Racetrack living: When one garage just won’t do

It’s not unusual that one of Spring Mountain Motor Resort and Country Club member Jeffrey Cheng’s four garages holds several race cars at his home at the Pahrump-based racetrack’s housing development, Spring Mountain Estates.

What is unique is that Cheng’s remaining three garages house a Diamond Star DA-40 airplane, Robinson R-44 helicopter and a man cave complete with five race car seats, steering wheels and foot pedals in front of their own television screens for the ultimate race car video game experience.

“I’m an adventurous guy,” Cheng said. “I like anything that goes fast and is challenging.”

The president of a Southern California venture capital and private equity firm started racing for Lamborghini last year and has competed in a racing series at Spring Mountain Motor Resort and Country Club for the past five years.

While you can find a majority of Cheng’s race cars parked near one of the racetrack’s four courses, he houses his Radical SR8 and SR3 inside his garage.

Cheng said his decision to build a home at Spring Mountain nearly two years ago was an easy one.

“This is paradise,” he said. “It’s really an adult playground. While we all love cars, there’s so much more to do here.”

In addition to the 6.1-mile race track, members and guests can take advantage of the clubhouse, condominiums, private garages, racquetball court and 4.5-acre freshwater lake where activities such as swimming, paddle-boarding, kayaking and Jetpack rides are available.

Racetrack co-owner John Morris is Cheng’s neighbor and he has his own Robinson R-44 helicopter, however, it’s not in his garage. It’s on the roof of his nearly 5,000-square-foot home.

The garage on the ground floor houses Morris’ race cars, including a Wolf GB08SM, Radical SR3, Wolf GB08 and a Corvette Z06.

Morris’ Corvette isn’t the only one on the property.

“We have just under 200 Corvettes on the property for our Corvette driving school,” he said. “We hold over 5,000 driving school classes every year.”

Spring Mountain offers the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School, Radical Driving School, Sports Car Club of America Licensing School as well as private lessons.

In the next few years, Spring Mountain Estates is expected to grow from the existing three homes to 80, which also means impressive garages will become the norm.

“One home will be designed around an 18-car garage,” Morris said. “Our club members will be able to keep their toys out here.”

Morris added that the racetrack will be expanding by 9 miles, and he’s adding several commercial developments including a movie theater and hotel to the property.

“If you look at the facility as a whole, we combine motorsports, residential and commercial,” he said. “There’s no other place like it.”

Contact reporter Ann Friedman at afriedman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4588. Follow @AnnFriedmanRJ on Twitter.