Racing enthusiasts with money to spend can now do more than just watch high-speed driving—they can actually get in the driver’s seat.
Monticello Motor Club (MMC) in New York allows wealthy patrons to zoom around at up to 170 miles per hour at a private racetrack.
It’s one of a number of products and services that are gaining traction in the luxury sector by catering to wealthy car enthusiasts.
“I think like many of the members there, I always liked cars and I always liked speed,” said Lewis Liebert, a Connecticut resident and MMC member who owns and operates a private aviation company.
MMC’s 4.1 mile long racetrack gives club members the chance to drive their own car on a course designed by driving champion Brian Redman and racetrack architect Bruce Hawkins.
Members have different levels of access depending upon whether they have gold, silver, bronze or corporate memberships. The gold lifetime membership costs $125,000 with annual dues of $11,900 for virtually unlimited use of the track. More than half of the members are Gold level. The silver membership costs $75,000 initiation fee with $4,600 annual fees for 15 driving days during the typical mid-April through early-November driving season.
MMC Vice President Matt Gottlieb said many of the club’s more than 300 members own high performance cars, typically Porsches and Ferraris, which can be stored in onsite garages and maintained by the club’s staff.
“They’re all pretty big automotive enthusiasts,” said Gottlieb, noting some members own up to 20 cars.
“Most members bring their own cars,” he said, adding they they have the option of using one from MCM’s fleet of Jaguars, Land Rovers and track cars.
Located 90 miles from Manhattan, the “automotive resort” in Sullivan County, N.Y., offers a heliport with two landing pads.
Liebert, who joined the club in 2009, has landed his private single-engine plane on the track.
“I think like many of the members there, I always liked cars and I always liked speed,” says Liebert.
The track features 22 turns and 450 feet of elevation changes along with a skid pad and two pit facilities.
Members can also learn from professional instructors and drive some of the club’s full-fledged racing cars, such as a Praga R1 lightweight carbon filter car or the Radical, a car only used on racetracks.
After driving their own vehicle on the track, Gottlieb says members often buy a more specializes vehicle. A Radical SR3, for example, costs between $115,000 to $180,000.
About $40 million has been invested in the 670-acre former airport site, including construction of private garages and a pavilion with a dining area, kitchen, bar, offices, climate-controlled garage, classrooms, lounge, pro shop and locker rooms.
The club is also planning to use its land to construct “autominiums”—condominiums with direct access to the track.
