On Course

Fifteen years ago, country-club racetracks were popping up where you’d least expect. Amazingly, they still are.

- Sam Smith

IN THE HILLS of eastern Tennessee, on a 324-hectare plot of land, a small army of construction workers is hustling to finish a US$250 million gated community. On the day of our recent visit, the place was little more than a 5.6km loop of pavement, with 39m of elevation change from beginning to end.

The vision of Knoxville developer Rusty Bittle, Flatrock Motorclub is a private racetrack and luxury residence community rising about 45 minutes west of the city. Collaborating on the project is Tilke Engineers and Architects, the German firm behind numerous Formula 1 tracks around the world, including Circuit of the Americas, home of the US Grand Prix. "When Tilke started," Bittle recalls, "I said, 'Listen, guys, I need a track that's ever-challenging, one I can't conquer, one that scares me every time I get on it'."