Gingerman Raceway

I just got back from Ginegerman. It wasnt’ bad at all for it being my 2^nd track day ever (1^st being Autobahn). Like some other reviewers have mentioned, the turns are very different and not as free flowing as in Autobahn. You have to use the brakes very often as most turns are late apex entry. Highly recommend you take it very slow the 1^st few laps so you can experience how quickly most corners turn in. I saw a few people miss turns due to not being able to complete their braking, especially from a straighaway. Fun times!

Gingerman is a decent/​good track for motorcycles track junkies. You need to turn in late for most of the turns, you will find this out real quick– The ladies bathrooms were ok, mostly clean, and I had hot steamy showers.
The track is not as wide as other tracks, so it took some getting used to. Some people were distracted because of the lines or grooves running throughout the track, but this just reminded me of a highway.
It usually takes me some time to get to know a track (slow learner) but seemed to pick this one up fairly quickly. I went with Sportbike track time– and it was a great weekend!

Decent track. Hard on your left front tire and your brakes but thats racing. Pit lane isnt that awesome, They have a decent viewing tower but it smelled a little funny. I would suggest putting your spotter on spectiator hill (you can see the whole track from there). Bathrooms werent amazing and the showered didnt have hot water one morning.

Gingerman is simply a great place to race, and (if you might be so lucky) a wonderful time with friends.
I’m fortunate enough to have enjoyed 1 – 2 private events here yearly for the last 3 years and 1 – 2 test and tune days just the same. Parking and camping in the paddock is never an issue and the landscape is great for overnight fun if you happen to be there for a multi-​day event.
The track is very wide in some spots and a bit difficult to learn for new drivers, but with a bit of helpful instruction you can build a large amount of driving skill here very quickly. The track staff is focused on safety and fun and is always very helpful and accommodating. Track time is affordable and plentiful, but it isn’t because the track is in the middle of nowhere. The concession stand is not terribly overpriced like some other tracks, and the gift shop carries some commonly needed items.
Downtown South Haven isn’t much of a gem for myself, but there are a few good places to eat and many of my friends seem to enjoy the town. The people there are very polite and it seems like a quaint, fun place to relax after a track day.
Worst case, you can always stop at Bell’s Eccentric café just ~25 miles away the day before, or after your track day depending on when you’ll need a cold brew more!

The facilities at this track are so homely. Gingerman has a retail store that is separate from their food stand. You can actually walk in and peruse their store inventory — everything from decals to hooded sweatshirts, keychains to hats. Gingerman actually offers a good variety of food. Their breakfast sandwiches taste homemade; not just reheated from some grocery freezer section. They also offer wraps and hot sandwiches for lunch; some even fresher alternatives to traditional concession stand food (hot dogs, brats, burgers, etc.). On Day 1 of this past weekend, I had their BLT. On Day 2, I had their Roma Chicken sandwich for lunch and the Bacon Breakfast Sandwich earlier in the day. All were adequately portioned and tasty. On a food scale of 1 to 5, they were a 4 in my book and I was impressed. We camped overnight since my boyfriend and I were doing back-​to-​back motorcycle track days with Sportbike Track Time.
If you are camping and have an RV, you can plug into the meters that dot the southwest part of the grassy pit area. We don’t have an RV, but good to know that if we came here on a hotter day, we could get power to use our fans. Those outdoor electrical outlets also came in handy when we were trying to charge our phones, iPods, etc. Other people were using their meters for their tire warmers as well. The bathrooms and showers were very clean as well. The water seemed clean and didn’t stink of well-​water like other tracks I’ve been to. Kudos to the maintenance staff at Gingerman for clean facilities!
The track itself: The Gingerman track has «seams» that have been filled with tar. There are slight changes in height of the pavement between one section to another (divided by the seams). These seams are a good challenge and after my weekend at Gingerman on two-​wheels, I learned how to glide over them and to cross them at an angle. It is tough though when your motorcycle tire gets stuck in the seams; you try not to panic as it pulls you off the race line, but you can’t help freaking out a little. There are bumps in the track, but honestly it didn’t affect my riding. Gingerman is a great track for novice riders (like me) as it forces you to concentrate and learn to tackle a less than «perfectly» paved track. That said, my boyfriend is an Advanced rider and he had a blast too. The track is rather short, mileage wise. The straightaways are much shorter than other racetracks I’ve experienced and the track overall is a bit flat, but these characteristics make it a great track for a newbie to practice throttle control. You can’t get too crazy fast on the straightaways where you couldn’t slow down enough (without clutch or brake) for your turn, if you were focusing solely on throttle control. The turn between the two straightaways is a bit sharp, but if you feel like you’re going to take it too fast, the run-​off into the pit area is right there for you to use.
New section: I have never ridden at Gingerman before the «new section» was added. I was told the new section was referred to as Turn 10B. Instead of being a tighter turn onto the back straightaway, turn 10B takes a more sweeping turn which spits you out onto the same straight. It seems to flow very well. The turn is downhill with an uphill exit cresting onto the straight. Turn 10b is also the newly paved part of the track which means seams that are less noticable. I’m happy with this new addition. Ironically, I crashed in this section this weekend. It was an error on my part, but I did learn that it is a downhill, though the elevation change is subtle.
This weekend was my first time visiting Gingerman and I had a great time. While not my favorite track, I would still recommend it to my fellow sportbike riders. Gingerman is also great for spectators as bleachers and picnic benches are set up throughout.

I usually come to this track every year for the West Michigan Honda Meet and have a blast. It’s a fun little track that’s not too boring and not too technical. The addition of the track extension this year with the off camber turn and altitude change gave the track a new dimension. It’s perfect for the novice and intermediate racer to learn driving lines and utilize racing techniques. It’s also a very safe track with plenty of run-​off room if you decide to go on an off track adventure. The Gingerman staff is nicely organized and sessions are well run. A bonus is the sexy voiced female track official that makes announcements and calls out run groups on the PA system.
There’s a variety of low and high priced motels in the area that are located a few miles off track for racers to stay. Camping is allowed on track for a nominal fee. The on track showers/​bathroom facilities aren’t the greatest but I’ve seen worse at Days Inn motels in Cincinatti. Another bonus is an Autozone and 24hr Walmart located a few miles away just in case you have an unfortunate break down or lose fluids and need parts.