Midwest Super Speedway has been open almost a year and in that time has nearly reached the startup goals set by owner Zac Bryner.
But that doesn’t mean it was an overnight success. It has been the result of more than five years of dreaming, learning and building a network.
Bryner says he always thought it would be fun to own a track, and a few years ago he saw a number of vacant retail spaces in the Appleton area that he speculated might be good for indoor go-karts.
It was a plan that proved to be too costly once Bryner started looking more closely.
Bryner was a little intimidated about owning a business, so he took the practical step of taking an E-Seed Course through the Fox Valley Technical College Venture Center. It helped him understand, he says, “People who own a business are still just people, and you don’t have to put them on a pedestal. They are approachable.”
He created a business plan, learned how to reach people for advice and built a relationship with Nicolet Bank that helped him sharpen his pencil and get ready for the opportunity that came along in the fall of 2024.
He found empty warehouse space next to Badger State Brewing, blocks from Lambeau Field in Green Bay, and purchased it with the help of a loan from the City of Green Bay Economic Development. They started building the track in November 2024, and it was open in time for the NFL draft hosted in the city last April.
There are adult and junior go-karts that can reach speeds of up to 45 miles per hour around the 40,000-square-foot track. Participants complete an electronic registration form including a release, are equipped with a head sock and helmet and are given a short tutorial on kart operation. The karts are tracked electronically, and each driver makes 10 laps that are timed, competing against other drivers.
There is a video game arcade, a conference room and a deck giving spectators a birds-eye view of the track.
While most of the business is “arrive and drive” customers, there are leagues. The track has also hosted corporate events and private parties.
The initial growth has been spurred largely through word of mouth, as well as a TikTok video that one customer posted which went viral and has more than 200,000 views.
“At this point I’m at about 85 to 90% of the projections that I had for the business model. To be in that position for a startup model is really phenomenal, and there’s still some areas we can really attack; there’s still a lot of people who don’t really know about us,” Bryner says.
Bryner, who is a project manager with Hofmaster, says his experience in engineering, quality improvement and project oversight has been helpful.
“I’m really working on dialing this one in so that we are smooth and efficient … and now looking at how we can expand it moving forward. I’d love to add a potential second location,” Bryner says. “I’d love to add more things into it. Karting is fun, but it doesn’t trip everyone’s trigger.”
He is exploring opportunities for laser tag, an escape room or interactive games.
Bryner says the success allows him to offer opportunities and advice to others. He encourages his two dozen or so employees to see the work as an opportunity to grow and learn.
“I think it’s super powerful to be able to share my experience. It’s always been a dream of mine to have a business and be able to give back.”
