Loaded estate of tech entrepreneur turned racecar driver to be auctioned

Start your engines: The Austin, Texas, home of tech titan turned Ferrari Challenge driver Ross Garber, who co-founded the Internet content management company Vignette Corp., is headed for the auction block next month.

Designed by Miro Rivera and the Shiflet Group, the hillside compound in a gated community was previously offered for sale at $16.9 million. It will sell to the highest bidder without a reserve on May 25.

Garber and his wife, Laurie, bought the home more than a decade ago and ran the gamut when it came to adding custom luxury features: a subterranean wine cellar with 2,000-bottle storage, state-of-the-art LED lighting and a custom soaking tub carved from a single piece of Jerusalem limestone.

Outdoors, landscaped grounds feature an entertainer’s space complete with two barbecue areas, a two-story pool deck and and a custom infinity-edge swimming pool. A 2,200-square-foot guest house, a 1,000-square-foot gym, a tennis/sports court and an air conditioned garage fills out the 3.5-acre setting.

The 9,000-square-foot main house has a custom two-story entry, well-proportioned living areas and a custom home theater. A lavish kitchen would make any chef swoon with commercial-grade appliances, handmade oak cabinetry and marble countertops.

The master suite, with radiant in-floor heating and vanities done in onyx and walnut, takes in pool and canyon views. There are nine bedrooms, eight full bathrooms and four half baths in all.

Concierge Auctions is handling the action in cooperation with Gary and Michelle Dolch of Kuper Sotheby’s International Realty.

Garber, 49, founded the Vignette Corp. with Neil Webber in 1995. The company was later acquired by Open Text Corp in 2009 for $321 million.

As a driver, he has completed more than a dozen races for Ferrari of San Francisco and Ferrari of Houston.

Twitter: @NJLeitereg