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Who wants to go in on buying Willow Springs International Raceway?

CDONA said:
Another project for BARF Real Estate Land Co. ??

Cerro Gorda project ??
The Junction ?
California Forever ?
🏁🏁🇺🇲
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Don't forget the battleship floating houseboat condo co-op.
Need quite a long gangplank access though.
Just cut a canal and move it to Willows.
 
Besides the selling price, whatever that turns out to be- gonna need significant operating money. No doubt many things need repair; track, pits, worker stations, bathrooms, bleachers, RV parking & hookups or drain station, ticket selling capabilities, damn good web page that is kept fresh- Sales, marketing, operations, maintenance staffs (full and part time), security and race/trackday staff. Don't forget- a big, bigfuckingass insurance policy in Kaliforniastan. You might have enough for a $20 BigMac meal by the time its ready to open, but I doubt it. It strikes me as a business one can't do sorta/kinda- go large or stay home. I'd start thinking of ways to multipurpose it now.
 
The interesting thing is that, despite the existence of Willow Springs, someone decided it would be a good idea to open Chuckwalla Valley Raceway.

I guess to serve the expanding Inland Empire rather than LA, which, I think Willow is closer too.

I mean, we have Willow, Fontana, and Chuchwalla, all pretty close together.

Fontana is gone now, since they're redoing the track.

The shut down Willow Spring Motorcycle Club a while ago.

As you can imagine, I know nothing of the Racetrack Business.
 
I could be wrong of course, but wasn't Chuchwalla originally a JV with one or more manufacturers as a testing facility? Must not have worked out...
 
I think Chuck gets more investment into a smaller property. For example, it's been open for a relatively short time and has already been repaved. Chuck also has little cabins to rent which seem to be a huge hit on a race weekend. In comparison, BigWillow finally had some repaving done, but I hear it was only partially repaved and done poorly. Streets got a new surface too, but of course they didn't touch the skid pad (final turn) which was the worst part. Things like that make it harder for renters (trackday or race orgs) to sell tickets. WERA went back to BigWillow once or twice and had TERRIBLE attendance. Fewer riders and drivers want to go because it's not up to their standards.

If I owned it, I'd add to the BigWillow layout to make it more friendly and fun. There's so much room in the middle of the whole track. Add 4+ turns because sitting in a super long turn is boring, eats tires, and is higher risk. Put in some real curbs to make it at least look like everyone isn't hanging out in the desert. And add as many facilities as you can find uses for.
 
Interesting idea on the inner track turns. I was lucky enough to race their in the heyday of the 80's, when AFM South, WERA and WSMC all ran there plus cars, go karts and who knows what else. Before streets was born.

Huth was always around and some professional announcers would call some of the races.

Seeing Randy Renfrow disappear into the darkness in T-8 was a bit unerving and see Kazman carve thru a big jackrabbit like butter in the same turn was shockingly entertaining. That was also in the dark except for my headlight and his.

I always felt it had potential as a seriously high end facility.
 
budman said:
Interesting idea on the inner track turns. I was lucky enough to race their in the heyday of the 80's, when AFM South, WERA and WSMC all ran there plus cars, go karts and who knows what else. Before streets was born.

Huth was always around and some professional announcers would call some of the races.

Seeing Randy Renfrow disappear into the darkness in T-8 was a bit unerving and see Kazman carve thru a big jackrabbit like butter in the same turn was shockingly entertaining. That was also in the dark except for my headlight and his.

I always felt it had potential as a seriously high end facility.
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If it had lighting like Losail, it would be a contender. Who TF wants to race in the desert in the daytime? :laughing
 
It is probably not as hot as THill, but still hot. The afternoon wind can be brutal and plenty of times the fast dudes removed some side fairings to try to minimize it. You may be right now, but in the day the track attracted lots of people willing to go fast in the middle of nowhere.
 
The wind was legion at Willow. I just remember riding out there to watch, all of the bikes on the highway has an inherent lean to them to counter the wind.

Worse, when they passed a large truck, that blocked the wind, the bikes would stand right up, but then swerve since you had to keep pressure on the bars. Made for a fun ride out.

I also remember watching the riders dive into Turn 9 (which a really fast sweeper), which is obscured by a dust cloud. You just hoped then came out the other end.
 
Someone well connected on the WERA forum says the asking price is $85M. Oooof. IMO, they are just fishing and don’t actually want to sell.
 
OK I am in for a hundo now.. just to help out.
 
stangmx13 said:
Someone well connected on the WERA forum says the asking price is $85M. Oooof. IMO, they are just fishing and don’t actually want to sell.
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In California… with the current tax structure? Yea right keep on dreaming….
 
Willow could do well with modern condo garages, new pavement, and an air strip. Pool facility as well. But, it gets snowy in the winter...
 
BARF investment group.

I’m mean, idk how much down would be needed to finance the deal. But I’d be willing to run as I’m down here in SoCal.
 
If Emelia Hartford does go in on buying it with investors and sets up investment packages I'll likely throw money at it. I've got thousands of laps around those tracks. Even with Willow being declared a historical landmark I'd hate to see it at risk of going into disrepair or going away entirely.

I'm sure the Donut team will throw some money at it with her as well, they shoot so much stuff at Willow, and I know they have some money at Grange in Apple Valley as well.
 
I'd like to see her get it. I really enjoy her videos and her love of horsepower.
 
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