Apex Motor Club lands prestigious new tenant

Apex Motor Club, the sports car country club headquartered on Maricopa’s west side, has acquired a prestigious new tenant, as Flying Lizard Motorsports is relocating its headquarters from Sonoma, Calif. to Apex.

The team will operate out of a 15,000-square-foot facility currently under construction at Apex and scheduled for completion in fall of 2023.

Matt Williams, a managing partner and vice president of Apex, said that although the permanent facilities are under construction, the club will take up residence right away.

“Formally, (they will move in) once their facility is completed,” Williams said. “However, they’ll be working out of race trailers there this fall, winter and spring.”

Flying Lizard is managing multiple cars in the SRO GT4 America, Lamborghini SuperTrofeo, and Porsche Sprint Cup series this year. The club has won 16 individual and team series titles over the past two decades: 10 professional team and driver championship titles as Flying Lizard Motorsport, and four additional team and two driver titles with K-PAX Racing in the GT World Challenge America.

“Having a team this well known, and this successful (come to Apex) is the direct result of building a top-notch facility, employing an incredible management and operations team and having an incredible group of members,” Williams said.

The facilities were a key in attracting the Flying Lizards but there also were personal connections.

“We’ve known one of the partners for almost 15 years, and he has resided here locally during that time and travelled extensively,” Williams said. “As things have changed in California and their business has grown and Apex has continued to grow and prosper it just made a lot of sense for us and them.”

Flying Lizard program manager Darren Law echoed those sentiments.

“Sonoma has been an amazing home for us, but as our team continues to grow, our organization needs a central headquarters with room to grow, and the Apex facility perfectly fits the bill,” Law told the website Sports Car 365. “Apex is really an ideal location for us because both myself and one of my business partners, Tommy Sadler, live locally. The racing community in the area is larger than one would expect, and it is rare that a race facility is in a location such as this.”

Law also told SportsCar365 the move could spur the Flying Lizards to new heights as a club.

“This is a great move for Flying Lizard,” Law said. “Our program has seen a lot of changes over the last few years, and it has only made our business more successful. It will be great to have all our cars and programs under one roof and in a brand new and popular facility.”

Williams said Apex is likely not done attracting high-level teams.

“We are currently in negotiations with three other groups about relocating and should be able to announce more before the end of the year,” Williams said. “We’ve also recently been certified by the IndyCar series as an approved facility and will be hosting teams this winter for testing.”

Williams said Apex and Maricopa have a lot to offer a club that wants to compete nationally.

“(The) quality of our facility, a build-to-suit headquarters, proximity to an international airport, quality of life, and ease of logistics getting race haulers from coast to coast,” were some of the reasons clubs looking to relocate to Apex are giving him.

Those facilities will include 4.2 total miles of track when complete. That track can be configured into multiple road course layouts and includes a 3,400-foot straightaway. The initial 2.27-mile track has been in place since the track opened in 2018.