Racer plans motorcycle dealership at SPARC

Most of Larry Pegram’s fondest memories involve motorcycles circling racetracks at high speeds.

“I’m a third-generation racer,” said the Columbus native and star of the American Motorcyclist Association SuperBike series and Superbike Family reality show.

With an eye toward his postracing career, Pegram, 40, has announced a plan to own and operate a motorcycle dealership, performance shop and racing academy at the Sports Pavilion and Automotive Research Complex. The development is under construction at the site of the former Cooper Stadium.

“I heard about SPARC and really wanted to be involved,” said Pegram, who lives near

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Granville. “It’s a really unique facility. You don’t see a downtown racing complex with so many different things going on.”

The SPARC racetrack and office complex could be completed by the end of 2015 or spring of the following year, said Bill Schottenstein, principal of Arshot Investment Corp., the Columbus-based developer of SPARC.

Pegram’s dealership might be operational earlier. “We could open before the racetrack is completed,” Pegram said. “I’m hoping to open in about a year.”

SPARC already has attracted some of the big names of motorsports.