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New York club lets high-end car owners push autos as hard as they can. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26533505/)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Ferrari_F430_Scuderia.jpgAP - Sept. 3, 2008

Ferrari F430 Scuderia – 13 mpg combined.

A sad commentary about America and it’s “All about me” :ccry: -- Ed.

MONTICELLO, N.Y. - Bill McMichael braked his new Ferrari F430 Scuderia into the turn, downshifting as he went into the corner. Then he punched it on the straightaway. Pedal down, engine whining an octave higher, the sleek, black car closed in on 140 mph within seconds.

Acting like a lead-foot is OK here at the Monticello Motor Club. Actually, speeding is pretty much the reason the exclusive club opened this summer in the Catskills.

Down the road, gasoline goes for around $3.70 a gallon and drivers think twice before making errands. But at this private club, work is going ahead full throttle to transform an old airport into a playground with pit stops for people who can pony up the $125,000 entry fee. If Monticello's operators worry about launching a luxury club as the economy sputters, they don't show it… http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26533505/

I'd much rather have them going crazy on a racetrack than on the road. Track days are available at many racetracks (Lime Rock in CT for example), and often clubs will rent tracks for a day. Porsche Club of America has done this for years.

I did some photography of vintage racing and it was clear that there were two categories of driver: people who really knew what they were doing (often well-known competitive racers in their day) and poseurs. Sometimes the latter would have impressive crashes: I remember seeing the orange bodywork from a McLaren Group 7 car go sailing up into the air and smash into small bits at Lime Rock.

Pity to waste gas this way but anything to keep high speed aggressive driving off the highways.

I used to talk with motorcycle roadracers a lot and one comment they often made was that they didn't ride on the street any more, it was much too dangerous. Huh? I commuted by motorcycle nearly every day and I didn't think it was that bad. Eventually I realized they really meant that it was much too dangerous for them, given the high speeds they liked. The track was their outlet for their need for speed.

Nice course for the next WFEC. But the $125,000 entry fee? These people live in another world.

Nice course for the next WFEC. But the $125,000 entry fee? These people live in another world.

Exactly, these people cannot relate to us. If we had that kind of cash we'd probably have similar habits.

Exactly, these people cannot relate to us. If we had that kind of cash we'd probably have similar habits.

Voodoo, you and GreenBlues are, IMHO exactly right! If only I could hit the lottery:woot:--cause that's the only way I'll get there--I'd join in an instant! A good reason to get rich!!! :D

If i were a billionaire i still would not allow my money to go to waste like that. Even as much as i love driving, and driving to the vehicles max capabilities, there are so many better things to do.

What if someone gets hurt?

Hi All:

___I can only hope that one day, this track and site will be loaded with Tesla like monsters with each and every owner/driver charging up packs and cars from a few acres full of PV panels so they are not consuming anything related to non-renewable fuel. They obviously have the $’s and we can only hope they begin to get embarrassed by BEV’s and their massive torque and such in the near future so they would transition to a much more sustainable solution. I just cannot get by racing by amateurs because they can rather than a goal of becoming the next Schumacher or Petty in competition. We all have our vices and I do in fact enjoy racing in some forms but what they are doing goes against so many grains here it makes me :ccry:

___Good Luck

___Wayne

I happen to live near Monticello and this track was the subject of much debate last year.


The area has fallen on pretty hard times since Atlantic City killed the Borscht Belt and any kind of new development is welcomed by the local governments.

Not necessarily by the local people though.

It's not like these rich car freaks are going to frequent the local eateries and retail stores.

Despite the wasteful nature of the business I have to say getting a large tract of land back on the tax rolls is a net good.

I don't have a problem with controlled competition even if it does waste some fuel. Electric will have it's day eventually.

We are racing RC cars in our small town. Most "serious" RC guys use nitro powered cars, but we are all using electric. We don't like the mess, smell, or noise of the nitro engines. The new brushless systems with Lithium Polymer batteries are amazing. There are 1/10 and 1/8 scale off road cars that will do 40 - 60 MPH. Most of our racing is in the 20-30 MPH range and our batteries last from 10-30 minutes. My car has a 200 watt brushess motor, which is not that high, but plenty of power for my driving. ;)

Electric cars are starting to show real promise in the RC world due to the brushless revolution and better batteries.

Pity to waste gas this way but anything to keep high speed aggressive driving off the highways.

I used to talk with motorcycle roadracers a lot and one comment they often made was that they didn't ride on the street any more, it was much too dangerous. Huh? I commuted by motorcycle nearly every day and I didn't think it was that bad. Eventually I realized they really meant that it was much too dangerous for them, given the high speeds they liked. The track was their outlet for their need for speed.

Lightfoot-

ditto. One town in Europe (Norway?) got tired of the street racing deaths among its teens and spent $20k to install a christmas tree in town and hold organized races with crash teams present. Deaths due to auto racing dropped >70% when they did that and banned anyone still found roadracing.