MotorSport Ranch

MotorSport Ranch is an auto racing facility located in Cresson, Texas 14 miles (23 km) southwest of Fort Worth. The membership-based track is described as a country club with a road course instead of a golf course, and features three track layouts, a skidpad, garages, a clubhouse, and on-site businesses.

For the television series, see MotorSport Ranch (TV series).
MotorSport Ranch
The Ranch, MSR Cresson
LocationCresson, Texas
Coordinates32.523841°N 97.616624°W / 32.523841; -97.616624
OwnerJack V. Farr
Address9012 Performance Court
Cresson, TX 76035
Broke ground1996
OpenedJuly 1999 (1999-07)[1][2]
Websitemotorsportranch.com
Original 1.7 mile road course (east)
Surfaceasphalt[1]
Length1.7 miles (2.7 km)
Turns11
1.3 mile road course (west)
Surfaceasphalt
Length1.3 miles (2.1 km)
Turns6
3.1 mile combined road course
Surfaceasphalt
Length3.1 miles (5.0 km)
Turns16
Skid pad
Surface200 ft × 200 ft (61 m × 61 m) asphalt

History

Founder and president Jack Farr felt inspired to open a venue for safe and accessible road racing[2] after attending a driving school and realizing the lack of such a place for racing drivers or enthusiasts, including over 20 failed road course projects in the DFW area.[3] Farr envisioned MotorSport Ranch operating as country club but with a road course instead of a golf course, where members pay an initial fee plus monthly fees to maintain membership.[2] In 1996 Farr purchased the land in Cresson that was once a working cattle ranch.[2] Over the next four years, $4 million, and five revisions of the layout, the first 1.7 mi (2.7 km) track opened in July 1999 with five members.[1] By the end of 2002 the second 1.3 mi (2.1 km) track opened[3] and the club had 353 members.[1] In 2007 membership grew to 670.[4]

The track has hosted press events,[5] One Lap of America,[6] LATAM Challenge Series, Formula Sun Grand Prix,[7] HPDE events, SCCA Track Night in America,[8] and many other racing series.

A reality TV show of the same name aired 13 episodes between 2005 and 2007.[9]

Track facilities

MotorSport Ranch rests on 304 acres (123 ha) of rolling hills[2] nestled in the south corner of the intersection of US Highway 377 and Texas State Highway 171. The property is split east and west between Johnson and Hood counties, respectively.

The asphalt-polymer track is 40 ft (12 m) wide and configurable to three different layouts, all of which may be driven either clockwise or counterclockwise.[8] The 1.7 mi (2.7 km) layout is the east section of the track and has 11 turns and 30 ft (9.1 m) of elevation changes. The 1.3 mi (2.1 km) layout is the west portion of the track and has 6 turns and 70 ft (21 m) of elevation changes. Those two tracks combine to form the third track 3.1 mi (5.0 km) in length, one of the longest in North America.[8]

The track is open to members 40 weekends per year[1] and also rents to driving schools, tire and car manufacturers, race teams.[4] The facility is home to several on-site motorsports businesses such as Texas Autosports, builder for Formula Mazda.[4][10] The facility also includes 300 garages, a covered grid pad, skid pad, and a clubhouse with observation deck.[11]

References
  1. Courtney, Barry (October 23, 2002). "For racers of all stripes, a club to call their own". New York Times. Vol. 152, no. 52280. p. G7. ISSN 0362-4331.
  2. D'aun Bosquez, Kristina (January 14, 2000). "Motor country club in the pole position". Fort Worth Business Press. Vol. 12, no. 38. pp. 1, 15. ISSN 1527-4667.
  3. Bennison, Gail (May 10, 2002). "Field of Dreams". Fort Worth Business Press. Vol. 15, no. 19. pp. 6–7. ISSN 1527-4667.
  4. Niederkohr, Tschanen (March 2007). "Racing for the Edge: MotorSport Ranch gives drivers new opportunity to run their cars". Aftermarket Business. Vol. 117, no. 3. p. 17. ISSN 0892-1121.
  5. Winfield, Barry (April 2008). "American Hero". Popular Mechanics. Vol. 185, no. 4. pp. 33–34. ISSN 0032-4558.
  6. Swan, Tony (August 2001). "The Usual Suspects". Car & Driver. Vol. 47, no. 2. p. 116. ISSN 0008-6002. And all but MotorSport Ranch, a new 1.7-mile jewel just west of Fort Worth, were familiar to One Lap regulars...
  7. "SUNY solar car completes first competition". Hudson Valley Business Journal. Vol. 19, no. 24. June 22, 2009. p. 22. ISSN 1050-1096.
  8. "MotorSport Ranch Cresson". Track Night in America. SCCA. Archived from the original on 2022-07-04. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
  9. "MotorSport Ranch (TV Series 2005- )". IMDb.
  10. Muramoto, David (August 2011). "Early Daze". SportsCar. Vol. 69, no. 8. SCCA. p. 64. ISSN 0300-6387.
  11. "MSR Facility". MotorSport Ranch.
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