Market Value of FIA Grade 1 Race Tracks with F1 dates

Europe's population these days has deep rooted beliefs that go counter to auto raceing. I would imagine a race facility in the USA would have more value than one in Europe.

 

The value of the tourist laps on the 'Ring surely has to put the Nurburgring way ahead. COTA gets rented a handful of times a year, but almost every day there are people paying to drive on the Nurburgring.

 

The Nurburgring is surely worth a lot more than COTA, IMO.

The Nurburgring is a historical track that has been the birthplace of motor racing in Germany, and held top competitions for years, from GPs to endurances.
The Nurburgring is to Germany what Indianapolis is to the US! It's an iconic place.

Most German championships (touring cars, GT) are still based around the Nordschleife.
The track is in constant use during the week for track days, driving and riding schools, and at most weekends for various championships.

Beside, several hotels, guest houses and restaurants are based on the Nordschleife, as are several tuning firms, etc... and there is constant activity at the track.

The Nurburgring can perfectly survive without ever hosting the German GP again.

 

Nurburgring has made substantial losses in recent years hence the low price.

 

As a business I don't see a lot of value in a race track. Massive expenses (especially if you want it to look and be up to date), low income (even with F1), constant ''noise'' threats (don't live near a track then air heads!)...

Now a race resort, that seems like a much better investment to me.

 

I have read that several businesses around the Nurburg have complained about bad management in recent year under the previous ownership.

If I remember correctly, things got so bad that a Nurburbring-based racing school moved to Spa-Francorchamps because of the exhorbitant fees they were to pay! And several companies associated to racing closed doors because of inflated rents, etc...

I think that it must be terribly difficult to make a profit on track events only, on a circuit that is so big and expensive to maintain anyway.
But the Nurburgring is worth at lot to the local economy.
For years, part of its costs was met by the regional budget, but apparently no more.

 

Its worth way more than COTA because of this.

The Nurburgring was sold to investors who wanted to make it into a an amusement park for the Auto world... and it failed, mostly because it was out of the character for why people go to a race track, and the physical location of the ring is not great.. its pretty remote considering the larger towns are not that huge either.

Making the Nurburgring into a Country club type of track, to me would not work either, unless you sell thousands of condos etc... which I doubt would happen. as it is the track days and tourist days serve it well, but ongoing investment in safety and automation are probably needed. I don't think the actual land around and in the ring are owned by the Ring owners... as it is a "public" road ... technically. its an anomaly in the automotive world and for that fact it needs to be preserved.

 

Without F1 COTA would revert to a pasture or perhaps given the infrastructure now in place an industrial development. So whatever xx acres of Texas soil is worth, don't know the numbers. Add the dubious value of a contract with the troll as long as he see's fit.
The ring will always be valued well above it's land with or without F1.