Drive over 100 mph (without getting busted)

By Andrius Mikonis

updated 3:16 p.m. ET Aug. 7, 2006

CHICAGO - Do you have a fast car but nowhere to take it out and see what it will do? A driving country club may be coming to a metropolitan area near you.

Think golf-country-club amenities but with a racetrack instead of links. It’s a place close to home where members can go to exercise their cars and driving abilities in a safe environment without worrying about speed traps. Most importantly, this is not professional racing, but somewhere to drive as fast as you’d like, as often as you’d like.

The idea has evolved over the last few years, with four clubs already open and more on the way. Established clubs are attracting everyone from professional drivers and race-car builders to car enthusiasts. The only qualifications members need are a fast car, driving certification to be determined by the facility and, of course, you have to pay to play.

The key here is the club component, setting these businesses apart from the traditional racetrack venue by offering regular on-track driving opportunities without having to join a sanctioning body or wait for special events. This most often takes the form of a country-club model, where members pay an initiation fee and annual dues for track access as well as use of a clubhouse and related facilities.

A prime example is the Autobahn Country Club (ACC), which opened in spring 2005 in Joliet, Ill., and is a one-hour drive from downtown Chicago. “It’s the first purpose-built club of its kind,” said founder and president Mark Basso. “We’re getting a lot of interest from around the country.”

Clubs in operation Autobahn Country Club Joliet, Ill. Annual Fee: $3,000 Contact: 815-722-2223 Miller Motorsports Park Tooele, Utah Annual Fee: $1,600 to $3,500, depending on level of membership. Contact: 801-563-4175 Motorsport Ranch Cresson, Texas Annual Fee: $1,158 Contact: 817-512-3162 VIRginia International Raceway Motorsport Country Club Alton, Va. Annual Fee: $2,100 for Virginia/North Carolina residents; $1,200 all other state residents. Contact: 434-822-7700

The carefully landscaped 3.57-mile road course winds around 320 acres. Construction on a larger clubhouse with a car museum starts in April to supplement the Autobahn’s current building. Members can also lease trackside lots to build their own garages and spectator buildings. This feature is in its third phase, with some 36 already leased in the first two. Each one is fancier than the last, with "pool tables, custom kitchens, even art collections," according to Basso.

And men aren't the only ones having all the fun at these clubs. Three primary members are women. Steve Wagner, one of the four founders of the ACC, says there are several members' wives, almost a dozen by his estimate, who come out and drive on a regular basis.

Developer Matt Page, who is breaking ground in July on a 1,600-acre site near Dallas, says his Racers Ranch country club will feature a combination of Old English architecture and “the look of a Kentucky horse farm.” Even garage facilities will resemble stables. There will be an actual equestrian center and 40 five-acre home sites for a true country-ranch-living experience. Page wants the club to feel more like an exclusive and relaxing retreat than a racetrack. Truck access to the paddock will be through a separate entrance to keep the operations behind the scenes. A high level of service, including a concierge, will be this club’s hallmark.

A quite different club idea is the Miller Motorsports Park, which opened this spring near Salt Lake City. Alan Wilson, who designed Autobahn and many other tracks worldwide, said this setup is based on drivers’ clubs at the Goodwood and Silverstone tracks in England and the Sports Car Club of South Africa — which he says are “great social places where at any time you could bump into Formula One drivers.”

The Miller Motorsports Park track holds sanctioned races — several organizations have already signed on — and also has a private club with a core membership. It will also be open to credentialed members of the visiting race. Home club members not only have ample track use but also free spectator access during races, where they are able to meet and socialize with the incoming group. “The idea is to mix and match elements of motorsports,” explained Wilson.

Autobahn management feels that opening the private club to car shows is important for business, and hence plans to allow public access to its car museum. “It adds to the excitement of the racetrack atmosphere, but the members will always have a private area to retreat to,” Basso said.

The annual fees differ between each club. Racers can expect to spend $3,000 annually at the Autobahn Country Club; $100 to $175 per month at the VIRginia International Raceway (VIR); and $50 to $75 per month at Motorsport Ranch. Also, the VIR and Motorsport Ranch have additional charges for usage by day or half hour, respectively, while the ACC does not. Most of the clubs in development have pricing posted to pre-sell memberships.

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