Immerse yourself in an auto racing experience at Yellowstone Grand Prix Racing Center

Do you want to know what’s happening in the eastern Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered. Here is a rundown of this week’s business news across the valley.

BIZ BUZZ

IDAHO FALLS

Professional auto racer opens electronic racing business in Idaho Falls

IDAHO FALLS – Mike DeFord’s two passions are skateboarding and auto racing. The latter has been his life’s work for decades and now he’s the owner of a popular business at 1869 North Yellowstone Highway, Ste. 7 in Idaho Falls called Yellowstone Grand Prix Racing Center.

In a conversation with EastIdahoNews.com, DeFord describes the business as a “racing entertainment center.” Customers sit next to a screen with a steering wheel and a pedal. They can choose from over 400 vehicles and tracks and race electronically like a video game in 30 minute sessions.

There’s also a corner for slot car racing and racing memorabilia available for purchase. Take a look in the video above.

Since launching the business last June, DeFord says the response has been overwhelming and they’re quickly outgrowing the space.

“The original plan was to open with two (racing consoles). We got three just in case. There was so much demand and we’ve got six now. We could use two more but our location isn’t huge and I don’t have room for two more,” DeFord says.

Getting involved in racing is something most guys think about at some point, DeFord says, but it’s an expensive line of work to get in to. The idea behind this business is to give people a taste of what it’s like at a price that’s affordable.

“We use it here as entertainment, of course, but also as a way of sharpening skills (for the real thing),” he says.

DeFord, 53, grew up in a racing family in California and has worked as a professional sports and road car racer since he was 18. He’s lived all over the country as a result.

He was introduced to the sport while working at a sandwich shop in his hometown as a teenager. A racing team came in for lunch one day and he was enamored by them.

He ended up becoming a “gopher” for them, meaning he swept floors at their shop, bought them lunch and ran errands without pay. He started earning a paycheck about two years later and eventually turned his marketing degree into a motorsports and automotive after-market marketing career.

A company he started on the East Coast brought a Japanese racing technique to the U.S. for the first time. The technique is called drifting and it involves keeping the brakes, throttle and steering in an oversteer position in hopes of maintaining absolute control around a corner or turn.

“We brought it to the U.S. in 2002 and we were running events all over the country,” DeFord recalls.

His wife — who recently passed away after battling cancer — was from Rigby and they moved to Idaho Falls in 2004 to be closer to family.

Since his wife’s death, he’s had a soft spot in his heart for those who struggle, particularly children. He enjoys providing an outlet to kids with special needs at his shop by giving them a place to have fun and race for free.

“You feel the engine rumble (in the racing simulator). If you hit the gas too hard and spin the tires, it vibrates a different way. It’s an immersive experience,” says DeFord. “(It’s rewarding) to reach people in a different way and give them experiences they never thought they could have.”

Moving into a bigger location is the next big goal. He isn’t sure when that’s going to happen because the cost of rent is decently priced at the current space and he doesn’t want to increase prices.

“I could find a better location today that’s three or four times as much money, which means I’ve got to charge people more money,” he says. “I don’t want to raise rates. That’s really what it comes down to.”

DeFord charges $12 for a 30-minute session.

Yellowstone Grand Prix Racing Center is open noon to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday with an 11 p.m. closing time Friday and Saturday. It’s open noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…

Melaleuca donates over 24,000 pounds of beef to Idaho Foodbank for food insecure families

Proposed charter school in Ammon neighborhood likely no longer happening

Former bridal shop in downtown Idaho Falls has new name and will open soon

Cortney Liddiard, CEO of Ball Ventures, announces he is stepping down