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Willow Springs Under New Ownership, Partners with Singer
The Fastest Road in the West officially has a new owner. CrossHarbor Capital Partners has teamed up with some well-known names to revamp the facility and expand its appeal to motorsports enthusiasts. “We are committed to serving the community for decades to come and creating a space where all members of the car community can collectively share their enthusiasm for Willow Springs and motorsports,” said Sam Byrne, co-founder of CrossHarbor Capital Partners.
Plans for the facility include renovations to the tracks to keep them safe as well as improvements to pit and paddock facilities. While we knew that CrossHarbor was interested, the official press release named Singer Vehicle Design as a partner for the first time. The boutique company has reimagined and refurbished more than 100 Porsche 911s into some of the most sought-after driver’s cars in the collectible market. With its production facility and many of its customers hailing from Southern California, the location makes perfect sense for its first private members’ club at the track. Singer’s chief strategy officer, Mazen Fawaz, said, “Willow Springs is an important part of California’s motorsport heritage for enthusiasts, and everyone with an automotive obsession. Singer has two decades of track days, racing, and development at Willow’s circuits. We are delighted to help make sure that it’s in safe hands and can be an even more impressive part of California’s car culture for the next seventy years. Its custodianship is a responsibility we are not taking lightly, and our partners could not be better suited to see it through.”
CrossHarbor Capital Partners has brought in Alex Wurz, head of Wurz Design and two-time Le Mans winner and former F1 driver, to keep the tracks in proper racing shape and improve safety. Sonoma Raceway, a subsidiary of Speedway Motorsports, will oversee track operations, and design firm Hart Howerton will create the overall vision for the facilities to support the expanded endeavor. Hart Howerton has plenty of large-scale and high-profile projects under its belt, like Hollywood Park in Inglewood.
In addition to Singer’s private club hosting events on-site, the track’s three main road courses will remain open for both public and private events, as will facilities for karting and ATVs and on-track driver instruction. CrossHarbor also plans to expand the track as a tuning and development tool for race teams and manufacturers. New facilities will allow for on-site car storage, and a museum is in the works as well. With so many tracks on-site, there should be plenty of room for all of it.
We’re not sure how far along CrossHarbor and Singer are in their plans, but we’re eager to see what the future holds for one of our favorite tracks. The location has a fantastic motorsports history, with potential for much more. It’s too early to say, but it seems that the new owners have enthusiasts—as well as the track’s storied history—in mind, which is what all of us were hoping for.
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“We are committed to serving the community for decades to come and creating a space where all members of the car community can collectively share their enthusiasm for Willow Springs and motorsports,” said Sam Byrne, co-founder of CrossHarbor Capital Partners.
If you’re wealthy.
Well, that’s a relief. I was afraid it would be turned into golf courses and condos.
That would have been one hell of a place for a golf course. And I really mean HELL! 🙂 It’s hot, dry, windy, hilly, and sandy.
Glad to see it won’t be going. I am very curious what is going to happen. I imagine prices for events would likely go up, but no way to know for sure right now.
In 1980, I bought a ‘55 Speedster and joined the San Fernando valley region of PCA. We would drive up to Willow Springs and run time trials for most of the day. When I got on the freeway, I had to stop quickly and nearly spun off the shoulder. I had never experienced brake fade before and slowly nursed the car home. The next day the brakes were fine as I drove to work. I sold the Speedster and bought a 911 and took it up to willow several times. I lived in Ventura about 25 years later and I wanted to see how my ‘64 356 would do on the track, but never got the chance. But I remember now much fun it was with both of the two cars I raced up there.