Track News: New Flatrock Motorsports Park breaks ground

A new Tilke-designed racetrack in Tennessee will open next year, with the aim of attracting anything up to MotoGP and IndyCar to its 2.67-mile ‘Grand Prix’ road course.

Flatrock Motorsports Park and Motorclub has broken ground 30 miles west of Knoxville. They aim to host IndyCar, MotoGP, endurance racing, and maybe one day Formula 1 with a lot of additional modifications and enough money to pay the $50 million per year F1 sanctioning fee.

We give the track a 0.1% chance of ever hosting an F1 race, but it will be nice for IMSA and IndyCar.

Set to be constructed on a 773-acre site just off I-40, some 30 miles west of Knoxville, Flatrock Motorsports Park will feature a 3.50-mile Circuit Club track, a 2.67-mile Grand Prix track (FIA Level 2) that can be linked for nearly six miles of the Endurance circuit.

The $100 million project had its ground breaking ceremony on Wednesday morning. At this stage, there are no plans to make the Tilke Engineers & Architects-designed venue F1-ready.

It is the brainchild of developer and entrepreneur Rusty Bittle, who will be President of the venue, with the day-to-day run by COO Jeremy Hale.

“A Tennessee Motorsports Park is a legacy project for me and I am excited, along with our partners, to bring it to Cumberland County, Tennessee,” said Bittle.

With no straight long enough to make a meaningful pass, it really is best suited as a club track for rich gentleman racers.

They already have manufacturers coming and talking to them about renting out the 3.5-mile circuit. But the main events on the Grand Prix track will be in 2024.

“Visitors from around the world come to Tennessee for our unmatched scenic beauty and adventure,” said Commissioner Mark Ezell, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development.

“Flatrock Motorsports Park is the perfect combination for this entirely new, world-class driving experience.

“This development is sure to become a premier motorsports destination and an important economic driver for Cumberland County and the entire region.”