Project Background and Development Overview
What SBRC is, where it sits, and what it comprises — the location, the size, and every major element of the development.
About SBRC
The Santa Barbara Race Club is a master-planned motorsports community on roughly 4,300 acres in the Orcutt / Santa Maria area of Santa Barbara County, California. At its heart is a set of world-class road circuits designed to international (FIA Grade II) standards, but the project is built as a year-round private club and residential community — with a luxury real-estate program, hospitality, lifestyle and recreation amenities, an OEM performance center, a motorsports business park, and continued agriculture on most of the land. Most days are member and program days, not spectator events; the plan preserves the option of up to two major international events a year as a later phase.
The site — location and size
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Orcutt / Santa Maria area, Santa Barbara County, California |
| Total site | ~4,300 acres (former ranch) |
| Agriculture | ~3,000 ac farmable; ~2,000 ac leased to growers; ~1,000+ ac retained for agriculture or future phases |
| Circuits | Three connectable road courses: 3.5, 6.10, and 3.45 miles (10–14 mi combined for marquee use) |
| Phase I circuit | Single 3.5-mile club-specification course (configurable to ~2.5 mi); first to be built |
| Residential | ~150 acres (~600 quarter-acre lots, plus premium, trackside, and view lots; garage condominiums; villa estates) |
| Core paddock | ~80 acres (garages, fuel station, media and medical centers, storage, maintenance, water treatment) |
| Karting | ~40 acres (FIA-CIK facility, recreational and competitive) |
| Parking | ~50 acres, capacity ~5,000 vehicles |
| OEM testing | ~90-acre private canyon for confidential manufacturer prototype testing |
Beyond the track — what SBRC comprises
The track is the anchor, but the community is what makes SBRC a year-round place rather than an event venue.
Private motor club & residential community
Membership-based access to the circuits, paddock, and amenities, paired with a luxury real-estate program of garage condominiums and private villa estates that creates a permanent on-site community of members and families.
Lifestyle, hospitality & driver development
Equestrian, tennis and pickleball, a spa and wellness center, resort pools, and a farm-to-table clubhouse; an on-site hotel and food-and-beverage; and driving academies, racing schools, and high-performance and safety training for members, the public, and corporate clients.
Industry, innovation & education
An OEM performance center and private testing canyon; a motorsports business park for race teams, fabrication, and suppliers; a research and education center; a visitor hub with live entertainment, retail, and a motorsports museum; and a conference and media center.
Community & emergency-services training
A medical center providing paramedic services and EMS / medical-student training, plus dedicated law-enforcement vehicle-training and fire-and-rescue training areas.
Agriculture & water
Continued farming on most of the land, with on-site water collection, treatment, and reuse intended to reduce net agricultural water demand.
Track design
SBRC's three circuits are being designed to FIA Grade II standards, which govern not just the racing line but run-off, safety zones, and the homologation required to host international GT and sportscar racing. The 3.5-mile primary course is built first; the 6.10-mile and 3.45-mile courses extend the offering and connect into a 10-to-14-mile configuration for marquee events. The design supports everything from member track days in street-legal cars to international competition, and is intended to host motorcycle racing as well.
Investment and economic contribution
SBRC represents a substantial private investment in the Central Coast, with Phase I construction budgeted at roughly $113.8M for the club-specification build (excluding land), and up to roughly $507M for a later full international (FIA Grade II) build including land. Beyond construction, the development is designed as a long-term economic engine — a permanent resident community, year-round employment, recurring visitor activity, and the supply-chain and tax base that come with it. The detailed employment, visitor-spending, and fiscal analysis is set out in the companion pages.
Into the analysis
The background sets the stage; the evidence base quantifies it — starting with construction cost.
Continue to Construction Cost