Racing To Malls
New entertainment concept for kids drives more families to the mall.
Susan Fishman

Finally, dads have a reason to not only go to the mall, but race there. The first of its kind, Raceline Motorworks provides kids a place where they can design, build and race their very own remote-controlled car in a fun environment — at the mall, which of course translates to more moms and dads there, as well.

The idea was originally hatched a few years ago as part of a business plan competition at the University of Chicago. The original founders moved on, but partners Blake Harper, David Domm and Rocky Jones bought the rights to the concept and began developing it with a goal of creating a totally personalized and interactive environment for kids. Witnessing a need for something different and cool for boys to do, they started to think back to their childhood roots. While growing up in Chicago, each had a passion for remote control cars. That passion quickly grew into a vision that has eventually become Raceline Motorworks.

With a diverse background (Domm worked in private equity, Harper was previously a consultant and Jones had 15 years experience in retail operations), the partners were well positioned for a retail start-up. But Raceline Motorworks is more than just a retailer, says Domm; it’s an entertainment retailer.

“Kids and their parents are coming to our stores and spending an afternoon as opposed to just going and picking up a pair of jeans,” Domm notes. “So as we continue to build our brand, we will not only be a true destination retailer but also a retailer that’s sought after by landlords because we’re driving more families to the center. We’re the reason dads come to the mall now.”

The team officially launched Raceline Motorworks in Chicago in spring 2005 and opened the first store in August 2006 at Westfield Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills, Illinois. The second location opened in July at Mayfair Mall, a General Growth property in Milwaukee. The company has signed a letter of intent for a third store set to open in October in the Chicago area.

Raceline Motorworks is targeting neighborhood regional shopping centers and Class A malls. When it comes to site selection, the company has a very thorough approach and analysis, according to Domm.

“We look at demographics and population trends and pay close attention to whether or not the center is family focused,” he says. “This is a concept that relies on repeat customers. Our core group is boys, ages 4 to 12 and their parents, and we also have a strong interest in girls in the same age category.”

The size of the Hawthorn Mall store is 5,000 square feet, but future locations will make up a 3,500 footprint. Raceline Motorworks secured the leading architectural firm Gensler for the design of the store. Gensler created a design based on the idea of “A Day at the Races.” The first step toward customizing, building and racing a vehicle happens in the Raceline Design Showroom. In the Showroom, each racer gets to choose from 10 different kinds of vehicles and customize them, choosing from more than 100 different body styles and color combinations, including exotic sports cars, rugged monster trucks, and go-anywhere dune buggies. Next, they select the finishing touches for their vehicles with custom tailored Raceline Decals.

Once they have chosen all the parts for their custom cars, kids head to the Raceline DMV for license and registration. Here they receive a personalized driver’s license, complete with photo to put in their wallets and take home. With this card, each child is officially a Raceline Club Racer and belongs to the “elite” Raceline Racers Club.

After visiting the Raceline Showroom and DMV, kids head to the Pit Area where one of the “Pit Crew” present them with a build kit that they selected in the Showroom. They can build their cars on their own or with the help of the Raceline Pit Crew.

The driver’s license allows each child special access to the Raceline Motorworks Speedway track, where he can race on an off-road obstacle course or a street course. Once the race is over, the kids pack up their cars in a custom mini-garage and take them home for more racing fun. They can also join the Raceline Racers Club, an exclusive members-only club where racers of all kinds have access to the only private racetrack around.

“The response we’ve received since we’ve opened has been phenomenal from kids and parents alike,” says Domm, “and we see real demand here for over 100 stores in the next 5 to 6 years.”

Raceline Motorworks plans to roll out multiple stores throughout Chicagoland, the Midwest, and other regions of the U.S. in the coming years. The company is based in Chicago.