Even folks who consider themselves car enthusiasts probably pale against those who enjoy motorsports — sort of the civilian version of NASCAR, where men and women 18 to 80 race their high-performance vehicles on special-built road courses. But Oak Lawn’s Park Place dealership noticed a lot more people were showing an interest in racing.
From that reality was Park Place Motorsports born.
“There are really three levels to motorsport,” explains Alex Whitman, director of the new enterprise and himself a former racecar driver. One level involves street-legal daily-use cars modified slightly for racing; another are club racers, who buy purpose-built cars designed specifically for racing; and at the top of the chain, what Whitman calls Cup Car Clients — those with kick-ass Porsches built for speed. (Presently, the garage only services Porsches, though that will change.)
Park Place Motorsports was designed to serve those clients who want to pursue this intensive sport. The new facility, which will officially open following a gala invitation-only event on Saturday, has service techs tasked solely to work on performance cars. The concept also provides full-on support for those wishing to explore the glory that comes with racing cars like the professionals. They can even move your car to and from events and provide, essentially, a personal pit crew. “All you need to do is show up at the track with your helmet and we can do the rest,” Whitman says.
There’s a bigger market that you might imagine for such a service, but the goal is to make it even bigger.
“I’m a Dallas native, and North Texas is tailor-made for motorsport,” Whitman says. “With this, we hope to grow the motorsport culture.”
Park Place Motorsports, 6219 Peeler St.
ParkPlace.com.