross events, rallycross events, and other programs.
SCCA membership is not required for your first event at most regions. Many offer "weekend memberships" that let you participate without committing to a full annual membership. If you end up attending regularly, the annual membership ($80-100) pays for itself through member discounts on entry fees.
SCCA regions vary wildly in how active they are. Some run events every two weeks from April through October. Others might only manage six events a year. Check the calendar before assuming your region has something coming up soon.
NASA (National Auto Sport Association)
NASA focuses primarily on HPDE (track days) and wheel-to-wheel racing, though some regions also run time trials and other events. If track days are your goal, NASA is one of the first places to check.
Visit nasa-ht.com and find your regional chapter. Each region has its own schedule of events at tracks in your area. NASA events tend to be well-organized with clear run group structures and good instruction programs for beginners.
NASA membership is typically required to participate in their events, though some regions offer single-event options for first-timers. The annual membership runs about $45 and includes insurance coverage at NASA events.
Local Car Clubs
Independent car clubs are the hidden goldmine of grassroots motorsports. Every region has them, and they run events that never show up on the big national websites. A Miata club might host monthly autocross practice sessions. A BMW club might organize quarterly track days at a local circuit. A Subaru club might run rallycross events on a member's farm.
Finding local clubs requires some digging:
- Facebook Groups: Search for "[your city] car club," "[your city] autocross," or "[your car make] club [your state]." Facebook remains the primary communication platform for most local car clubs, whether you like that or not.
- Instagram: Search location tags and hashtags for your area combined with terms like autocross, trackday, or carsandcoffee.
- Reddit: Subreddits like r/autocross, r/CarTrackDays, and your city's local subreddit often have event announcements and club recommendations.
- Word of mouth: Show up to a Cars & Coffee and ask people where they drive. This is the most reliable method and the one that gets you the best insider knowledge.
Cars & Coffee and Car Meets
Almost every metro area has a regular Cars & Coffee event. These are free, informal morning gatherings in a parking lot where people bring interesting cars, drink coffee, and talk. They run year-round in warm climates and seasonally everywhere else.
To find one near you:
- Search Facebook for "Cars and Coffee [your city]"
- Check Instagram for the same search terms
- Ask at any local car dealership, especially independent or specialty shops. They usually know.
Cars & Coffee events are valuable beyond the social element. They are where you meet the people who run local events. You will hear about autocross series, track day groups, and rallycross clubs just by talking to people. Bring business cards or exchange Instagram handles. The connections you make at a casual Saturday morning meet will fill your racing calendar for the rest of the year.
When Event Season Runs
In most of the United States, grassroots motorsports season runs from March or April through October or November. The exact window depends on your climate:
- Southern states (Texas, Florida, Arizona, California): Nearly year-round. Some regions run 11-12 months with only the hottest summer months seeing reduced schedules.
- Mid-Atlantic and Midwest: April through October is the core season. Some events push into November if the weather holds.
- Northeast and Upper Midwest: May through September is the reliable window. Shoulder months are weather-dependent.
- Pacific Northwest: March through October, with rain being a factor rather than cold. Many events run in the rain. Bring a towel.
Events are typically concentrated on weekends. Saturday is the most common day for autocross and rallycross. Track days often run on both weekdays and weekends, with weekday events being less crowded and sometimes cheaper.
The beginning of the season (March-April) is the best time to jump in. Events are less crowded, organizers are energized, and you have the whole season ahead of you to build skills and connections.
How to Filter and Choose
Once you start looking, you will find more events than you can attend. Here is how to narrow it down:
- Distance: Your first event should be close. Within an hour of driving is ideal. You do not want a two-hour commute adding stress to an already new experience.
- Type: Pick one discipline to start. If you are unsure, read our overview of all entry points to figure out which one matches your interests and budget.
- Beginner-friendliness: Look for events that mention "novice welcome" or "first-timer instruction" in their descriptions. Most autocross and HPDE events are explicitly welcoming to new drivers, but it helps to confirm.
- Size: Smaller events (30-50 cars) give you more runs and more personal attention. Larger events (100+) have a bigger social scene but longer waits between runs.
Your Action Plan
Do these three things today and you will have an event on your calendar within a week:
- Create a free account on MotorsportReg.com and search for events within 100 miles of your zip code.
- Find your local SCCA region's website or Facebook page and check their event calendar.
- Search Facebook for car meets and Cars & Coffee events in your area, and plan to attend the next one.
Once you have found an event, the preparation is straightforward. For autocross, you need almost nothing beyond your car and a helmet. For a track day, check your brakes and fluid first. For rallycross, bring old clothes and a good attitude.
The hardest part of grassroots motorsports is finding the first event. After that, the community pulls you in and the calendar fills itself.