Willow Springs Raceway could be yours for about R41m

One of America's most celebrated race circuits, Willow Springs Raceway, is up for sale. 

Located about 130km north of Los Angeles, this 4.023km circuit held its inaugural race on November 23 1953 and features a layout designed with input from Ken Miles, an English race driver and engineer immortalised in the 2019 Oscar-winning film Ford v Ferrari.

Nicknamed “The Fastest Road in the West”, Willow Springs Raceway was purchased by Bill Hurth in 1962 and quickly expanded over the coming years into what can only be described as a motorsport mecca: a 600-acre complex home to six other racing facilities.

These include The Streets of Willow (2.9km road course), The Horse Thief Mile (1.61km road course), The Speedway at Willow Springs (400m paved oval), Willow Springs Kart Track (a 1km, nine-turn paved sprint track), The Playpen (a 400m paved training track), and the Walt James Stadium (250m clay and paved oval). There's something for everyone.

Since its inception Willow Springs Raceway has played host to numerous motorsport disciplines including NASCAR, Indycar, Can-Am, Trans-Am, motorcycle grand prix, drifting and drag racing. Though it's never seen a Formula 1 grand prix, the circuit was in the early 1980s used by the factory-backed Renault Formula 1 team to test their cars before the early season US Grand Prix West held at Long Beach in Los Angeles.

Off track you will find a generous pit complex, various admin areas, dining and catering facilities, a gift shop, media centre, tyre shop, several single-family homes and apartments and fuel depot with thousands of litres of tank space. There are also sizeable water wells, a good thing considering the circuit is located in the Mojave Desert. 

No asking price is given, however a recent assessment of the site values the complex at $2,253,440 (R41.61m). Interested parties can submit an offering memorandum.