PLANNING CONTINUES FOR ALABAMA MOTORSPORTS PARK
Internationally renowned road course designer retained as consultant
MOBILE, AL Planning for the Alabama Motorsports Park, A Dale Earnhardt Jr. Speedway continues. Gulf Coast Entertainment, L.L.C. investors have retained Apex Circuit Design Ltd (www.apexcircuitdesign.com) as a consultant for the road course. Apex is owned and operated by Clive Bowen.
Apex Circuit Design, based in the UK, is internationally respected and is an FIA-recognized motorsport circuit design consultancy. Apex specializes in the development of multi-revenue, commercially viable sports and leisure destinations, working in partnership with some of the World’s finest architects and engineers. Its motorsport projects include; the Dubai Autodrome (UAE), Ghazala Bay circuit (Egypt), Iceland MotoPark (Iceland), Hampton Downs Circuit (New Zealand) and the Sharjah street circuit (UAE). In addition, Apex are or have been contracted to provide master plan designs for Silverstone Circuit (UK), Rio Jacarepagua Circuit (Brazil), the Madras Motorsports Trust (India) and several other confidential projects yet to be publicized.
“This project embodies everything we know is required of a successful ‘destination.’ The investors are real estate specialists and developers who understand that we must create a place that appeals to everyone not just those with gasoline in their veins,” says Clive Bowen. “The plot is hilly and we’re going to create a race track that is exciting, beautiful and one that offers a European style of racing challenge.”
The road course and its design will utilize as much of the natural topography as possible to create a visibly exciting and technically challenging race track. At 3.3 miles in length, as an FIA Category 2 status circuit, it will be suitable for many international forms of motorsport road racing, and all forms of motorcycle racing. It will share the paddock facility with an adjacent ¼-mile drag strip and create the heart of the motorsports location, close to entertainment, dining and merchandising areas. Apex will also consult on the design of the drag strip.
Bowen and his team have included a ¾-mile karting circuit within the road course that will be suitable for public and private events, inclusive of racing activities for recreational usage to championship events.
Alabama Motorsports Park, A Dale Earnhardt Jr. Speedway is a property of Gulf Coast Entertainment, L.L.C. The entertainment complex is planned to house four racing venues, retail shopping, restaurants, an RV resort, and other venues such as music theaters. The investors plan to open the complex for racing in the fall of 2009 and to be fully operational in 2010.