Rafa Racing Club
Rafa Racing Club is a Houston-based private motorsports venture group operating Grid Finder's online racing platform (500,000+ drivers), member-only Social & Performance Centres in luxury automotive facilities, and a professional team competing in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersHouston, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Rafa Racing Club does
Rafa Racing Club (legal: RAFA Racing Club) is a Houston, Texas-based private motorsports venture group that operates a vertically integrated portfolio spanning digital racing communities, physical luxury automotive clubs, and a professional racing team. The company's core assets include Grid Finder, a Newcastle, UK-based online racing community platform acquired in December 2023 that hosts over 3,000 racing communities and 500,000 drivers; a planned network of member-only Social & Performance Centres operated on the ground floors of luxury multi-use industrial condominiums; and RAFA Racing Team, which competes in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge with a Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 fielded by drivers Kiko Porto and Varun Choksey.
The company's business model combines recurring membership subscription revenue from Social & Performance Centres, digital community platform revenue from Grid Finder, motorsports sponsorship deals (including Riize as Official Oral Strips partner), and a joint venture with XSpace Group (master developer and construction manager) and Maximo Capital (lead equity partner) announced in July 2026 covering five luxury multi-use industrial condominium projects across Miami/Boca Raton, Charlotte/Mooresville, Dallas/Fort Worth, Scottsdale/Phoenix, and Los Angeles — projected to generate $250 million in total sales revenue. RAFA has stated plans to expand to ten Social & Performance Centres within four years.
The company operates across the United States (Houston, plus the five JV project markets and Daytona for racing) and the United Kingdom (via Grid Finder's Newcastle base). The motorsports club market in which RAFA operates is projected to reach USD 10 billion by 2035 from USD 4.37 billion in 2024, a 7.8% CAGR. RAFA is privately held, has not disclosed funding rounds, headcount, revenue figures, or management team details in the available data.
Rafa Racing Club firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rafa Racing Club
- Website
- https://heylink.me
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Rafa Racing Club is a Houston-based private motorsports venture group operating Grid Finder's online racing platform (500,000+ drivers), member-only Social & Performance Centres in luxury automotive facilities, and a professional team competing in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rafa Racing Club industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Motorsports Clubs & Automotive Lifestyle
- NAICS
- Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Motorsports Teams & Entrants (Factory & Independent) (MPAKAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Luxury Car Club / Membership-Based Exotic Rentals (THADAMAJ)
Keywords
Where Rafa Racing Club is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Houston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Rafa Racing Club business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership - Social & Performance Centres: RAFA Racing Club operates member-only Social & Performance Centres on the ground floors of luxury multi-use properties, generating recurring membership revenue from automotive enthusiasts.
- Real Estate Development: Joint venture generating $250 million in total sales revenue from five luxury multi-use industrial condominium projects across the United States.
- Esports Platform - Grid Finder: Revenue from online racing platform hosting over 3,000 racing communities and 500,000+ drivers through acquisition of Grid Finder.
- Motorsports Sponsorship: Partnership sponsorship deals such as Riize as Official Oral Strips partner for RAFA Racing Team competing in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Rafa Racing Club product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rafa Racing Club operates member-only Social & Performance Centres for automotive enthusiasts at ground-floor locations within luxury multi-use industrial condominium properties across major U.S. markets. The company fields the RAFA Racing Team in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, runs the Grid Finder online racing platform connecting more than 500,000 drivers across 3,000+ communities, and co-develops luxury automotive real estate through a $250 million joint venture.
Product overview
Rafa Racing Club is a U.S.-based motorsports group operating as a multi-platform racing and automotive enthusiast organization. The company runs a professional racing team (RAFA Racing Team) competing in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, operates member-only Social & Performance Centres at luxury automotive facilities, and has expanded into digital racing communities through the acquisition of Grid Finder, an online platform hosting thousands of racing communities and hundreds of thousands of drivers. The company is also developing a luxury multi-use industrial condominium network across major U.S. cities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Social & Performance Centres Member-only Social & Performance Centre facilities operated by Rafa Racing Club on the ground floors of luxury multi-use industrial condominium properties across Miami/Boca Raton, Charlotte/Mooresville, Dallas/Fort Worth, Scottsdale/Phoenix, and Los Angeles, with planned expansion to ten clubs within four years, targeting high-net-worth automotive enthusiasts.
- RAFA Racing Team Professional motorsports racing team fielded by Rafa Racing Club, competing in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge at venues including Daytona International Speedway with a Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 driven by Kiko Porto and Varun Choksey.
- Grid Finder Platform Online racing community platform acquired by Rafa Racing Club in December 2023, connecting more than 3,000 racing communities and over 500,000 drivers globally for sim racing discovery, community management, and online competition.
Quantifiable outcome
- 500,000+ drivers and 3,000+ racing communities connected via Grid Finder platform
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Rafa Racing Club
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Rafa Racing Club technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Rafa Racing Club partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- XSpace GroupcoreXSpace Group serves as master developer and construction manager for five luxury multi-use industrial condominium projects across the United States. Joint venture valued at $250 million in total sales revenue.
- RiizeminorRiize confirmed as Official Oral Strips partner for RAFA Racing Team entering the 2026 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season at Daytona International Speedway.
- Grid FindercoreNewcastle-based esports startup acquired by RAFA Racing Club in December 2023 for undisclosed seven-figure sum in majority-cash deal. Platform connects online racing communities and has grown to host over 3,000 communities and 500,000 drivers.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Rafa Racing Club competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Monticello Motor Club: Private members-only automotive club offering track access, storage, and social amenities to driving enthusiasts — a directly comparable business model to RAFA's Social & Performance Centres.
- iRacing: Largest subscription-based online motorsports simulation platform with community and competitive leagues — directly comparable to Grid Finder as a digital sim-racing community platform.
- Wayne Taylor Racing: Professional IMSA racing team competing across multiple Michelin Pilot Challenge and endurance series — directly comparable to RAFA Racing Team's IMSA program.
- Apex Motor Club: Members-only country club for driving enthusiasts featuring private track access, garages, and luxury amenities — comparable membership-club positioning to RAFA's Social & Performance Centres.
- Hagerty: Hagerty operates a membership-based automotive enthusiast platform with media, insurance, and driver experiences, and owns the Broad Arrow Group auction business — directly comparable to RAFA's lifestyle/enthusiast membership and digital community flywheel.
- The Thermal Club: Luxury private members motorsports club with track, villas, and automotive lifestyle amenities in Southern California — directly comparable in concept and target customer to RAFA's planned Social & Performance Centres.
Broad incumbents
- Bring a Trailer: Online auction community for enthusiast vehicles with a passionate enthusiast user base — adjacent to RAFA's enthusiast platform approach via Grid Finder.
- Motorsport Network: Global digital motorsports media and community platform with events, ticketing, and subscription services — broader incumbent in the digital motorsports community space adjacent to Grid Finder.
Emerging players
- Trackhouse Racing: Independent NASCAR team building a lifestyle brand around racing, comparable in spirit to RAFA's strategy of using a racing team as a brand-building anchor for broader enthusiast offerings.
- Radford Racing School / Radford Motors: Performance driving experience brand operating track-based driving schools and lifestyle events — an emerging adjacent model combining motorsports instruction with luxury automotive experiences.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Rafa Racing Club social profiles
Digital presenceRafa Racing Club financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rafa Racing Club leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Rafa Racing Club subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Rafa Racing Club funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rafa Racing Club M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rafa Racing Club
What does Rafa Racing Club do?
Rafa Racing Club operates member-only Social & Performance Centres for automotive enthusiasts at ground-floor locations within luxury multi-use industrial condominium properties across major U.S. markets. The company fields the RAFA Racing Team in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, runs the Grid Finder online racing platform connecting more than 500,000 drivers across 3,000+ communities, and co-develops luxury automotive real estate through a $250 million joint venture.
When was Rafa Racing Club founded?
Rafa Racing Club was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Rafa Racing Club based?
Rafa Racing Club is headquartered in Houston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Rafa Racing Club make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership - Social & Performance Centres are the primary driver. The others are real Estate Development, esports Platform - Grid Finder and motorsports Sponsorship.
Who are Rafa Racing Club's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Monticello Motor Club, iRacing, Wayne Taylor Racing, Apex Motor Club, Hagerty and The Thermal Club. Broad incumbents are Bring a Trailer and Motorsport Network. Emerging players are Trackhouse Racing and Radford Racing School / Radford Motors.
Does Rafa Racing Club have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rafa Racing Club.
What industry is Rafa Racing Club in?
Rafa Racing Club's product category is Motorsports Clubs & Automotive Lifestyle. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAGAB, Motorsports Teams & Entrants (Factory & Independent), with a secondary code of THADAMAJ, Luxury Car Club / Membership-Based Exotic Rentals. Its NAICS code is 711211 and its SIC code is 7997.