RACE-BASED LOCATION Though the Cowboys are what puts Dallas on the map, the area has its place in the racing scene as well. It is home to the Dallas Raceway and Texas Motorplex, both of which cater to smaller events and a local fan base. Somewhat further away is the new Circuit of the Americas race track, built to host Formula 1 Racing in the United States. Vuong, who grew up in nearby Ft. Worth, described
the area’s automotive en-
thusiast scene as “very big, though not California big,” and as a result wanted to keep his location close to home. Vuong chose nearby Addison, with a population of just over 13,000 but a distance of only 15 miles from the much larger Dal- las area. Situated in a warehouse district, the FQ Motorsports building has a total of 6,000 square feet. The largest part of the building is dedicated to a generously
sized 4,500 square-foot installation and service area. There is also a 500 square- foot area designated for woodwork and fiberglass. Finally, the remainder is re- served for a 1,000 square-foot showroom and waiting area. As expected, most of the showroom lends itself to performance parts. As an authorized Sony GS dealer, the store houses a small car audio sound board with the latest Sony gear, and markets other products it purchases from nearby Eagle Distributors on an as-needed ba- sis. The store’s waiting area is equipped with sofas, TVs, a refrigerator, espresso maker, and WiFi. “We work on a lot of high-end cars so we want to make sure our clients can do work if they have brought it with them,” said Vuong. “But if they can’t stay, we offer our customers a ride to their home or to their business while we work on their cars.”
PEOPLE, PLUS SOME Working
closely with Vuong is his
small but tight-knit staff. General man- ager Quinntin Augustine, an investment banker who has a business degree from Southern Methodist University, handles a wide variety of tasks and assists Vu- ong in day-to-day duties. The supporting staff includes Sales Manager John Lin, George Laflur, who handles sales and installation, technician and installer Will Price, and Don Vo, who takes care of fab- rication work in addition to tech duties. Uniforms for the staff consist of gray shirts with the store logo, and jeans or shorts based on the weather. “As the owner, I open and close the shop, work in the back, and handle things like ordering parts,” said Vuong. “ I am always on the computer. Quinntin basically oversees everything when I am not around.” In addition to the regular staff, FQ wel-
Arapaho Rd.
Dyno Room
Breakroom Linberg Rd. Building Toshiba Building Bathroom
Installation Area
Top speed pro 1 building Building Show Room Lifts Wood/Fiberglass Room
Window
Billy Mitchell Dr.
FQ Motorsports’ location in a warehouse district precludes walk-by and drive-by traffic, but also enhances the security of the ve- hicles the shop works on. The elongated building affords ample space for several vehicles to be worked on at once.
26 Mobile Electronics November 2012
Window
Front Room
Shop Entrance
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