Robert J. Lutz
President & CEO, Driving 101, LLC
Entrepreneur | Investor | Visionary in Motorsports, Hospitality, Wellness, Tech & Finance
Robert J. Lutz is a seasoned entrepreneur and the President & CEO of Driving 101, LLC, the leading experiential racing company in North America. Driving 101 owns and operates the NASCAR Racing Experience, Mario Andretti Racing Experience, and The Speedpark at Concord Mills, delivering high-adrenaline events at 17 racetracks nationwide. With a career spanning over three decades, Lutz is recognized as a pioneer in motorsports entertainment—creating the Richard Petty Driving Experience, launching the Jeff Gordon Racing School, and introducing the first-ever third-party attraction at Walt Disney World.
In addition to motorsports, Lutz is an active investor with a diverse portfolio across hospitality, wellness, technology, real estate, and finance. He is an investor in the historic Peace and Plenty Hotel in Exuma, Bahamas; Amaira MedSpa, a luxury brand in the wellness and aesthetics space; David Burke Tavern, a celebrated culinary destination in New York City; and Dream On Yacht Charter, a premier luxury yachting experience based in the Bahamas.
Lutz is also an investor in Boxabl, the modular housing company redefining how people think about homeownership, and in Kiwibot, a robotics company transforming last-mile delivery with autonomous sidewalk robots. His investments extend to Europe, where he is a backer of Avro, a rising hospitality brand in Greece known for its elevated, design-forward boutique experiences. In the financial sector, Lutz holds a stake in Evermore Bank, a forward-thinking institution focused on innovation and customer-first solutions.
His real estate holdings include strategic investments in Oak Island, North Carolina; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and Exuma, Bahamas—reflecting a long-term belief in coastal growth markets and lifestyle destinations. In addition to his public-facing ventures, Lutz maintains a range of private investments across emerging industries and growth-stage businesses.
From the racetrack to real estate and robotics, Robert J. Lutz brings a sharp entrepreneurial mindset, bold vision, and proven leadership to every venture. His portfolio reflects a commitment to investing in breakthrough ideas, world-class experiences, and businesses that are built to lead.
In the News.....
Beds for Kids and Speedway Children’s Charities gets $10,000 donation from racing executive, Bob Lutz.
December 22, 2021
CONCORD, N.C. (WBTV) - Bob Lutz, CEO of Driving 101, which operates NASCAR Racing Experience, Richard Petty Driving Experience and Mario Andretti Racing Experience, presented a donation of $10,000 this week to Speedway Children’s Charities – Charlotte Chapter to support Charlotte-based Beds for Kids.
“We’ve been honored to support Speedway Children’s Charities for many years,” said Lutz. “Since the annual Speedway Children’s Charities gala was cancelled this year, we wanted to make sure we were continuing to help them fulfill their mission in the community with a donation to an important community organization.”
Lutz joined Lisa Starnes, director of Speedway Children’s Charities, and Malcom Graham, executive director of Beds for Kids, at Charlotte Motor Speedway to present the contribution. (Shown L-R: Graham, Starnes and Lutz)
Beds for Kids serves thousands of children and their families each year. With support from the community, they are able to continue advancing their mission of providing beds and essential furniture to children and their families in need.
“Christmas came early this year,” said Graham. “We were surprised and incredibly grateful to be selected by Speedway Children’s Charities and Bob Lutz for this holiday gift. This will allow us to provide nearly 70 beds for children in the Charlotte area, just in time for Christmas. Together we are furnishing futures!” Full Story Click Here
State Of American Racing: Nascar Racing Experience’s Bob Lutz Opines
Bob Lutz knows something about auto racing. In his 20s, he revolutionized the racing school genre. Instead of designing a traditional school like Skip Barber or Bob Bondurant, where students learn the technical aspects of driving, he envisioned a place where fans could experience the thrill of driving a real race car at high speed, without necessarily learning the skill-set to race professionally. In the late 1990s, he founded the Richard Petty Driving Experience (now called Nascar Racing Experience) for stock car enthusiasts, and Cart Driving 101 (now called Mario Andretti Racing Experience), for Indy car enthusiasts. Between the two outfits, Lutz has put millions of race fans behind the wheel at a number of big oval tracks including Daytona, Talladega, Texas, Las Vegas and Charlotte. This week, we had a chance to catch up with the entrepreneur, who just turned 50, to discuss the state of racing in the U.S. as well as to comment on how the state of his schools, including dealing with COVID-19. Following are edited excerpts from a longer conversation. READ MORE>>