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Rock Star Racing

The moment you walk into Rock Star Racing you are greeted by the racket and roar of white-knuckled racing.

Low-slung Italian-made gas-powered karts zoom around a tight indoor course at speeds of up to 35 mph. But this former Kroger store is more than a room full of karts. Transmitters in the track are synced with computers—including one in every kart—which clock racers’ lap times and post them in real-time on a huge board for all to see.

If you have a need for speed and crave competition, Rock Star Racing has your high-octane fix.

“Our mission is for you to race your own race,” says owner Brent Melancon. “It’s not about who comes in first. What really matters is who has the fastest time.”

Races are 40 laps long. The 3/8-mile track is lined with tires Melancon managed to snag from Daytona Speedway in Florida.

Walk-ins are welcome, and there are several season packages available for speed freaks who can’t get enough. Rock Star Racing also rents meeting and party rooms for business meetings—there’s the Dale Earnhardt party room and a Donald Trump Team Building Room.

Local businesses sponsor Rock Star Racing’s 26 karts. The first two sponsors to step up were Brian Harris and Goodwood Hardware.

The front-office manager is Tori Crochet, who joined Rock Star Racing when it opened in June. “It’s been amazing. Kids and adults have the best parties here. It’s important that we have a place like this in Baton Rouge where families can come together.”

Melancon, who also owns several rental properties in town, said the name “Rock Star Racing” originated with a comment by a local teacher. “We donated some desks to a nearby Christian school, and one of the teachers commented that her students were ‘Rock Stars for Jesus.’ We liked the name because we are ‘rock stars’ for Jesus, too.”

Rock Star racers must be at least 8 years old and at least four feet tall. On Saturday and Sunday nights Rock Star Racing awards trophies to the kids. Children race in junior karts and do not compete with adults.

A single 40-lap race is $17 for adults, $13 for children, and lasts about 10 adrenaline-pumping minutes.

There are also several seasonal packages available.

11855 Airline Hwy, 214-0045, rockstarracing.net.