The Car Guy Country Club

About midway through my first ever round of golf as a teenager, it dawned on me that I was not a natural, and that becoming good at this game would require lots of money that could be better spent on cars. These days, there are more and more "country clubs" springing up for folks like me--except with way more money. Places where, for a hefty initiation fee and yearly dues, the serious enthusiast can enjoy track time, a clubhouse, and the fellowship of like-minded folk.

I just spent a glorious afternoon flogging the second coming of Cadillac's CTS-V around one of the newest of such clubs, Monticello Motor Club. I can't tell you anything about how the spectacular 556-hp supercharged CTS-V performed until September 24, but I can confirm that this looks like one of the better car-guy clubs I've seen or heard about.

First of all the track is pretty cool. Its 4.1 miles of pavement can be subdivided into three different circuits, the longest of which runs about 3.5 miles and includes a really long straight where the big dogs can achieve well over 150 mph. Undulating hills with a total of 150 feet of elevation change translate to about 450 feet of up-and-down per lap. With 22 unique turns, 12 distinct configurations, and over 1.5 miles of straights, this track boasts some of the fastest segments available in the world. Some of its blind rises and technical curve combinations purport to have been cribbed from the vaunted Nurburgring.

The price of entry is steep: $125,000, plus $7500/year dues. Members will also be able to buy trackside condos, and rent club-owned cars like a Ferrari 360 Stradale, Ford GT, and Lotus 2-Eleven. The club has its own private driving instructors that can provide instruction on demand, not just during scheduled classes. New member driving skills are assessed by the instructors, who ride along and provide instruction until his or her skill level is deemed sufficient to be turned loose on the track.

Track time is the big payoff of such memberships, and Monticello's arrangement is the most free-form. Weekend track use is exclusively reserved for members on the full circuit, but any member can drive on the track at any time with no reservations or advanced notice six days a week. Portions of the track can be closed for special events on some weekdays. During my drive, members shared the track with us in an F430 and a Ford GT. Located just 90 minutes or so by car (20 by chopper onto the club helipad) from the tycoon-dense islands of NYC, Monticello promises to be THE club for New England's horsepower set.

For $2500 you can spend a day touring the facilities, driving the track in your car or theirs (rental fees not included) and receiving driver training. The track, garages, and clubhouse have yet to be completed (the track still lacks one more layer of asphalt, curbing, and runoff area catch-fences), and more amenities are planned, but the 125 founding memberships are sold out and folks are already working down their lap times. Only 500 memberships will be available. If you can afford it and you're anywhere nearby, check it out.