Source | pixabay.com
Ah, the private driving track. That James Bondian fantasyland that unites you, the car of your dreams, and unfettered freedom. A place where you can drive as fast as you want (or as fast as your vehicle of choice can handle it), laws—and common sense—be damned.
They're rarefied playgrounds, to be sure, and many require something like a five-figure membership fee, and that's if you're able to score admission. (Much like a country club, many require a member's recommendation.)
But that's what makes a fantasy a fantasy—that lure of the forbidden. And hey, most of the tracks below offer non-member days, where anyone with a car and a dream can show up and put the proverbial pedal to the metal.
Here, then, are the country's best spots for satiating your need for speed.
Monticello Motor Club
The specs: 4.1-mile track in Monticello, New York
The wheels: BYO (bring your own) or take a spin in a Jaguar F-Type or Porsche 911 from the club's fleet
The amenities: Private driving lessons, storage for your vehicle, an off-road track, fine dining
The bonus: On the off-chance you don't have $130K lying around for the lifetime membership fee, you can get a "Taste of the Track," which includes one full day of racing (including amenities) starting at $1,995.
The Thermal Club
The specs: 5.1 miles of road over three tracks in Thermal, California (near Palm Springs)
The wheels: BYO or get behind the wheel of a BMW, Porsche, or Aston Martin from the club's fleet
The amenities: A track designed by prolific designer Alan Wilson, on-site villas
The bonus: A spa and a kids' club—coming soon
Club Spring Mountain
The specs: 6.1-mile track in Pahrump, Nevada (near Las Vegas)
The wheels: BYO (generally), though there are some Cadillacs on site
The amenities: Condos, a clubhouse, racquetball court, a pool (you might almost forget to work some driving in!)
The bonus: Did we mention the freshwater lake? There's also a freshwater lake.
SpringMountainMotorSports.com/motorsports-country-club
MotorSport Ranch
The specs: Three road courses outside Fort Worth, Texas
The wheels: BYO vehicle (and FYI: motorcycles are welcome)
The amenities: Comparably sparse, but there are trackside villas
The bonus: You can rent out the track—and even have a local barbecue spot handle the catering. (This is Texas, after all.)
NOLA Motorsports Park
The specs: A 2.8-mile track in Avondale, Louisiana (near New Orleans)
The wheels: BYO (can include motorcycles)
The amenities: A waterpark, a full-on go-kart track, track days for non-members
The bonus: It's where parts of the Will Smith movie "Focus" was filmed.
Atlanta Motorsports Park
The specs: A 2-mile track in Dawsonville, Georgia, designed by an F1 veteran
The wheels: BYO (can include motorcycles)
The amenities: Public and private go-kart racing, stunt driving classes taught by Hollywood pros, military-inspired tactical driving classes, an off-roading course
The bonus: The track features a replica of the famed Carousel corner from Nürburgring, the famed motorsports complex in Germany.
Palm Beach Driving Club
The specs: A 2.2-mile asphalt track in Palm Beach, Florida, complemented by a quarter-mile strip for drag racing and an 8/10-mile go-kart track.
The wheels: BYO. Twice a month, they open the track specifically for vintage cars and street cars.
The amenities: A resident pro driver with Le Mans experience available to teach you performance driving, a scoreboard for tracking your best times
The bonus: The track is approved for Indy Car testing (now all you need is an Indy Car…). Oh, and roughly 90 minutes to the south, a separate group of racing enthusiasts is building Drivers Club Miami with the help of course designers who've worked on England's famous Goodwood Circuit and other iconic tracks.
Motorsports Park Hastings
The specs: A 2.15-mile road course in the middle of Nebraska. (Ducati, among other brands, has been known to make the trek.)
The wheels: BYO
The amenities: On-site condos with automotive-inspired decor, a performance driving course
The bonus: The “Field of Dreams"-level view is pretty much unparalleled.
Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving
The specs: A 1.6-mile track in Chandler, Arizona, complete with 15 turns and a worthy nickname: “The Fastest 60 Acres in America"
The wheels: BYO or drive one of the school's fleet of 200 vehicles, the most recent of which is a beast: an 840-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Demon
The amenities: A literal driving school—with classrooms and everything. If other tracks are more like country clubs for driving, this one is more like college. And, of course, the track's namesake, the legendary F1 driver and Le Mans winner, remains actively involved in his 85th year (and the track's 50th).
The bonus: A kidnapping experience, in case your dream is starring in "Days of Thunder" crossed with "The Game."
Bondurant.com/high-performance-driving
Aspen Motorsports Park
The specs: A 1.1-mile track in the Rockies, created in 1963 in response to a state law banning public racing.
The wheels: BYO
The amenities: Separate tracks for motocross racing and, of course, go-karting. Plus, the usual clubhouse, locker rooms, etc.
The bonus: A quarter-mile dirt oval for getting your off-road—um—on.
