The Nations Oldest Road Racetrack Starts a Big, Costly Face-Lift

Deep in the Mojave Desert, about a 90-minute drive from Los Angeles, sits the Willow Springs International Motorsport Park.It dates to 1953, making it the oldest road course of its kind in the country — and, until recently, one of the most spartan, as far as facilities go.But as sports cars have grown ever faster, especially at the highest end, demand has grown for upscale private tracks.

The supercars of today can hit speeds not safely attained on public roads.The new owners of the track, in Rosamond, Calif., are making plans to cater to these cars’ deep-pocketed owners.Golf course developers long ago learned there was good money to be made adding a 19th hole — a clubhouse bar and grill.

Over time, condominiums joined those establishments in generating revenue.Across the country, tracks have adopted this model, especially with automobile racing increasing in popularity — driven by the success of Netflix’s Formula One show “Drive to Survive” and by wealthy collectors eager to take their prized cars for a safer — and legal — high-speed spin.The Huth family, the track’s owners since 1962, sold it this year to a joint venture that brought together Cross Harbor Capital Partners and Singer Vehicle Design, in a spark of marketing synergy.

In mid-October, an event called Willow Springs Reimagined Day showed off the racetrack to the public with racing and other events.Cross Harbor is the driving force behind the Yellowstone Club, a private 2,900-acre skiing, golfing and “adventure” community in Big Sky, Mont., among other ventures.The club has prospered, with expensive homes, initiation fees of $400,000 and a cap of 900 members.

Among them: Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Tom Brady, Warren Buffett, Justin Timberlake and Bill Ackman.Singer Vehicle Design makes seven-figure confections based on used Porsche 911s.

The Singer brand is catnip to the motoring rich.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your brows...