So the blog item on the tiny and private Ruby Speedway being up for sale in South Carolina got us all lathered up about the idea of owning a “private” race track that unlimited access to was guaranteed. On the face of it, that scenario is literally every hardcore gearhead’s dream. Being able to literally walk out the front door and hammer on a car (or the car) at your whim? That’s the stuff that’ll keep you up and night with the sweats. We showed you a pro level dirt track that came with a house a few weeks ago and there are more than a few race tracks across the country where the operator lives on the ground but they are all regular tracks that open for business and pay the bills of the owners.
The photos below some houses that have private tracks at them…and one airstrip that “became” a drag strip in the early ’50s….we just thought it looked cool. The two road courses are neat. The one on top is located in Florida and appears to be the actual driveway of the person’s house. We’d annihilate tires and gasoline like you read about if we came home to that every night. Plus we’d probably break up a marriage or two with an obsession of turning a quicker and quicker lap upon every exit and return home. The second private track (the bottom photo) is a 1.1 mile masterpiece in front of a dude’s house in New York. Obviously a wealthy guy with a bunch of cars, he has had to fight the neighbors tooth and nail on the project, but it sure looks like he’s won to us!
So…
BangShift Question Of The Day: Would It Actually Be Cool To Have A Personal Race Track Or Would It Be A Big Pain In The Rump?
If I had the land I would have a drag strip.
Totally cool (except on property tax day)
I’d want a road course, a real (1/4 mile) drag strip and a high-banked dirt oval . . . . How ’bout it, Santa?
Having experienced owning just 22 acres of basic property ….. Having one’s own private race track would be the biggest maintenance / tax burden / repair ( that asphalt doesn’t maintain itself … along with the grass / facilities etc ) Liability Insurance Pain in the Royal Rump imaginable
Oh the dream might be mighty fine …. but the reality would be a Hell beyond Hell … even assuming one had the money to back up the dream . To quote Star Trek’s Mr Spock ;
” Sometimes the wanting is far better than the having . This seems a contradiction .. but most often it is so ”
😉
If money was no object, would build a stadium style course for a Trophy Truck!
A full 1/4 mile drag strip? Give me that kind of pain in the ass any day.
If you have the money in this crappy economy to be able to afford it, then go for it, build the race course of your dreams, life is short.
Just get yourself the world’s fastest street sweeper to keep it clean before you run on it!
I would just trailer my race car to any track I wanted and not worry about the maintenance of my own.
The photos below some houses that have private tracks at them…and one airstrip that “became” a drag strip in the early ’50s….I just thought it looked primitivecool. The two road courses are neat. The one on top is located in Florida and appears to be the actual driveway of the person’s house. I may annihilate tires and gasoline like you read about if we came home to that every night. Plus, probably break up a marriage or two with an obsession of turning a quicker and quicker lap upon every exit and return home. The second private track is a 1.1 mile masterpiece in front of a dude’s house in New York. Obviously a wealthy guy with a bunch of cars, he has had to fight the neighbors tooth and nail on the project, but it sure looks like he’s won to ME! Check my timeline out for these pictures provided by BANGSHIFT (a catchy name for full bore throttle guy)
If I had the money to have one it would be n opperation 24 hours 7 days a week
Speaking from experience, it is a lot of work maintaining a track
Maintenance could be a bit of a pain.. But if you can afford the land, building the track, buying & maintaining the toys to play on it.. Maintaining the track & surrounding yard wouldn’t be a major excuse.. As for the insurance, why would you tell your insurance agent that you’re going to be playing in your yard.. If you happened to drive on the grass until it looked like a dirt track.. would you call them and say so. I didn’t think so.
Had a motocross track..it was like the little red hen and the bread. Everyone promised to help and they would get to ride but in the end all they wanted to do was ride..now it’s a cow pasture.
Reality right here…
Nobody wanted to walk thry the moto X track thru the trees chopping stray vines or help dig jumps..
Horse pasture now..
I have a few rules in life…Don’t own a pool, a horse or a boat. Too much work. But do have friends that do. I will add a race track to the list.
It didn’t work out too well for Reher and Morrison.
The dragstrip is Thornhill raceway in Kenton Kentucky, it is a really great outlaw track, its still open, really fun place to race
somebody would die, sorry
I would have one for sure, combo drag strip and road course. You had 3 great courses that combined into one would be perfect. Yeah people die all the time, at lease they would be having fun! I would not any smuck run hot laps at my place! I remember doing speed runs on a small airport in my area, GOOD TIMES!!!
The fun of owning one of these and keeping it for yourself would start to go away after your first blown engine or wreck or tax payment. The upkeep would be huge after a few years and you would lose your job and marriage. The marriage cause you wouldn’t come in in time for dinner and your job cause you just thought of a way to take a tenth of that lap time and tell your boss for the eleventh time this month you aren’t feeling well and must go home early. OH but those first 6 months would be fantastic wouldn’t they?
My neighbors always accused me of treating the area near our home “like I owned it” and I didn’t have to pay the taxes on it or maintain it.
I’m sorry but I’m still looking for the “Big Pain In The Rump” part???
If you can afford your personnal racetrack you can afford to run the cars on it.
With the awesome personnal track days you could also go to the local junkyard and buy a few junkers that still run and have a fun race with friends where banging fenders is not only allowed but encouraged 😀