Lime Rock "The Club"

Formerly Steve Wilkinson · 07-07-2007, 03:37 PM

I just got a press release from Lime Rock, upon my return from today's ALMS race there, announcing that Skippie is looking for 300 buyers to pay $100,000 apiece to become members of "The Club at Lime Rock, an exclusive members-only sports club for automotive enthusiasts." That will give each member some 60 track days a year to use, and the membership will be good for 50 years--pass it down to your descendents, sell it, whatever.

I suspect this will have a huge impact on PCA DEs and club races at Lime Rock. I'm sure they'll keep the Nascar and ALMS events and a few others--vintage races, etc.--but I doubt the club members will want to share "their track" with people paying $150 a day for the privilege.

911nut · 911nut's Garage

How many people do you think are going to fork over that kind of dough to be in "the club"?

Formerly Steve Wilkinson · 07-07-2007, 04:16 PM

Quite a few, judging by the number (about a dozen) of high-zoot country-club tracks in development all over the country. Never underestimate Skip Barber; he was my best friend in college, we towed his Sprite racecar hither and yon, I once helped him make a midnight move to get out of his apartment lease in Philadelphia, and today he's a mega-millionaire, having sold the school for $40 million. If he thinks it'll work, it will.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 07-07-2007, 04:21 PM

depends if he can build buzz in Southern CT and NYC where $100K is often a rounding error. I could see it just being a status thing for a good 25% of members.

I wanted to do something similar with 2000 square feet of space in my office building: create a Porsche Workshop Club. Math wouldn't work though.

widgeon13 · 07-07-2007, 04:23 PM

Lime Rock is a great track and "The Club" sounds like a good idea. I would be concerned about the locals and their view of this move. A lot of very wealthy folks live in the immediate area and they already have ruled out any racing on Sundays. If it's utilization goes up significantly locals could put their foot down pretty hard on this idea. Just a thought.

Not sure I would pay 100K to race the same track all the time even though it's a great track. What will this mean to club racing and DE days at LRP??

Ron.G · 07-07-2007, 05:14 PM

What a great way to ruin the sport for the real enthusiasts.

I wonder if they will have the "buy" corner workers? I can't see spending all the money and having to stand out in the hot sun waving a flag or picking up that heavy fire extinguiser

Formerly Steve Wilkinson · 07-07-2007, 05:52 PM

Of course you "buy" corner workers. We (the Hudson Valley Region of tje PCA) already do that. What's the big deal? There are plenty of people in northwestern Connecticut who will stand around (rarely in the hot sun, since LRP has ample corner-worker shelters) pretty much doing nothing but watch racecars drive around all afternoon for whatever the going rate is. In the times I've myself done corner duty at Lime Rock, I've maybe twice waved a flag (oh, god, how heavy it was) and never once "picked up that heavy fire extinguisher."

As for the locals, I believe they've already been handled, during the last 50 years that the track has operated.

chrisp · 07-07-2007, 06:02 PM

It'll be interesting to follow. This basically means the end to car-club days at the track. It looks like they are reserving 5-10 days for use other than country club use. Hopefully they'll use it for some big races. They usually give out 65 or so days to clubs, car company programs, etc. 60 of these are going to the country club which leaves only a handful left. No way will they give these cherished days to car clubs.

Formerly Steve Wilkinson · 07-07-2007, 06:09 PM

My concern exactly.

chrisp · 07-07-2007, 06:10 PM

Call Skip and ask him.

karlusmagnus · 07-07-2007, 07:00 PM

Skip spoke at about 1h30pm today (after Sam Posey had given a 1pm lecture, and the editor of an auto print weekly, eric something), and said that everyone was going to have to make sacrifices ... clubs and SCCA would all give up time, school as well, in order to create the bank of time needed for the new club .... but that doing so would ensure longterm track survival .... clubs would share days perhaps while SCCA would donate a day or weekend ... that was how he explained it.

Pocono motor club is competition
look at how porsche has almost sold more GT3's and GT3RS's YTD than all the 996 GT3's combined for 2003/04/05.
That is a mushrooming track community.

Karl.

widgeon13 · 07-08-2007, 02:01 AM

That's really too bad because now track days will be nonexistent and LRP will be the playground for the rich and not so famous asshats. Not everyone can afford a GT3 and membership in "The Club".

NY65912 · 07-08-2007, 05:20 AM

I think it stinks.

A sad day for guys like me who don't own a GT2/GT3 or any other 100k plus sports car.

I love LRP, it is both a bucolic setting and the most fun (for me) of any track.

LRP is only a few hours away from NYC and is an easy ride trailering my SC. Other tracks are 6 to 12 hrs away.

I guess this is a good business model for Skip. But it really shows the economic divide.

I truly hope that the PCA regions can work out a deal to keep as many track days as possible at this historic and beautiful track.

Formerly Steve Wilkinson · 07-08-2007, 06:10 AM

I suspect there will be track days but that PCA regions will be combined--three or four sponsoring a DE rather than just one. Obviously this will mean just a third or a quarter as many drivers allowed per region as we've been accustomed to.

Don't be too hard on Skip. He's the steward of the track's fate, and he's trying to do something that assures its continued existence. Believe me, he doesn't need the money.

Dantilla · 07-08-2007, 06:13 AM

If it comes with a transferable title, I'd feel better about putting 100K into the club that 100K into a track car. After all, one goof, and the track car becomes scrap metal.

I suppose I may look a little bit odd if I was the only 944 out there with a bunch of "look-at-me" pseudo-racers. But I'm no longer interested in simple lapping days. I'd rather be wheel-to-wheel racing on SCCA days.

But if this turns out to be like a time-share, the smart people may wait and buy a membership in a few years on the re-sale market for half price.

Formerly Steve Wilkinson · 07-08-2007, 06:22 AM

Memberships will be good for 50 years, and you'll be able to resell them (through Lime Rock, not on your own) or will them to anybody you specify as long as they're in your family. I doubt that Lime Rock will allow them to go for half price, since they'll be the broker.

widgeon13 · 07-08-2007, 06:23 AM

This is most unfortunate because LRP is turning it's back on grassroots racers, the ones that made it what it is today. Driving your car to the track and racing and driving home, now it will be ultra exclusive garages, GT3's, F cars and whatever. For the race Sat and work Monday guys and gals, it's history.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 07-08-2007, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by widgeon13
This is most unfortunate because LRP is turning it's back on grassroots racers, the ones that made it what it is today. Driving your car to the track and racing and driving home, now it will be ultra exclusive garages, GT3's, F cars and whatever. For the race Sat and work Monday guys and gals, it's history.

Excellent description of Capitalism.

widgeon13 · 07-08-2007, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Shaun 84 Targa
Excellent description of Capitalism.

Call it what you want.

It is a way to make LRP into an elite club after 50 years of being used by the masses. What are they going to do w/ 30 mil at LR, turn it into Skip Barber University.

This may be a way of appeasing the rich locals with more limited traffic to and from the track as well as controlling noise and keeping out the white trash.

Kraftwerk · 07-08-2007, 10:35 AM

RIP Bridge Hampton....