Elkhart Lake Tourism

ELKHARTLAKE.COM | 3 4 How did the Throttlestop get its start in Elkhart Lake? Throttlestop is more than just a facility that sells special interest cars and motorcycles, we are a destination for all things motoring. Founded by lifelong friends Jim Balestrieri and Tom Kostrivas, Throttlestop is the cumulation of decades of passion for cars, motorcycles, and racing. As kids, Jim and Tom competed against each other racing "anything with wheels." These beginnings led Jim to become a regular racing circuit competitor at Road America, a passion he has now passed down to his son. Meanwhile, Tom was hard at work managing his own luxury automobile leasing company in Milwaukee. Together, and with the addition of General Manager Nic Piekarski, the team came together to combine their passions into building the Throttlestop. What can visitors expect when they walk into the Throttlestop for the first time? Walking through the front doors you will be welcomed and immersed by some of the finest cars and motorcycles in the world. The Throttlestop's slogan, "Driven by Passion", is evident and something each of our team members has in their blood. From Modern Exotic cars, to the classic muscle cars of the 1960's, there will be certainly something you can relate to. Our collection of Motorcycles is one of the finest and most eclectic around, ranging over 120 years, it's a bit of a walk though motorcycling history in the world. How many historic motorcycles, cars, and motors are featured in the museum and is there a fan favorite piece of the collection? Our museum and dealership house a rotating stock of approximately 200 of the world's finest motorcycles ranging from the early 1900's up to modern machines and up to 150 automobiles ranging from the 1960's muscle cars up to the pinnacle of modern performance and super cars. We also have 12 running engine displays ranging from older Jaguar Race Motor, Rare Pontiac Race Motors to Modern Day Ford GT's motors. These give us the opportunity to let people see just how these motors look and sound in the flesh (sorry neighbors), these displays are very impressive! Favorites are all over the map for our visitors, everyone has a reason to enjoy a certain brand or model, many of our cars and motorcycles take folks back in time to relive a memory they had as a child or something memorable in their lives. There are many unique elements to Throttlestop, in what ways does the Throttlestop give back to the community? The Throttlestop hosts a number of events in the summer months to bring the motoring community together as a whole. Elkhart Lake's motorsports history is one of the finest in the world and we are proud to be a part of the growth in the community. There is a huge car and motorcycle culture in our area so it was a natural fit to put together a number of events to bring the community and like-minded enthusiasts together to celebrate all things motoring. From Cars and Coffee's to Motors and Music events, The Throttlestop has become a destination for the car and motorcycle enthusiast. How has Throttlestop evolved over the past few years and what does the future look like for Throttlestop? It became apparent shortly after our grand opening that there was something much larger than the Throttlestop's original idea of being a small "hobby" shop. The heart of our business is the specialty Car and Motorcycle sales but in addition we have branched out to offer supporting services. The Throttlestop has expanded to offer state of the art short- and long-term car and motorcycle storage, world class vehicle detailing, vintage motorcycle repair and restoration, all in addition to our expansive museum that welcomes visitors throughout the summer and into fall. TheThroleop The Throleop Tm

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