A RACERS’ PARADISE:
Inside Unser Racing
WORDS AARON WALDRON PHOTOS COURTESY OF UNSER RACING AND RC EXCITEMENT
It’s only fitting that this
place looks like some
sort of castle!
Most RC’ers share a passion for other forms of motorsport: Formula One, NASCAR, motocross, sprint cars, you name it. ;e relatively low cost and easy accessibility makes RC a viable choice for many
enthusiasts who would jump at the chance to strap themselves
into a full-size racing vehicle. But what if you could do both at the
same place? In 2012, Unser Racing in Denver, CO, an indoor karting
track named after one of the world’s most famous racing families,
decided to test the market by installing Colorado’s largest indoor
o;-road RC track. I talked to Unser Racing general manager Kyle
Cohrs about the business, what it took to get started, and why he
thinks it has been such a hit among both kart and RC racers.
Unser Racing’s expansive indoor track is the
largest in the state.
Left: Put the pedal to the metal! Unser Racing’s kart track hosts arrive-and-drive races as well as weekly leagues for
drivers of all ages. Right: Customers are greeted with a first-rate facility from the moment they step in the door. ;ere
are even conference rooms for corporate meetings!
;e Unser family name is steeped in auto racing
tradition, from the Indy 500 to the Pikes Peak
Hill Climb. It seems only fitting, but who decided
to open an indoor karting facility?:
Kyle Cohrs: Unser Racing and Entertainment
is the brainchild of local businessman Scott
Sutton. After visiting an indoor karting
facility for the first time in 2007, he found the
business model unique and interesting. Two
years later at the family dinner table, Scott’s
wife, Sandy, and his two daughters, ages 4
and 10 at the time, finally instigated the push
to start a karting company. Several months
of research lead to the creation of a detailed
business plan. After seeing this early version
of the plan, one of Scott’s friends suggested
a meeting with his neighbor, Johnny Unser,
whose family happens to be part of legendary
Indy 500 history. ;is conversation between
Scott and Johnny lead to an agreement and
the creation of Unser Racing. Johnny lives in
Sun Valley, ID, but keeps a close eye on the
business.
Scott started searching for a location in
early 2010 with several options on the table,
but struggled to find a property owner willing
to allow indoor karting. As a long shot, Scott
visited a shuttered Toyota dealership that
had been empty for over two years. “Walking
through the building for the first time was a
crazy experience. I couldn’t imagine how we
were going to get that site to work,” Sutton
