FIRST BIKE WEEK, THEN LOUDON, NOW THIS...

New clubs with their own private autobahns (Abraham McLaughlin, July 07, 2003, The Christian Science Monitor)

Deep in New Hampshire's north woods, up past Lake Winnipesaukee's bustling resort towns, stands a verdant mountainside that may soon be buzzing with the latest trend in America's love affair with cars. Sprawled on 320 acres would be a members-only "car country club" - complete with clubhouse, swimming pool, weekend villas, and a 3.3-mile racetrack winding through the woods.

Forget leisurely golfing on the back nine: This place would be about testosterone, octane, and speed - so much of it, in fact, that some locals worry the club would forever spoil their picturesque town.

Still, the car-club concept is catching on. Plans are afoot for members-only tracks near the Appalachian Trail in eastern Pennsylvania and in Joliet, Ill. And existing tracks are offering pricey memberships and country-club amenities They're all signs of an American cultural convergence - NASCAR meets the Hamptons. It's a kind of upscale go-kart track in a gated community, a place where wealthy and increasingly footloose baby boomers can live out their fast and furious fantasies.

"Country-club-type racetracks are going to become established in America," predicts Alan Wilson, a legendary racetrack designer involved in the three projects. Golf clubs have prospered as spots for elites to socialize, play, and do business. So will car country clubs, he says. "But instead of playing with a five iron, they'll play with a Ferrari."

Great, weekend rainbow warriors... Posted by Orrin Judd at July 7, 2003 10:43 PM