By Mark Waite

Spring Mountain Motor Resort & Country Club submitted the successful bid on 120 acres of property immediately adjacent to the facility, during a modified competitive sale by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management Monday.

That means Spring Mountain Motor Sports had the singular right to meet any other submitted bids. The bids couldn’t be less than the federally approved fair market value of $645,000.

The addition means the total size of the facility will expand to 313 acres. The final purchase price wasn’t disclosed.

Spring Mountain Motor Resort is planning to immediately improve the property, beginning with a 1.6-mile track extension on the new property, and a half-mile extension on the current 2.2-mile configuration at turn four.

Owners say the new track extension will be 50 feet wide and extremely smooth, due to a special emollient mixed with the asphalt to provide an excellent grip and smooth surface, with exceptional banking, including 102 feet of elevation change with a banked bowl.

With this addition, the firm will be able to run four simultaneous track configurations, and multiple long track variations for country club members, driving school operations, track rentals and corporate events, with the longest configuration now totaling six miles in length.

“We’ve accelerated our development to realize our vision of Spring Mountain being a world-class motorsports facility,” Spring Mountain Motor Sports Chief Executive Officer and co-owner John Morris said.

“The acquisition of this new parcel of land from the BLM will allow us to immediately begin our track expansion and to build a lake for the enjoyment of our members, students and guests. After the track addition is complete, Spring Mountain will be the second-longest race track in the world.”

Nye County Commissioners endorsed the expansion, with an estimated cost of construction and infrastructure of $2 million. A county resolution said the extension of utility services will provide a public benefit to the undeveloped county fairgrounds site, across the highway.

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 western states, including Alaska.

The property was first put up for a modified competitive sale Aug. 18, 2011, which was postponed at the owner’s request.

Spring Mountain Advanced Driving School offers a variety of driving programs.

The Ron Fellows Performance Driving allows school participants to log up to 300 miles on the track, and the training repertoire includes one, two and three-day Corvette Advanced Driving Schools, a ZR-1 Program, two-day Radical Racing Schools, and SCCA instruction.

The facility also offers corporate and team building events, along with private driving instruction.

Co-owners John Morris and Brad Rambo acquired the 193-acre site from Rupert Bragg Smith in 2004 which at the time had a 2.2-mile track with a small building for classrooms.

They embarked on a major expansion project including separate classrooms for Corvette and Radical Race Car training, dozens of garages including some with second-floor condominiums, a clubhouse and fitness facility, another 1.5 miles of track, even a showroom for race cars.

Spring Mountain Motor Sports received a zone change for an 88-room MicroTel Inn and Suites on 5.4 acres in January 2009 to the south, which never materialized and has now expired.

Spring Mountain Motor Sports Ranch is a state-of-the-art racing facility and exclusive motorsports country club with over four miles of challenging racetrack and 20 configurations. Off the track, it offers resort-style amenities. Students receive professional high performance driving instruction, Spring Mountain is also the largest Radical race car distributor in the world.

Spring Mountain owners said their goal was to architect an exhilarating and challenging track to keep drivers engaged and continually learning, and to create an environment that could offer comfort and entertainment for those attending races, but not driving.

It is an independently owned and operated Nevada limited liability corporation, privately funded and headquartered in Pahrump.

The Club at Spring Mountain offers three memberships, the Classic membership requires a $15,000 initiation fee, then $4,000 annual membership dues, there is a $125 daily use fee for up to four guests to use the track.

From there it goes up to a charter membership with a $35,000 initiation fee and $5,000 annual dues and a corporation membership with a $100,000 initiation fee and $12,000 annual dues.

Additional information about the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School can be obtained by calling toll free 800.391.6891, or 775.727.6363, by email info@springmountainmotorsports.com, or by visiting the website at <a href=www.racespringmountain.com.

>www.racespringmountain.com