Justin Macy attended his first NASCAR race 15 years ago at Texas Motor Speedway. He really wasn’t a racing fan until that moment.

“Once they dropped that green flag, it was a spectacle — loud and fast and exciting,” he said. “We were hooked immediately. The three or four hours watching the race went by in a snap.”

Macy and his wife Susan also were exposed to the hospitality side of racing; the behind-the-scenes perks like getting onto pit road.

“That is what sparked the idea for this company. My interest in the sport grew right then and we started developing relationships with people at the tracks,” Macy said.

The couple formed RaceAway Hospitality in 2002 and began offering NASCAR trip packages for clients.

Macy spoke with The Des Moines Register about his business.

Q: What does your company do?

A: RaceAway specializes in NASCAR fan accommodations, following the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race circuit all over the United States. We host NASCAR fans of all ages and from all over the world. We put together small group packages for race fans, booking hotels, purchasing race tickets, setting up the catering at the tracks, providing charter and motorcoach transportation between the hotels and tracks. We basically take care of everything for the clients. They just show up at the hotel on race weekend.

Q: Who are your clients?

A: We will work with individuals, fitting them into small groups, couples and even corporations/businesses. They’ll have us assemble a travel package for 100 guests and we handle the details.

Q: What races do your clients attend?

A: Races across the country that are in the top tier Sprint Cup series. They’ll see drivers like Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhart Jr. So far this year, we’ve already hosted more than two dozen races.

Q: How long does the racing season last?

A: It starts at the end of February with the Daytona 500 and runs through mid-November.

Q: How many employees do you have?

A: There’s just a couple of full-time employees and then we have hosts who live close to the racetracks who are on site, helping us with the events. I usually attend most of the events, too.

Q: What compliments have you received?

A: That we provide our clients with deeper access behind the scenes. We have good relationships with the tracks and get them on pit road prior to the races. At that time, the crews are setting up the cars, staging the pit boxes, so they can see that. Sometimes we’ll have garage access at select venues, so we can see the drivers jumping in their cars.

Q: How soon should race fans book a package?

A: Our packages start selling out two to three months in advance of an event. We also limit the group sizes, so the customer ratio to on-site employees allows for everyone to be well taken care of.

RaceAway Hospitality Inc.

LOCATION: Ankeny

HOURS: Weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

BUSINSES HISTORY: The business was formed in 2002.

OWNERS: Justin and Susan Macy

CONTACT: 877-210-5629, www.RaceAwayHospitality.com