AU N EGL

Skip Barber, President of Lime Rock Park, announced his plan for the future of the track. The objective is to guarantee Lime Rock Park remains the premier race course in the Northeast; that the facility is significantly improved without losing any of its charm or character; and that the track is a viable business for the next fifty years. As a huge step towards these goals, Skip has created The Club at Lime Rock Park.

The Club at Lime Rock Park is an opportunity for a limited number of people, 300 maximum, to have significant track time with 60 dates annually to choose from while also enjoying the company of like-minded enthusiasts. This is unprecedented access to Lime Rock Park where it is currently impossible to rent even an hour.

Lime Rock Park is nestled comfortably in the lush green foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, and is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and historic road racing facilities in North America. Since opening in 1957, it's been "home track" to many of the East Coast's motor head population. On the way there you get to see some marvelous old houses, farms and estates. This is where the old money lives – quietly and without ostentation – and you can smell the history and pedigree in the atmosphere. And, the track fits in perfectly with the majestic green of the Berkshires rising all around, an old stone church just across the way, and track buildings that reflect and respect their surroundings. There's even a clear mountain stream running right alongside the pit straight and unmatched spectating from the shady hillsides overlooking the Esses. A perfect setting for a motor sport club and the only one currently open in the Northeast.

"But don't let the quaint New England ambience fool you: Lime Rock is one fast and serious racetrack!" – adapted from Burt Levy, Race Track Guide Series, Vintage Motorsport.

The membership cost at The Club at Lime Rock Park is $100,000 and the length of membership is 50 years. Membership can be passed down in the family or resold through The Club.

"My biggest fear is that, if the business and finances of Lime Rock Park are not sufficiently strong, the value of this beautiful piece of property could exceed its value as a racetrack and that when I am no longer around a future owner will be tempted to convert it to a golf course…like what happened at Bridgehampton," declared Barber.

The membership dollars will be used to improve the entire Park. This is a way to guarantee that all improvements on the "wish list" will happen - everything from repaving the track to new bathrooms, an updated Media Center/Clubhouse and a larger and more efficient entrance, to name a few. The economics of a road racing track by itself won't pay for this magnitude of improvements. Future owners will not have to make these capital expenditures.

More good news is that all the track's constituents – spectators, amateur racers, professional racers, club members, students and mechanics - will benefit from the improved facilities. Everyone will benefit from The Club at Lime Rock Park.

The Club at Lime Rock Park's first full season will be 2008. However, there are four dates reserved this Fall for qualified Club applicants to sample the facilities.

Source: http://www.the-paddock.net/content/view/241779/49/

Tintin

Criminy, for $30 million you can build one heck of a race track that has a lot longer lap than Lime Rock.... and better weather

FasterIsBetter

Good ol' Skip. He nothing if not a shrewed businessman. Maybe before anyone puts up money, they should ask him what happened to all that money that he's collected from clubs as a surcharge for the last few years that was supposed to be used to REPAVE THE TRACK!!??!! He's been hitting us all up for that for years. But instead of repaving the track, it looks like he used that money to pave the pits, which he had to do to keep ALMS there, and who knows what else. And here, I thought this posting was going to be about Skip finally getting approval to increase the size of the track. LOL

With all of the pressure that LRP gets from the locals and the limitations imposed by the state (no track activities on Sundays, noise limitations, etc.), I'd be sure I read the offering statement and prospectus REALLY carefully before giving Skip a dime.

I like LRP a lot. It's the first track I really spent any time at. But the "premiere" track in the Northeast? I guess it depends how you define "northeast". I certainly hope that LRP survives. But $100K membership? Not me. And if he cuts 60 track days out of the current schedule, which looks pretty full, that's not going to leave a whole lot for the rest of us. Guess I'll be spending more time at Watkins Glen and Pocono.

BrianCunningham

Great way of keeping it running.

Nothing like people who buy a house by a racetrack, and then expect it to shutdown.

AU N EGL

Still no use on Sundays ???

sefa01

I saw the booth selling the Lime Rock Club memberships when I was at the ALMS race this past Saturday. While I like Lime Rock, a few days a year there is enough. VIR, The Glen, Pocono and the new Thunderbolt are places I could spend many days each year.

And at $100,000 a pop (it's actually $110,000 since there is an additional $10,000 for tax), I think I'd pass even if Lime Rock was my favorite track. Kind of makes the new Alpine facility seem like a huge bargain at $30,000 (with $22,500 of that coming back to you in 10 years).

Wicked Weasel

Thunderbolt is $5K initiation and $2500 per year. It will take 38 years to equal the $100K that LRP wants. So you lose out on 12 years, but you should get a better track and much better facilities. As a bonus you might even get more track time because your spouse and kids can find something to do instead of worring about deer ticks and lyme disease

anotherone

take 30 mil and build a world class facility in fl or ga and use it year round!!!!!!!!!

John Shiels

I like to run there but ol skip can jam it even if I had millions. He also has a yearly fee on top.

z060ntrack

Okay, I bit on your title, I thought you meant improvements

rbl

SCCA apparantly won't give up any track days so there goes the member days ...

Scooter70

It's bad enough that COM's date is in November. Now they're probably not even going to get that.

I did Skip's race school at Lime Rock, I've been to several Vintage Festivals, and a bunch of races so I really love the track but this "track membership" thing is starting to become a joke. There are several of these that are supposedly being built around the northeast. We'll see how it goes.

BTW: I almost bought Scott Sharp's front fascia at the "Pave the Park" auction in the early 90s. Too bad we had no way to get it home in the '70 LT-1.

Cbntmn

Im in Jacksonville. We need a 3 mile road course, drag strip, and go cart track combo.

I would imagine 30 million would be a good start. Then build some race condos on the side, garage/pit below with condo above. Skip, you wanna throw a condo/timeshare on the property into the deal then maybe you will have some takers.

If i went to lil ole Roebling Road and gave them 100k they would let me run there everyday for the next 20 years.

ghoffman

It is sad, it could be so much better. I don't really want much, pavement in the paddock, decent bathrooms, new repaved surface. I wish him good luck.

anotherone

too funny, your right; stay tuned because Moroso is rebuilding as we speak and rumors say world class with amenities. Hopefully clubs wont be priced out!!!!!

redvetracr

I`m sure someone will correct me but didn`t Utah businessman Larry Miller spend more like $80M to build Miller Motorsports park??