If 3,000 feet of adrenaline pumping excitement with three levels of vertical elevation, lightning-fast straightaways, spiraling ramps and 90-degree hairpin bends sounds like your idea of fun, the new RPM Raceway in Stamford surely beckons.
Father and son team Eyal and Andrew Farage established the raceway in 2010 and now operate outlets in five locations in the tristate area. While COO Andrew lives in Manhattan and CEO Eyal is based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, they chose Stamford, they said, for its proximity to the metro area, as well as its access to the broader Westchester County and Fairfield County regions. The area, they added, boasts a high density of families and strong entertainment spending, alongside a robust corporate business presence.
Their business started on a father-son road trip 10 years ago, with the pair driving from New York to Los Angeles in a vintage Porsche 911 Targa ’97 to drop Andrew off at the University of Southern California for college. While hanging out together in Los Angeles, the daredevil pair went go-karting and had the idea to bring the same type of enterprise to the East Coast. Now, in addition to their present locations in Stamford; Poughkeepsie, Long Island and Jersey City, New Jersey, they are working on expansion across the United States.
RPM Raceway offers Italian-engineered go-kart racing on meticulously designed, LED-lit racing tracks. Racers can rev up their engines and compete against as many as 20 other drivers to claim the title of “fastest lap.” Post-race, racers receive gamified scoring and skill progression analytics, providing drivers with real-time feedback to enhance their racing skills.
Off the track, RPM Raceway offers virtual and augmented reality adventures in its signature arcade of cult classics and modern AAA games. Additionally, each RPM Raceway location has its own distinctive attractions, including a bowling alley, state-of-the-art racing simulators, billiards, darts and shuffleboard. Guests can also “refuel” at the on-site RPM Sports Bar and Grill, where we found the standard of food – burgers, fried chicken, pizza and the like, along with local draft beers, custom cocktail creations and hand-spun milkshakes – to be a cut above typical entertainment venue fast-food fare.
The dynamic duo’s story, incidentally, is as thrilling as the rides they have developed. Eyal immigrated to the U.S. from Israel at the age of 16 in 1985. As an immigrant faced with limited opportunities, he started as a construction contractor, eventually establishing his own construction company, Aviv Construction, specializing in high-end residential and industrial projects in the metro area.
After graduating from USC, Andrew went on to become a Forbes “30 Under 30” honoree. He enjoys a variety of activities, including kitesurfing, wakeboarding, car racing, tennis and playing the guitar. Born 10 weeks prematurely, he told us he had emergency heart surgery as a baby. As a child, he said, he loved spending hours building with Legos and on video games like Roller Coaster Tycoon and The Sims. Now, 30 years later, this talented adrenaline junkie gets to design and build real entertainment parks of his own.
For more, visit rpmraceway.com.
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