Racetrack Club Debuts: Officials Expect to have 200 Members
By Deborah M. Marko
The Daily Journal
thedailyjournal.com

Millville, N.J. (July 31, 2008) – More than 500 dignitaries and racing aficionados got a sneak peak at the $3 million, 14,500-square-foot facility that includes a bar, restaurant and gathering place.

"All of this is about socialization -- it's not just about what's on the track, said Joe Savaro, director of development.

The clubhouse will be the camaraderie hub, where folks who have the common denominator of racing can share their passion. Brody's Furniture, of Vineland, was the interior decorator, providing furnishings such as plush couches and comfy chairs to while away the afternoon, following a hard day's racing.

The Drivers Club is a country club of motorsports. J.W. Pedersen Architect, of Vineland, designed it to recreate an English Tudor estate, complementing the sentimental history of the P-47 pilots who flew from Millville Army Air Field to airbases in England throughout World War II.

The club's restaurant, the Brieghton Room, is named in honor of one such airbase, Savaro said. It seats 80 to 100 for lunch and dinner. It opens for dinner Friday evening.

There will also be a separate facility, called the Hangar, which will hold 500 people. There are already three weddings booked for motorpark locales.

Overseeing the food services at all venues falls to executive chef Rich Kalman, 48, of Ocean City, who comes from Trump Taj Mahal Hotel and Casino.

If you're coming to dinner, he recommended the 14-ounce French pork chop with cranberry and almond risotto.

Dinner for two will run about $80 to $100, Kalman said.

The restaurant is open to the public.

Membership has its rewards, including the pool, fitness center, tennis and volleyball courts, which are still under construction.

Becoming a member takes a $15,000 one-time initiation fee, which is followed by a $2,400 annual renewal fee.

Park officials expect the Driver's Club to have 200 members by the end of this year; they're already at 150, Savaro said. They're not only local names, but people from New York and all over the Delaware Valley, he said.

Touring the facility, Assemblyman Nelson Albano said he was excited about "the revenue it will generate for the city and the county."

It's shining the spotlight on Cumberland County.

"It's our turn," he said. "South Jersey is no longer an entity to be ignored."

Vineland Mayor Robert Romano walked around calling the park a gem for Millville and hoped one day to find that Vineland would find a similar economic niche.

Meanwhile, he said, Vineland has benefited from the park's economic boom with local hotel rooms sold out for big race weekends.

"We're going to get a lot of overspill," the mayor said.

Millville attorney Brendan Kavanagh visited the clubhouse calling it an "infusion of the hope and an opportunity."

The facility can accommodate conferences, conventions and private luncheons.