A NASCAR veteran and road-racing legend wants to turn the shores of Lake Elsinore into a private playground for wealthy car collectors, complete with a 3.2-mile racetrack, a rooftop helipad, and garage condos that can swallow up to eight cars apiece. The project, called Elsinore Ring, remains in the planning stage.
Boris Said, the developer behind the concept, is a NASCAR veteran and road-racing legend, according to the New York Post. Said achieved historic success in 2005 by becoming the first American driver to win the 24 Hours of Nürburgring overall, the endurance race. The project has been described as a Nürburgring-inspired homage, per a Wikipedia entry on Said's career. He also co-owns nearby BMW of Murrieta alongside NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick, according to the Elsinore Ring team page.
Said has described his motivation in personal terms, saying his years driving the world's best racetracks inspired a dream to build a private motorsport country club in Southern California. Of the local reception, Said said simply, “The city loves us.” Lake Elsinore's economic development director, Gina Gonzalez, has called the city the “action sports capital of the world,” a branding push the proposed resort would lean into.
What the Circuit and Clubhouse Would Include
The plans call for a 3.2-mile circuit with 22 turns, offering technical corners, sweeping sections, and passing opportunities, and the track would include three different configurations. The layout may also allow separate portions of the track to operate at the same time, with drivers divided into sessions based on experience and vehicle type. Tilke Engineers and Architects is designing the track, which is planned to meet FIA Grade 2 standards, a certification that per RacingCircuits.info allows a track to host nearly every major international motorsport category — including IndyCar, GT3, prototype sports cars, and endurance series — with only Formula 1 requiring the higher Grade 1 rating.
The clubhouse itself is designed with amenities well beyond a typical trackside facility. Plans include a swimming pool with a glass floor and panoramic circuit views, a spa and gym, and a helipad on the clubhouse roof. Detailed project specifications reported by SEMA describe a 125-seat restaurant and bar, an event venue for 500 guests, and a dedicated commercial race shop offering custom vehicle fabrication, diagnostics, and safety gear sales.
Lake Elsinore’s Municipal Code, cited in a city agenda packet, restricts construction noise from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. on weekdays and at any time on Sundays.
Garage Villas Built Around the Cars
Elsinore Ring plans to offer 275 garage condominiums and trackside villas, with members able to live in their units year-round. Each garage villa includes 1,300 square feet of climate-controlled garage space that can hold six to eight cars, along with private balconies offering full views of the track. Interior finishes described in the plans include kitchens with premium designer appliances, stone countertops with waterfall edges, and custom cabinetry. The available reports do not identify the residential designers or developers; the facility remains in development. Autoweek has reported on the project's funding.
A Town Already Built Around Motorsports
Lake Elsinore is a town in Riverside County known for off-road and water sports, and it is flanked by skydiving fields and motocross tracks. The town's motorsports identity dates back to 1968, when the Lake Elsinore Grand Prix was founded — a legendary off-road motorcycle race later featured in the 1971 documentary On Any Sunday. Lake Elsinore's motorsports identity is documented by the City of Lake Elsinore.
The local motorsports scene has also seen recent turbulence. Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park, the area's primary off-road facility, closed in November 2024 following a lawsuit tied to a fatal accident, a story Hoodline covered at the time in its report on the park's closure. A Vurbmoto report is cited in connection with the facility's subsequent status, but the available material does not establish a 2025 reopening.
Environmental Baggage Around the Lake
Lake Elsinore is a natural freshwater lake in Southern California. But the lake's reputation has also been affected by toxic green algae blooms.
The California State Water Resources Control Board says fish kills and excessive algal blooms have been reported in Lake Elsinore since the early 20th century. A Jan. 17, 2025, revision by the California State Water Resources Control Board is also cited in connection with Lake Elsinore.
A Regional Precedent in the Coachella Valley
Elsinore Ring would not be the first private racetrack resort in Riverside County. The Thermal Club is another motorsports facility in the Coachella Valley, as described in a Wikipedia entry on the facility. That regional example offers a general point of comparison, though no specific advantage over the Thermal Club has been established for Elsinore Ring. Said has reportedly targeted a 2030 ribbon cutting for Elsinore Ring, though the project remains in the planning stage.
