Virginia international raceway in (yes you guessed it) Virginia operates
this way, although it sounds like it will host a number of outside races,
schools, etc. Also I have heard there are lots of things like this in
Japan.
Chris Marsh
>
>Any precedent elsewhere in the US?
>
>Brad
>
> > From the Chicago Tribune:
> >
> >CAR GROUP DRIVEN BY COUNTRY CLUB IDEA
> >SUGAR GROVE SITE MAY FEATURE ROAD COURSE
> >
> >By Hal Dardick
> >Special to the Tribune
> >November 22, 1999
> >
> >Like other country clubs that dot the Chicago-area landscape, one being
> >proposed for Sugar Grove would include a clubhouse, restaurant and
> >expansive well-groomed grounds--but no golf course.
> >
> >The Autobahn Motorsports Country Club would feature a 2.1-mile road
> >course, where members would show, run and sometimes race their
> >high-performance cars.
> >
> >"It is the concept of a European no-speed-limit, limited-access road, but
> >combined with a country club for family and business," said Barry Tharp
>of
> >Elmhurst, a developer with a passion for cars who, along with partner
>Mark
> >Basso of West Chicago, would build the club.
> >
> >Tharp and Basso intend to unveil their plan, slated for a site north of
> >Aurora Municipal Airport, before the village Plan Commission on Monday.
> >
> >If they win approval for the first stage, which would consist of about
>120
> >acres, and the project succeeds, they would eventually expand the club by
> >increasing it to 310 acres, building a larger clubhouse with banquet
> >facilities and adding additional loops to the road course.
> >
> >"We want to create something on a scale between Medinah and Butterfield,
>a
> >real clubhouse with a swimming pool, tennis courts, something for the
> >whole family," Tharp said. "Our goal is to have the largest road course
>in
> >the country."
> >
> >The road course would be for people who want the autobahn experience in a
> >safe, controlled environment. The facility would offer driver-training
> >programs and car club events, including occasional races.
> >
> >Auto clubs with race courses are popular in England, and there are
>similar
> >facilities in the United States. There are dedicated road courses in
> >Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and in Rockton, Ill., just north of
>Rockford,
> >but they don't include clubs.
> >
> >Although Tharp and Basso are looking at other sites, Sugar Grove is "at
> >the top of the list," Tharp said. That's because it's close to a general
> >aviation airport, which generates noises louder than a road course would,
> >and is only 38 miles from downtown Chicago, he said.
> >
> >"For those of us who have high-performance cars, the places for us to
> >drive them at high speeds in safety are very limited," said Susan Shire
>of
> >Evanston, co-editor of Chicago Scene, the magazine of the Chicago Region
> >Porsche Club of America. "To have another road course nearby is very
>exciting.
> >
> >"If you've got a car that goes 180 m.p.h., you can't exactly drive it up
> >and down Golf Road. One, it's against the law, and two, it's really,
> >really dangerous."
> >
> >"It has the potential to reach an enthusiast market that has grown with
> >the rebirth, if you will, of performance as one component of today's
> >automobile," said George Bovis of Elmhurst, chairman of the board of the
> >Sports Car Club of America. "There's been a rekindling of the world's
>love
> >affair with the automobile."
> >
> >The developers approached the village in January, and trustees said they
> >had no immediate objections, but wanted more details.
> >
> >"Monday will be the first night we will see more of the plan," said
> >Trustee P. Sean Michels. "It seemed, in concept, that it was a better use
> >than (something else that) could go there."
> >
> >The area is zoned for manufacturing. "It could be a distribution center
> >with trucks going in and out, and we wouldn't be able to do a thing about
> >it," Michels said.
> >
> >Village Administrator John Morris said only "street-legal vehicles" would
> >use the facility, which would not have stands for spectators.
> >
> >"We've stressed to the developer that there would have to be significant
> >berming to try to reduce the noise," Morris said.
> >
> >"The door is open. The village is interested in the project."
> >
> >Airport Director Robert A. Rieser said the road course would not
>interfere
> >with airport operations.
> >
> >"I've talked to the proponents of the project, and as far as land uses
>go,
> >it's more than compatible," he said.
> >
> >In fact, if the project is approved and Tharp and Basso go forward with
> >the second phase, some of it could be built on airport-owned land. Plans
> >for a second phase include a classic-auto museum to complement the
> >airport's Air Classics Museum.
> >
> >"The property is adjacent to and actually intermingled with the Aurora
> >Airport," Tharp said. "Our impact will actually be less than what's
> >already there in terms of noise."
> >
> >"It's an ideal location," Bovis said. "It's a good plan, and I believe it
> >will be successful."
>
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Bradley Lamont
>email: lamont@mailhost.org
>
>
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