Good idea or bad idea

ihyln · 06-01-2008, 02:51 AM

It's 3AM and a silly thought popped into my head. I figure I'd ask here since it's the most obvious place to start.

My wife's uncle is sitting on 30 some odd acres of land in upstate NY. A lot of it is grass and fairly even. As you can see where I am going with this, I'll cut to the chase, would it be viable to build a private track? He has construction equipment so it would be a matter of manpower and materials. Should I just go to bed?

monsta · 06-01-2008, 07:53 AM

I would build it if I could, but it has to be a really great private track w/ lot of elevation changes, hairpins, stitch backs, and definitely a long straight or 2....after a while though I could see you getting bored of doing it over and over, thats why you have to make it really really interesting track, good thing about it though if you build it you could run it either way clockwise or counterclockwise to keep you intrigued but best of all its all yours and at your disposal at any given time....let me know when its built so I could go test it out w/ you

batchelorc · 06-01-2008, 09:57 AM

If you build it, they will come...

ericld · 06-01-2008, 10:22 AM

Your looking at about $200,000 to pour 1 mile of asphalt. This would include the smoothing process. Keep in mind that real road tracks like nurburgring etc, have tilted corners like nascar tracks (darlington /daytona/etc). Might be tougher than you think.

But I'm all for dreaming big! Go for it!

jm1234 · 06-01-2008, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ihyln

He has construction equipment so it would be a matter of manpower and materials. Should I just go to bed?

You need about 3,000 to 5,000 acres to build a decent track. 30 acres is the size of a Walmart parking lot.

Go back to bed.

ihyln · 06-01-2008, 11:16 AM

I was doing a little math and I don't think 30 acres will be big enough. Each acre is 208x208ft roughly. So yeah, JM, I did go back to bed and maybe I'll build a drag strip instead.

Seth_Horwitz · 06-01-2008, 11:20 AM

I would become your best friend in the world if you built it, but never call you once the townsfolk caught you doing construction and had it stopped. My friend's friend (there was an article, so this isn't just heresay) began to build a motorcycle track on his private estate, and I believe even got the proper permits to go ahead with it. He was about half way in to the building when the NIMBYs (Not In My BackYard) filed and got an injunction to halt construction due to "potential noise pollution" caused by such a facility. The bottom line is that it got very very very very very messy, even after he went through all of the proper channels and thought he was, and should have been, OK. I'm looking for the link to the story, but can't find it.

IF I were going to take the risk and try it, I'd build a karting track, save yourself some money, and have A LOT more fun. There's nothing like doing 120 mph in a Kart that is an inch off of the ground, and then turning on a dime. The famous quote is along the lines of "about as much fun as an F1 car, for a few million dollars less."

consolidated · 06-01-2008, 11:33 AM

Even if you could raise the money, no bank will loan a large percentage of it, your largest hurtles would be zoning (allowable land use), adjacent use compatibility, and environmental impact. Even though a track is potentially nothing more than a long parking lot that happends to be very very loud on the weekends it's not an easy path to hoe.
I agree that 30 acres isn't even close to being enough land, unless your just going to build a cart or AX course. A decent new road course is going to be no less than 1.5 miles, ideally it would be around 1.8 to 2.5 miles. Large enough to have lots of cars without crowding but small enough to safely manage an event and keep costs low.
These days developers sell condos and other facilities and amenities on-site to offset their costs, think country club/golf course/resort.

man02195 · 06-01-2008, 11:51 AM

High Rock Raceway (if it ever gets built) is on 200 acres:
http://www.racehighrock.com/
You need more land.

SS32 · 06-01-2008, 02:08 PM

High Rock is opening in the spring of next year....I can't wait. But back on topic; My cousin works for a grading contractor and I've talked to him about the cost of a track. It would easily be multi millions for a couple miles of track.

Davinhci · 06-01-2008, 08:20 PM

that would be awesome if possible

sayemthree · 06-01-2008, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jm1234

You need about 3,000 to 5,000 acres to build a decent track. 30 acres is the size of a Walmart parking lot.

Go back to bed.

plus you will need at LEAST 1/2 million $$$. dont forget state, county and city permits, and environmental clearance, some endangered nat could be resting there.

ihyln · 06-02-2008, 09:13 AM

well what about a 1/2 mile drag strip?

gadget · 06-03-2008, 07:26 PM

rally dirt track---

lucid · 06-18-2008, 09:04 PM

I believe Palmer Motorsports is somewhat mired in the permit process. It's supposed to be 2.14 miles in 500 acres. You don't have enough land to put distance between the actual track and residents.

http://www.palmermotorsportspark.com/

06-01-2008, 02:51 AM	#1
ihyln Banned Drives: M3post sucks Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: M3post sucks Posts: 3,389 iTrader: (1) Garage List 2008 M3 [0.00] 2002 530i [0.00]	Good idea or bad idea It's 3AM and a silly thought popped into my head. I figure I'd ask here since it's the most obvious place to start. My wife's uncle is sitting on 30 some odd acres of land in upstate NY. A lot of it is grass and fairly even. As you can see where I am going with this, I'll cut to the chase, would it be viable to build a private track? He has construction equipment so it would be a matter of manpower and materials. Should I just go to bed?
	Tweet

06-01-2008, 07:53 AM	#2
monsta Brigadier General Drives: E92 M3 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Bergen County, NJ/Y.O, NY Posts: 3,434 iTrader: (2)	I would build it if I could, but it has to be a really great private track w/ lot of elevation changes, hairpins, stitch backs, and definitely a long straight or 2....after a while though I could see you getting bored of doing it over and over, thats why you have to make it really really interesting track, good thing about it though if you build it you could run it either way clockwise or counterclockwise to keep you intrigued but best of all its all yours and at your disposal at any given time....let me know when its built so I could go test it out w/ you __________________ '08 E92 M3 6MT \| IB \| FR \| RAC RG63's \| VRS Ti Exhaust \| Fabspeed HFC & Xpipe '09 X5 35d SG/SB '11 X3 28i AW/CN/FW (wife's car

06-01-2008, 09:57 AM	#3
batchelorc Lieutenant Drives: 2008 E92 M3 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Killeen, TX Posts: 484 iTrader: (0)	If you build it, they will come... __________________ 2008 Alpine White / Fox Red / DCT / 19"s

06-01-2008, 11:51 AM	#9
man02195 Lieutenant Drives: e90 M3 M-DCT, SG-status 111 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: NC Posts: 486 iTrader: (0)	High Rock Raceway (if it ever gets built) is on 200 acres: http://www.racehighrock.com/ You need more land. __________________ E90 M3 Sedan \| M-DCT \| SG \| Black Leather \| Carbon Leather Trim \| Premium \| Technology \| Enhanced Sound \| 19's \| Moonroof \| Fold Down \| Heated \| iPod \| Parkdist \| Sunshade \|Week 22 \| Just unloaded from Emden \| Performance Center Delivery July 17th (Great Experience!)

06-01-2008, 02:08 PM	#10
SS32 Major Drives: 2008 M3 Join Date: May 2007 Location: Wilmington, NC Posts: 1,404 iTrader: (0)	High Rock is opening in the spring of next year....I can't wait. But back on topic; My cousin works for a grading contractor and I've talked to him about the cost of a track. It would easily be multi millions for a couple miles of track. __________________ V1 DIY - Blinder M45 DIY - Exhaust Cutouts - Removed Clutch Pedal Spring DIY - Fiamm Air Horns

06-01-2008, 10:22 AM	#4
ericld Second Lieutenant Drives: 2008 BMW E92 M3, Alpine White Join Date: May 2008 Location: CO Posts: 237 iTrader: (0)	Your looking at about $200,000 to pour 1 mile of asphalt. This would include the smoothing process. Keep in mind that real road tracks like nurburgring etc, have tilted corners like nascar tracks (darlington /daytona/etc). Might be tougher than you think. But I'm all for dreaming big! Go for it!

06-01-2008, 11:16 AM	#6
ihyln Banned Drives: M3post sucks Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: M3post sucks Posts: 3,389 iTrader: (1) Garage List 2008 M3 [0.00] 2002 530i [0.00]	I was doing a little math and I don't think 30 acres will be big enough. Each acre is 208x208ft roughly. So yeah, JM, I did go back to bed and maybe I'll build a drag strip instead.

06-01-2008, 11:20 AM	#7
Seth_Horwitz Tired of feather footed //M drivers Drives: 330ci, 911 Turbo X50 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: New York City Posts: 387 iTrader: (0)	I would become your best friend in the world if you built it, but never call you once the townsfolk caught you doing construction and had it stopped. My friend's friend (there was an article, so this isn't just heresay) began to build a motorcycle track on his private estate, and I believe even got the proper permits to go ahead with it. He was about half way in to the building when the NIMBYs (Not In My BackYard) filed and got an injunction to halt construction due to "potential noise pollution" caused by such a facility. The bottom line is that it got very very very very very messy, even after he went through all of the proper channels and thought he was, and should have been, OK. I'm looking for the link to the story, but can't find it. IF I were going to take the risk and try it, I'd build a karting track, save yourself some money, and have A LOT more fun. There's nothing like doing 120 mph in a Kart that is an inch off of the ground, and then turning on a dime. The famous quote is along the lines of "about as much fun as an F1 car, for a few million dollars less."

06-01-2008, 11:33 AM	#8
consolidated Major Drives: E90 M3 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 1,226 iTrader: (1)	Even if you could raise the money, no bank will loan a large percentage of it, your largest hurtles would be zoning (allowable land use), adjacent use compatibility, and environmental impact. Even though a track is potentially nothing more than a long parking lot that happends to be very very loud on the weekends it's not an easy path to hoe. I agree that 30 acres isn't even close to being enough land, unless your just going to build a cart or AX course. A decent new road course is going to be no less than 1.5 miles, ideally it would be around 1.8 to 2.5 miles. Large enough to have lots of cars without crowding but small enough to safely manage an event and keep costs low. These days developers sell condos and other facilities and amenities on-site to offset their costs, think country club/golf course/resort.

06-01-2008, 08:20 PM	#11
Davinhci Colonel Drives: 08 M3 E92 & 08 E70 X5 4.8 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 2,460 iTrader: (6) Garage List 2008 M3 [0.00]	that would be awesome if possible __________________ 08 E92 AW M3 \| HRE P40 19" \| APE Air Filter \| BMW Performance Grills \| White Side Gills \| CF Mirror Covers \| BMW Performance Pedals \| F1 Pinnacle Tint \| V1 Hardwire \| Dinan Performance Software \| Gintani Exhaust \| H&R Sports Springs \| RPI Scoops \| BMW CF Spoiler \| Challenge Diffuser \| Lux H8 V3 \| LCI Tail Lights \|

06-02-2008, 09:13 AM	#13
ihyln Banned Drives: M3post sucks Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: M3post sucks Posts: 3,389 iTrader: (1) Garage List 2008 M3 [0.00] 2002 530i [0.00]	well what about a 1/2 mile drag strip?

06-03-2008, 07:26 PM	#14
gadget Major Drives: 09 e92///M SSII DCT Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: US Posts: 1,194 iTrader: (0)	rally dirt track---

06-18-2008, 09:04 PM	#15
lucid Major General Drives: E30 M3; Expedition Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: USA Posts: 8,057 iTrader: (0)	I believe Palmer Motorsports is somewhat mired in the permit process. It's supposed to be 2.14 miles in 500 acres. You don't have enough land to put distance between the actual track and residents. http://www.palmermotorsportspark.com/ __________________