NASCAR-branded carwashes will open next week in the Chicago area.
Locations in Romeoville, Matteson and Aurora will be the first of their kind in the country, debuting just ahead of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sept. 18at Joliet’s Chicagoland Speedway.
“NASCAR fans are so brand-loyal,” said Steve Timmer, managing director of NASCAR Car Wash Midwest.
The carwashes are currently operating under different names, but the official switch will happen next Thursday and Friday, when the NASCAR signs go up. A grand opening celebration featuring two NASCAR drivers will be at the Romeoville site Thursday. Car washes in Joliet and Naperville are scheduled to open next year.
The idea is that NASCAR carwashes will not only lure racing fans, but also moms in minivans and grandpas in sedans who wouldn’t know Danica Patrick if she crashed into their car.
Dan Dyer, Timmer’s partner, is a Washington-state businessman whose 1903 Car Wash Co. obtained NASCAR licensing rights. He envisions NASCAR carwashes nationwide — like fast-food chains — and hopes to have 20 percent of the market in 10 years. That’s about 200 to 250 NASCAR carwashes in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana.
Timmer said success will come down to customer service and a little bit of timing.
“Fifty percent of our business is impulse,” Timmer said. “If there are two choices in the area and you’re cruising by, you’re going to say ‘All right, I know that name,’ whether you’re a fan or not.”
