Hypercar playgrounds: race tracks with private clubs and luxury facilities

Track-only hypercars are big business. This year will see Red Bull enter the fray with its Adrian Newey-designed, V10-powered RB17 two-seater, offering millionaire car fans a new option alongside the likes of the Pagani Huayra R, Aston Martin‘s Valkyrie AMR Pro, GMA T.50 S and the LaFerrari FXX K Evo.

But once you’ve spent several millions on your machine, where then do you drive it?

Recognising that a track day alongside tuned Ford Fiestas and squirrelling Minis is not the natural habitat of these cars, or many of their owners, more exclusive options are popping up around the world. Racing circuits and entrepreneurs are catering for car owners who demand more luxury, with more pampering than you’d usually get from hiring out a full circuit, plus the opportunity to meet similarly wealthy hypercar owners,

Close to home, and opening soon, is Silverstone’s new residential development. The Escapade trackside accommodation offers priority and discounted track bookings; one-to-one racing tuition; and climate-controlled car storage at the circuit.

We take an in-depth look at the complex — and Silverstone’s evolution — in the June 2024 issue of Motor Sport. Below, we look at some of the other options for hypercar owners, from private circuits to exclusive racing series that might combine track access with high-end dining, swimming pools or spas.

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Thermal Club

Located 30 minutes outside of Palm Springs, California, sits the Thermal Club: a 5.1-mile, 26-turn strip of tarmac which can form eight different track layouts and support a multitude of high-powered machinery. At its heart sits “The Village”, which not only houses a bar, restaurant, swimming pool and the car tuning garage but also a full-sized putting green and event space.

For entry into the gated community as well as unlimited track time and charter jet access, members must purchase one of the 70 villas located at the site — which range between $1.2m to $1.5m each (£950,000-£1.2m) — or build their own, and pay a base fee of $1,200 (£960) per month plus a $125,000 (£100,000) initiation fee.

Since first opening in 2015, the Thermal Club has quickly become one of the most renowned private racing facilities in the USA and has since hosted pre-season testing for the IndyCar series in 2023 as well as a non-championship event earlier this year.

 

The Mararigawa Club

The uber-exclusive for the uber-wealthy: Japan’s breathtaking private race track built for an exclusive supercar owners’ club looks to have been pulled straight from a video game.

Nestled in the jungle-covered hills just 100km south of Tokyo, the 2.2 mile circuit built by Tilke Engineers and Architects — who are also responsible for the F1 tracks built in Las Vegas, Singapore and many others — is composed of 22 corners, an 800m straight and 250m in elevation changes.

Bordering the stretches of armco are five luxurious and spacious villas, all of which were sold privately prior to the launch of the circuit, and feature private housekeeping, concierge services and a four-car garage. There’s also a track-side clubhouse, which includes an indoor pitlane, bar, restaurant, family lounge, gym, 25m swimming pool, spa facilities, and natural hot spring baths.

For members wanting to set better track times, advanced driving lessons are available with 1995 Le Mans winner Masanori Sekiya while the attached paddock provides indoor climate-controlled parking for up to 350 supercars, which professional mechanics will maintain and prepare for a high-speed tour of Japan’s most picturesque race circuit.

The Club is currently running at capacity with 185 members, all of whom paid a one-time annual fee of $235,000 (£187,000).

 

Escapade Living, Silverstone

During Silverstone race weekends, the balconies of Escapade’s accommodation blocks will offer some of the best views of anywhere on the circuit — at a price to match. But it’s when the race trucks trundle home that the apartments will come into their own for hypercar owners.

With hotel-style design in the rooms and a clubhouse with swimming pool and spa — plus car storage offered at the track — it’s not unlike the facilities at private circuits. And it has something that the others don’t: the Silverstone circuit, with a history dating back to before the very first world championship grand prix.

Escapade Living says it will “redefine track days”. What this means remains to be seen, but residents have been promised priority booking and track day discounts, along with private instruction and a personalised performance programme.

In addition to renting the rooms, there’s also the option to buy a unit. This allows owners to stay for up to 30 nights a year. For the rest of the period, the apartment will be rented out, with owners receiving 35% of the revenue.

 

 

Monticello Motor Club

Built with the wealthy motor sport novice in mind, the Monticello Motor Club centres around a 4.1-mile multi-layout circuit located just 90 minutes from New York City. It was designed by sports-car legend Brian Redman who partnered with engineer Bruce Hawkins — who also had a hand in designing the Virginia International Raceway and New Jersey Motorsports Park — and was later improved upon by “active professional racers.”

While members are welcome to bring their own cars, they also have access to Monticello’s private fleet which features BMW M models, Aston Martins, Porsche Cayman racing cars, and spec Mazda MX5s. Each can be driven with professional driving instructors on board and a private concierge team remains available to organise travel to and from the venue as well as dinner reservations and on-site accommodation. Members are also welcome to join any of the five in-house racing leagues hosted by the Monticello Motor Club, including the GT4 Championship, the multi-class Member Challenge, the Mazda Classic and Cross Kart Racing.

Junior memberships (for racers aged 35 and under) begin at $45,000 with $5000 in annual dues, although buyers are restricted to just eight days of racing per season. For racers wanting unlimited track time, the gold membership can be bought for $115,000 (£92,000) with $17,700 (£14,100) in annual fees.

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Go on-board with a Aston Martin Vantage GT4 at the 4.1-mile Monticello Motor Club

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Concours Club

Branded as Miami’s “automotive resort” the $250,000 (£200,000) per year Concours Club is built for the wealthy — not that you’d need telling. The 2-mile circuit is located within the Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport, which hosts the private jets of F1 stars who come to town for the Miami Grand Prix. It boasts a multitude of configurations, is electronically marshalled and, while not packed with long straights, the series of technical turns could still pose a challenge for even the most experienced racer. Naturally, professional driver coaches are available, alongside real-time performance data and state-of-the art driving simulators.

Away from the track, members have access to a luxury lounge, a restaurant run by Michelin Star chef Brad Kilgore as well as access to lifestyle concierges.

The Club also offers a wide range of trackside vehicle storage options, in which members can store their cars and entertain guests, and gives access to a fleet of BMW M2 CS and M235s.

 

Autobahn Country Club 

The Autobahn Country Club was designed to have the feel of a golf club — just with a fleet of luxury supercars and a 21-turn race circuit.

For a $40,000 (£32,000) initiation fee and an extra $5,500 (£4,400) per year, members of the club in Joliet, Illinois, gain unlimited full track access as well as karting track access, professional driving instruction and entry into an exclusive club racing series. Country Club members can also store their cars at the circuit and stay in the trackside condos which are available upon request.

Social memberships, which cost $5,400 (£4,300) annually, allow for unlimited lunchtime touring when the circuit is not in use by country club members as well as access to the autobahn off-road trail.

 

Donington Hall Estate 

Situated minutes from the start line at Donington Park, the venerable Donington Hall Estate is undergoing renovation work to attract hypercar owners to its 18th century grandeur.

While the circuit itself needs little introduction, as a stalwart of national racing calendarsm in addition to the scene of perhaps Ayrton Senna’s greatest ever racing lap, Donington Hall has been in need of attention, having previously acted as the base of operations for Norton before it went into administration in 2020.

Circuit owner MotorSport Vision (MSV) bought the freehold of the countryside mansion in 2021 — as well as the former office building Hastings House and the Lansdowne workshops building —  and is currently converting it into a 49 bedroom luxury hotel.

As with other car clubs, guests will have the opportunity to stay close to the Donington Circuit overnight and keep their cars in the adjacent Hastings House building, which is being converted into a storage facility for supercars, classic road and racing machines and motorcycles.