At 12:27 PM 11/22/1999 -0600, Bradley Lamont wrote:
>Any precedent elsewhere in the US?
Try http://www.virclub.com
Their web site is a little "sparse" currently but the track is apparently
very real and it is intended to be a country club atmospshere. It is also
only an hour and a half from my house and at least one of the car clubs I
belong to is an associate member.
>
>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
>
>
Dick Rasmussen
CM 85
85 Van Diemen RF-85 Formula Ford
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