Sanders began to research the feasibility of creating a new type of multifaceted entertainment venue that focused on his work hard, play hard mentality and the merger of team building and karting.

“Racing is the second largest spectator sport both domestically and abroad, but racing itself is virtually inaccessible to most people due to the cost involved,” said Sanders. “Indoor karting, however, is a different story. It is an affordable form of racing for the masses. There were only a few tracks in the United States at the time so the market was wide open. And, I began to think about the possibility of having meeting rooms and catering at the venue to accommodate company meetings and team building events with the meeting rooms doubling as party rooms for the general public when not in use.”

Taking advantage of a six-month flex-leave option at Andersen, Sanders dedicated his time to fleshing out a business plan.

“I was fortunate at the time that my company offered the opportunity to take a partially paid sabbatical,” noted Sanders. “So, I used that time to research the best indoor karting tracks in the world including Holland, Germany and the United Kingdom. Karting in Europe was at a more mature business cycle and the level execution far exceeded the fledging U.S. market.”

During his absence, the company extended their leave policy to an entire year and Sanders took advantage of the added time to finalize the details of his idea and create a compelling business plan to present to potential investors.

In 2003, with investor support, Sanders opened F1 Race Factory. Over time, Sanders has tweaked his original vision to include a sales force dedicated to the corporate market for team building and team incentive outings and a separate sales team dedicated to social events including birthday parties, bachelor parties and fund raisers. Octane offers a comprehensive venue for businesses and the public including on-site catering, state-of-the-art meeting rooms complete with high-definition audio/visual components, karting, arcade games, mini bowling and a pit crew challenge.

“I am also an advocate of practicing what I preach,” noted Sanders. “I want to make sure that all of our employees remain engaged, so I create team building opportunities both on and off-site for our team as well.”

Arizona was one of the hardest hit states during the recession, and businesses like Octane Raceway were particularly vulnerable, relying on corporate bookings and a public clientele that was experiencing a drastic reduction in discretionary funds.

“All businesses suffered during the recession, and many were forced to shutter their operations in its wake,” said Sanders. “While I insisted on maintaining our advertising presence, we also heavily focused on honing our business model to run more efficiently while never skimping on the overall customer experience. The downturn was a trying time but provided a wealth of educational opportunities to leverage and ultimately helped transform Octane into a better and more efficient business as a result.”

In 2011 as Formula One was preparing for a return to the United States after a long hiatus, Sanders opted to rebrand F1 Race Factory to Octane Raceway to avoid a legal conflict with the racing giant. “We believed the F1 Race Factory name was well within the boundaries but at the end of the day our customers were our customers because of the great racing entertainment experience we provided and not due to our name. We were and are a true entertainment destination and the decision to rebrand to Octane Raceway was quickly embraced by our customers and the business did not miss a beat,” explained Sanders. “Our customers just rolled with it.”

In 2013, Sanders oversaw the company’s move to its current location in Scottsdale. “The move to the Pavilions at Talking Stick marked a new chapter for Octane Raceway. The retail location in the emerging Talking Stick Entertainment District proved to be an even bigger hit with our corporate and public clientele. With easy access off the 101 freeway, the new upscale facility features a state of the art all-electric fleet of French built Sodi racing karts. Octane was the first track in the United States to feature the karts with speeds of up to 45 mph. They handle just as well as a gas kart without the fumes or noise. They are the next generation for indoor karting venues and our clientele has embraced the technology,” says Sanders.