 "Photo: drivenraceway.com")
As you put your foot to the pedal, your adrenaline starts racing through your body to the tips of your fingers as you curve around the corner, going 45 miles per hour.
If you like the sound of that, start your engines and race down to the newly opened Driven Raceway family entertainment center in the heart of Rohnert Park.
With its recent grand opening earlier this month, Driven Raceway brings a new excitement to Rohnert Park and has drawn customers of all ages. While the environment is a family-like setting, there is no doubt that Sonoma State students will enjoy visiting for a taste of the fast life.
The owners of this new high-end European kart-racing center, Rod Towerly, who was raised in Central Valley, Bakersfield and Matt Stearn from San Diego, currently residing in Windsor, have always had a need for speed.
"We would go to the race tracks like Speed zone in Pomona and we thought it would be a great idea if we could bring something like that to northern California," said Towerly.
However, like any company just starting out, they knew it was going to be difficult trying to open a business, especially in these rough economic times.
"It has not been an easy journey. [The raceway] has been three years in the making, because we had to get funding, find investors and we had to find a large enough facility. But it all worked to our advantage," said Towerly.
Once they were able to put the plan in full effect, they knew they wanted Driven Raceway to be a unique place.
"We wanted it to be a place where everyone could go-children, teenagers and adults," said Stearns.
The Italian-style go-karts at Driven Raceway offer the ultimate, one of a kind racing experience, taking passengers to the maximum accelerating speed of 45 miles per hour. However, this phenomenal family center has more to offer than go-kart racing.
Inside, you will find many other exciting attractions, such as a miniature golf course, a state-of-the-art arcade, and two mini alley "trax" bowling lanes, along with VIP and party rooms to fit any occasion. The dark light miniature golf course adds to the intriguing experience with various scenes from racing to custom karts found on the walls throughout the maze. The arcade is filled with high-end video and redemption games for both kids and adults.
"Kids can come enjoy the games while their parents race," said Stearns. "We even have a café style area where the parents can watch their kids on the track while getting a bite to eat."
Not only is this a great place for parents, kids and students to enjoy, employees can also share the experience as well. They also offer specials such as the lunch hour special and Tuesday Ladies night.
Driven Raceway offers other exciting exclusives such as team building and fund-raising events. The team building events are offered to corporate teams for the starting rate of $40 per person. Their fund-raising events allow organizations to hold events to help their specific cause and in turn help the community.
"We actually hired some Sonoma State students as well. That way they can gain experience to help them in their future careers," said Stearns.
Driven Raceway is located next to Wal-Mart off the 101 freeway. They are open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays from 11 a.m. to midnight, Saturdays 10 a.m. to midnight and Sundays 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
For more information, check out their web site at www.drivenraceway.com.
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