Using Auto Racing as a Team Building Activity | Race Cars as a Corporate Event

There are two types of people: those who don’t like team-building activities or corporate events and those who lie about not liking them. Planning such events for your company is stressful and often feels like a chore.

One of the best team-building events I’ve ever done, while in the corporate world, was karting. 

But what about something fun that involves little planning, such as car racing?

Why Car Racing as a Corporate Event

One of the top reasons you should consider car racing at your next company event is because someone else does most of the planning. Most establishments offer corporate packages and someone to split up the group into teams. They take care of the race details, and you’re just along for the ride (pun intended). 

Secondly, who doesn’t like car racing? It’s a fast-paced, casual activity that makes us all reminisce about our childhood. While most employees will roll their eyes at the mention of team-building exercises, you probably won’t get much pushback for something like car racing. On the contrary, it’s likely to fire everyone up. 

Aside from being a fun and easy option, car racing has documented benefits for improving team dynamics. It requires good communication and collaborative organizational effort to achieve the desired result.

Auto Racing Can Benefit the Mind and Body

A surprising fact about car racing is that it has several health benefits. Racing is more of a workout than you might think, as it engages both core and arm muscles to maintain control of the car. The activity also increases heart rate and stamina while improving reflexes.

Did you know racing toward an objective also relieves stress? A study done on rats showed that maneuvering cars acted as both a relaxation tool and a way to increase dopamine. Additionally, the activity improved neuroplasticity, motor skills, and spatial awareness.

Racing as a Work Incentive

Racing cars is a fun way to build team tactics and improve overall communication and motivation among employees. That means it makes the perfect team-building exercise or relaxed corporate event. But does it make a good work incentive program too?

Car racing is more likely to get a positive response than a quintessential company pizza party or picnic. Not only do employees get to be physically away from work, but car racing also means there is no pressure to make small talk. Ultimately employees get to bond and build positive memories together outside of work.

Additionally, there are three key things to consider when choosing a work incentive program:

  • Does the activity help improve work performance and productivity?
  • Is the activity cost-efficient?
  • What impact will the activity have on individual employees?

As long as you have positive answers to the above questions, your activity of choice is likely a safe bet.

Types of Auto Racing That Make for Good Team Building

Now that we’ve covered the potential benefits car racing can offer your company, let’s go over what your options are.

We’ve narrowed this list down to the ones that we feel would make for good team outings or corporate events. We have an epic list of cars you can rent in another article – it’s a great read.

I’ll stop blabbering now, here are some different kinds of racing you can do for your next event:

Go-Karts

Go-kart racing is very affordable but pricing will vary by your group size. Most venues give discounts for corporate events and large groups. You may also have the option of renting out the whole track.

Pricing for Go-karts ranges from approximately $1,300 to $2,200 for groups larger than 20 people. Generally, pricing includes one or two hours of track time. 

TopGolf, K1 Speed, and Xtreme are a few of the top-rated go-kart tracks. 

Drag Racing

Drag racing can be a good choice for a more intense experience and adventurous company outing. Drag racing events are not as common, however, and venues are more limited than for more casual types of car racing such as go-karts. Nonetheless, several exhilarating events do take place that draws large crowds. 

You can easily search track locations in your area to find a suitable match. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that drag race events tend to be all-day affairs. Costs are generally between $20-30 per person, though group ticket discounts are available. 

Circle Track

Also known as dirt track racing, circle tracks cover several different types of vehicles. Go-kart dirt racing is a thing, for example. Because most circle tracks involve more complex skills, however, corporate and group events are often offered as a fun class session to learn fundamentals.

The costs will vary by group size but you can expect an intro course and race to cost between $700 – $,2,000 for up to three hours, and more for all-day events. Several locations around the country also offer a wide variety of track corporate events. 

Supercars

Supercars are essentially luxury sports vehicles known for their exceptional speed and performance. As you might expect, this makes supercar events a pricier option for events. It’s also highly popular, however, in the world of corporate entertainment. 

Generally you can expect to pay at least $300 per person for a supercar racing event, and you can book events for groups of up to 150. You can obtain more accurate quotes by contacting the company directly. 

Check for locations near you to get through pricing options.  Grand Sport Speedway, Exotics Racing, and Racing Adventures are some of the most popular venues for corporate events. 

Race Experience

NASCAR offers a “race experience” to make your employees feel like real race car drivers for a day. Packages start at $99 per person (3 laps) and can go up to $3,600 for a 50-lap experience. For speedways, scheduling, and more price packages, you can check this site.

Adventure Off-Road

For an unforgettable corporate vacation (and depending on the size of your company), consider adventure off-roading. You can choose from several exotic locations ranging from mountains to remote European villages. Team-building tours can start around $200 per person and go up to $1,000 (not including travel costs) for longer off-roading adventures.

Offroad Corporate Event Tours offers several packages for different company sizes on the West Coast, as does The Firm on the east. 

Slot Car Racing Party

Race events using real vehicles have steep pricing, which means it may not be in your budget for a corporate event or team-building retreat. Additionally, costs include liability insurance. But don’t worry – if you’re looking for a more affordable option, a slot car racing party may be the way to go. 

Slot car racing uses miniature powered vehicles that users control via hand-held remotes. With different scales and types to choose from, slot cars are a more reasonable alternative for a team-building event or simply for a fun company day. 

Employees can build their own slot cars as well, and be divided into teams to complete the task. Building their own cars would add to the team dynamic and further strengthen collaboration. 

Alternatively, slot car racing venues will host corporate events for you. With either option, you could offer employees prizes to sweeten the deal and make the friendly competition more fun. 

Pros and Cons of Doing a Race as an Event

Though car racing is a great entertainment option with several benefits, there are a few negatives to weigh as well. Choosing the right event will depend on several factors such as the number of employees you have, the goal you’re trying to achieve, and of course your budget.

Pros

  • High engagement and communication for improved team-building 
  • Offers more excitement than traditional corporate activities
  • Requires employees to focus throughout the event
  • Offers several mental and physical health benefits
  • A wide variety of options exist
  • Studies show increased productivity

Cons

  • Prices vary widely and can quickly get very high
  • Injuries are a possibility and can be serious
  • Travel may be required and bookings must be done well in advance
  • Certain types of races have limited locations available
  • Not all employees may be able or willing to participate
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