Supercars and rare classics are pretty tired as shows of wealth go. Sure, it’s nice to have a RUF CTR2 Sport, but what good is a historic race car without the skills to drive it? If you wanna prove yourself more than some sleazy supercar speculator, you have to do it on the track, and the more time spent there, the more respect you’ll earn from the grassroots racing crowd. And there’d be no better way to curry favor with this rather delightful group of people than by sharing with them your private racetrack, such as the one that just popped up for sale in Oregon.
Located two hours east of Portland, Oregon Raceway Park is a road course situated on a 434-acre tract in the creatively named city of Grass Valley. It consists of 16 corners stretched across a 2.34-mile course with 400 feet of elevation change, or 65 more than the famous Spa-Francorchamps. It’s no podunk paved logging road, either; its 40 foot-wide tarmac is laid over a 16-inch roadbed, which will guarantee a smooth racing surface for many years to come.
Let any doubts about whether this track is a grade-A investment be dispelled by onboard lapping footage, which makes it look like a cross between Road America and Virginia International Raceway, but set way out in the boonies like High Plains Raceway. Its flowing, interlinked corners crest hills, explore valleys, and open up onto a handful of long straights that separate the Miatas from the Mustangs.
And like any good racetrack, ORP is a lot more than just a stretch of pretty road without a speed limit. Its facilities include a 12-bay garage, a fully paved paddock, and two above-ground refueling stations. Modern restrooms complete with showers let racers rinse the sweat off after a long day of lapping, and if said day is cut short by an impromptu visit to the track’s historic barn, emergency responders have a dedicated aid room for picking the splinters out of your skin.
Over 100 acres of the land where ORP is located are undeveloped, and can be converted into farmland to supply Portland with organic heirloom vegetables (fresh beefsteak tomatoes hell yeah). The only issue is that the track’s management wants someone to buy out its business entirely, and at $10 million according to the Loopnet listing, that’s no small proposition for anyone but a billionaire. That also means honoring all the track’s existing contracts, so there’s no turning it into your own fully private track yet—not that it’d be any fun to lock out your fellow racers in the first place.
Got a tip? Or even just a cheaper circuit for sale? Send us a note: tips@thedrive.com