Leaders in Motorsports, Automotive, and Strategic Development
At Ignition Advisory Group, our expertise is grounded in more than three decades of direct experience across professional motorsports, automotive business development, major-event promotion, and motorsports facility development. Our leadership experience includes Circuit of The Americas (COTA), the development of Flatrock Motorclub, and participation in the Road Racing Industry Council.
Our experience spans facility development and operations, business strategy, revenue development, event promotion, commercial partnerships, OEM programs, and sponsorship activation. At COTA, that experience was developed within one of North America's leading motorsports and entertainment venues and across major international and national events including Formula 1, MotoGP, FIA WEC, IMSA, NASCAR, IndyCar, FIA World Rallycross, and professional and amateur road racing.
That operating experience was subsequently applied to the development of Flatrock Motorsports Park & Motorclub, providing IAG with perspective from both sides of the facility lifecycle: operating and commercializing an established international venue and helping develop a new motorsports destination from the ground up.
Beyond facility operations and development, our experience includes automotive manufacturers, driving schools, dealership networks, racing organizations, and industry partners. This provides IAG with a practical understanding of how motorsports facilities generate revenue through memberships, track utilization, major and private events, OEM programs, driving experiences, commercial partnerships, sponsorships, hospitality, and complementary real estate and business activities.
Ignition Advisory Group brings this experience to owners, developers, investors, operators, and government stakeholders evaluating new facilities, repositioning existing assets, or determining the commercial, operational, and economic viability of motorsports projects.
The Founder
Eric Paradis
- Motorsports Facility Executive | Business Development & Venue Strategy
- Former Circuit of The Americas (COTA) Executive
- Former Flatrock Motorsports Park & Motorclub Executive
- Road Racing Industry Council Member
- Former Professional Racing Driver, Team Owner & Instructor
Eric Paradis is a motorsports facility executive and business development professional with more than 30 years of experience spanning professional racing, automotive programs, commercial development, venue operations, and the planning and development of major motorsports facilities.
His career began in professional motorsports as a driver, instructor, and team owner, competing in Canada, the United States, and Europe. That experience established the operational foundation for a career that would progressively move from behind the wheel into automotive business development and, ultimately, executive leadership within the motorsports facility industry.
Before entering venue management, Eric developed and operated automotive programs for manufacturers and performance brands including Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Jaguar Land Rover, Volvo, Lamborghini, and Ferrari. His work encompassed product launches, driving experiences, customer engagement, executive and sales training, and performance-driving programs.
The defining chapter of his executive career began at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, where he spent approximately eight years working across Automotive Partnerships and Business Development, including six years leading business development activities. His responsibilities extended well beyond traditional sponsorship sales and included the development of new revenue channels, track and facility utilization, manufacturer programs, driving experiences, commercial partnerships, private events, racing and club programs, and strategic relationships across the automotive and motorsports industries.
During his tenure, COTA developed into one of the most commercially diverse motorsports venues in North America, hosting Formula 1, MotoGP, FIA World Endurance Championship, IMSA, IndyCar, SRO GT World Challenge, NASCAR, manufacturer programs, private track activities, and numerous automotive and corporate events. Eric's business development work contributed to substantial growth in the utilization of the facility, including a 33% increase in track rentals and a 293% increase in participants. His broader work at COTA included the development of manufacturer and university relationships, driving programs, racing assets, community initiatives, and new business opportunities designed to generate revenue beyond major race weekends.
In 2022, Eric relocated from Austin to Tennessee to join the development of Flatrock Motorclub, serving in executive business development and management consulting capacities through 2024. The assignment represented a transition from operating and commercializing an established international venue to helping develop a major motorsports facility from the ground up.
At Flatrock, Eric worked across business strategy, commercial development, facility programming, project positioning, partnerships, and stakeholder engagement during the project's formative stage. He introduced and facilitated discussions with major international motorsports and automotive organizations, including the FIA World Endurance Championship, Dorna/MotoGP, and Mercedes-Benz, while contributing to commercial negotiations, memoranda of understanding, investor and financing discussions, early customer development, and the broader business case for the project.
The combination of COTA and Flatrock provided two complementary perspectives: nearly a decade of experience generating business and programming for an established international motorsports destination, followed by direct involvement in the planning and commercial development of a new facility before opening.
Eric subsequently consolidated that experience through Ignition Advisory Group, advising owners, developers, investors, and operators on the commercial and operational realities of motorsports facility development. IAG's work encompasses business-model development, facility programming, financial and commercial strategy, operational planning, organizational structure, membership and private-club models, OEM and manufacturer programs, event strategy, and development risk. This work is structured around the principle that circuit design, capital deployment, commercial strategy, and eventual operations must be developed as one integrated business rather than as separate disciplines.
Eric's perspective is grounded in an unusually broad progression through the industry: professional driver, instructor and team owner; automotive program developer; business development executive at one of North America's leading international circuits; and executive advisor involved in the development of a new motorsports destination.
Today, his work is focused on helping motorsports projects move from vision to commercially viable, operationally sustainable facilities.
ADVISORY BOARD
Strategic Growth Leaders
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Ready to take your motorsports investment, facility, or brand strategy to the next level? Whether you’re developing a world-class circuit, planning a high-profile event, or expanding your business in the automotive and motorsports industries, Ignition Advisory Group is here to provide expert strategic guidance, data-driven insights, and operational excellence.
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