Want to buy a racetrack? California’s Willow Springs Raceway is up for sale

‘The Fastest Road in the West’ could become ‘The Fastest Bit in your Back Garden’, or something snappier. Willow Springs Raceway – one of America’s oldest and most decorated circuits – is up for sale.

Officially inaugurated in 1953 following input from many including one Ken Miles – yep, the same Miles who nearly won Le Mans in 1966 but had to settle for second place – Willow Springs evolved into a monster 600-acre complex with seven individual racetracks.

It’s played host to a host of motorsport disciplines: going fast and turning to the left sometimes (NASCAR), IndyCar, motorcycle GPs, drag racing … it’s done the lot. Indeed it was Bill Huth who pioneered the latter two from 1962 when he became a ‘major partner’ of the raceway.

And it was Bill Huth who eventually became Willow’s full custodian when he bought it outright in 1980, expanding to its current size of 600 acres including building a track called ‘The Streets’.

And even if you’ve never been to Willow Springs, chances are you’ll have seen it. In 1966 George Lucas filmed a short titled 1:42:08, inspired by the lap time of the Lotus 23 driven by Peter Brocke. Two years later, Disney’s The Love Bug was filmed there. Fast forward to 2008, and it was added to Gran Turismo, then iRacing, and in 2018, it was used for filming a little film called Ford vs Ferrari.

The listing doesn’t state how much it’s going for, but - for the purposes of working out the property tax - does note a guide of $2,253,440. Which means for the asking price of yer average old auction Ferrari, you could buy a proper, old-school, world famous racetrack.