Racetrack designer Ed Bargy estimates that there are two to four designers
of motorcycle tracks in the U.S., and two to four designers of auto racing
tracks. He estimates that there could be a dozen designers worldwide.
However, Bargy does not anticipate an increase in the number of racetrack
designers. "Nobody does it full time," he says. "It is a sideline that an
engineer can do or has done."
According to Bargy, demand for racetrack designers is low. That's because
even small tracks cost about $2 million to build and the owners will not get
their money back for years. "Large NASCAR tracks make a lot of money for their
owners, but there are not that many new tracks being built," he says.
Bargy says there is no way to know how much racetrack designers earn per
year. Typically, they work in other capacities, such as engineering, and devote
a small aspect of their work to designing racetracks. "Most consultants charge
several hundred dollars an hour for their services," Bargy says. "It is on
a project-by-project basis."
Earnings and employment information from the U.S. Department of Labor is
not available for this field at this time.