Circuit upgrade kicks Autobahn Country Club up a notch

Autobahn Country Club is about to get considerably more exciting for current and future members. The private motorsports club in Joliet, Illinois, is adding nearly half a mile to its North Track as part of a long-term development plan called Drive to 2035.

The nearly $3 million expansion is one of the most significant track investments at Autobahn since the private racetrack opened in 2004. It adds approximately half a mile of new pavement, a 21-foot elevation change, an 11% grade, and a technical series of esses. The longest North Track configuration will now measure 1.5 miles with 12 turns, compared with the original nine-turn layout.

More importantly, the expansion gives Autobahn more ways to use the same piece of real estate, which is the one thing God ain't making any more of. New connection points allow the North Track to be driven in five distinct configurations, bringing the club's total number of road-course configurations to 11.

Autobahn Country Club is expanding its private racetrack

The new section was designed by Tilke Engineers & Architects, the grand architects internationally known for the track design behind many Formula 1 circuits, including Circuit of The Americas, Yas Marina Circuit, Bahrain International Circuit, and more. Tilke has also designed a growing portfolio of private motorsports club tracks around the world. This portfolio represents some of the finest racing surfaces in the world.

JR  Photon

Tilke isn't simply designing another conventional circuit for professional racing. It is a key figure in helping develop facilities built around members who want regular track time, hone their on-track skills, and simply enjoy the luxury of a world-class track as part of their recreational life.

At Autobahn, the new section features enough elevation and technical complexity to create a distinct character from the existing circuit. The 21-foot elevation change and 11% grade should make the new section considerably more interesting than simply adding another half-mile of pavement.

The additional configurations may be even more important. A private track has to serve its members repeatedly, and giving drivers multiple ways to approach the same tangle of asphalt can stretch a relatively compact facility to something much larger.

JR  Photon

Autobahn now has North and South road courses, 11 road-course configurations, Kart Circuit Autobahn, the Autobahn Driver Academy powered by Toyota, a Teen Driver Academy, a Toyota TRD Pro Off-Road Experience Center, autocross, a three-acre skid pad, and corporate, group, and hospitality programs. The club also operates a Member Racing Series with 51 annual races across open-wheel, prototype, and GT classes.

The private racetrack is only part of the magic

Autobahn Country Club was one of the early pioneers of the private motorsports club concept when it opened more than two decades ago. The idea was straightforward: instead of waiting for an occasional track day or race weekend, enthusiasts could essentially make a racetrack part of their regular lives. Not only that, but as Tom Herb, Chief Strategy Officer, is particularly eager to talk about, while the track time is cool and provides a lot of value for members, it’s the congregation in the garages, bar and trackside that makes Autobahn so special. That concept has grown the club into something considerably larger than just a private racetrack.

Autobahn Country Club

In other words, the track is still the centerpiece, but it is far from the only thing Autobahn provides.

That's an important distinction for the private motorsports club model. A conventional racetrack needs to fill a calendar with events. A private club needs to give its members reasons to keep coming back. That community aspect mixed with top-tier racing facilities is why this all works.

Autobahn Country Club's Drive to 2035 plan goes beyond the track

The North Track expansion is the first major project under Autobahn's Drive to 2035 development plan, which is intended to guide the evolution of the club's 330-acre campus over the next decade.

Autobahn says the plan builds on more than 20 years of experience operating as a private motorsports club. The goal is not simply to make the existing track longer, but to create more opportunities for members and guests to drive, race, learn, and weave themselves into the automotive community.

JR  Photon

The club currently has more than 560 members. Autobahn's broader description of the club says it serves more than 1,700 members and families. Regardless of which figure applies to which membership category, the scale of the operation illustrates how far the private motorsports club concept has evolved since Autobahn opened in 2004.

Welcome to the automotive playground of Illinois 

The Autobahn expansion is also a useful snapshot of where private motorsports clubs are heading. The modern version isn't necessarily just a fancy racetrack with garages attached. It is increasingly a place where enthusiasts can experience a wide variety of driving experiences and a proper community of like-minded car nuts.

Autobahn Country Club

Some people want to improve their driving. Some want to try something completely different. Some want to bring their family. Others, like most of us, simply want to belong.

The private motorsports club is essentially turning the racetrack into the anchor for a broader automotive community. Autobahn's new North Track will be unveiled Oct. 7, before officially opening during the club's OktoberFast weekend on Oct. 16-18.