Racing to the Top

Chris Borucki, left, and his son, Christian, team up at Airpark Motorsports to repair, build, restore and enhance vintage, collector and custom cars. (Dennis

Murphy/Contributing Photographer)

By Jordan Houston

Airpark Motorsports makes waves in collector car industry

ince Airpark Motorsport’s inception a little over five years ago, the vintage car repair shop has undergone three location changes, dominated the stages at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), and served as the muscle behind high-profile Superformance vehicles, such as the wheels showcased in the 2019 film “Ford v. Ferrari”— and it doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

The family-owned operation, now located at 7722 E. Gray Road, is taking the collector car industry by storm by repairing, building, restoring and maintaining vintage, collector and custom cars, trucks and motorcycles. It emphasizes quality results featuring faster speeds, smoother rides and better performances, according to its website.

A Roush dealer and Superformance install, service, warranty and parts center, Airpark Motorsports recently relocated from its previous Airpark location on 82nd Street to better accommodate its burgeoning capabilities.

“The growth is unbelievable right now, (and) the market is on fire,” says Robyn Borucki, who runs the hot rod shop with her husband, Chris, and their son Christian. “There are now people collecting from every age group. They’re starting to remember what they had when they were younger,” she continues. “You see people buying cars, whether it’s something they have always wanted, something their family had or something they could never afford.”

The shop prides itself in offering expert mechanical repair and diagnostics. It specializes in restoring vintage rides with modern conveniences, such as updating brakes, steering and suspension, without diminishing integrity.

Airpark Motorsports boasts certifications from the Automotive Service Excellence, Bourget’s Bike Works, Ford and Lotus, among others.

“In my very humble opinion, Arizona, and especially Scottsdale, is the mecca for vintage classic and collector cars of the world,” Robyn tells Airpark News. “It isn’t really categorized that way yet, but when you see what our auctions bring in, and with our perfect climate with no humidity, there are amazing collections of cars here.”

The family-owned operation’s staff is small but mighty.

Robyn, the designated Chaos Coordinator, manages operational tasks to ensure Airpark Motorsports itself is a well-oiled machine. Her role includes budgeting, locating obsolete parts, and keeping the builds on time.

With over 40 years in the industry under his belt, Chris shines as the mechanical mastermind. He thrives working on restoration projects, routine maintenance and general repairs, Robyn says of her husband.

“He has a God-given gift. His mechanical expertise is not anything that can be taught; it’s from within,” Robyn shares. “And that is the same for our son. He didn’t go to school for it. He got to practice his crafts from technicians at gas stations.”

Christian, 27, spearheads the shop’s creativity and craftsmanship behind the restmod builds and vintage vehicle restorations.

According to the company’s website, his “mechanical knowledge and exquisite craftsmanship is complimented by a forwardthinking, can-do attitude that makes him a natural for resto-mod builds and vintage vehicle restorations.”

The 27-year-old says helping clients realize their visions is the most rewarding part.

“It’s either being able to take my vision that I have in my head and turn it into a material item or to do that for a client and take something that somebody has always wanted where they can see it in their head and they can explain it but we just have the skill to turn into metal and motors,” Christian says.

One of his passion projects includes an extensively modified 1959 Pontiac Bonneville. The restorations featured rack and pinion power steering, Wilwood disc brakes and coilover suspension on all four corners.

The craftsman coated the Bonneville’s exterior in Porsche’s famous shade, Riviera Blue. He also restored chrome body panels, such as the bumpers and trim around the headlights and windows. On the inside, the cabin now sports a contrasting tan leather. It also features a Rockford Fosgate sound system, Vintage Air climate control, power windows and power seats.

But it’s not the eye-catching results that separate Airpark Motorsports from the rest, Christian expresses. It’s the customer service.

“One thing that I think is way up there is our client relations,” Christian says. “There is not a car that comes in here that someone from the family doesn’t touch in one way or another. We don’t just take clients in and pass them off to one of the technicians or to a service writer; our clients turn into our friends.”

Robyn echoes her son’s sentiments, adding that the company’s personable relationships extend even beyond to the vendors.

“We are so privileged in the fact that we are really blessed with the people that walk through our doors and the clients that share our names,” Robyn says. “It’s the relation-

ships, even with our vendors. I have vendors across the country that I think are amazing people and I would call them more than acquaintances.”

A driving force in the industry, Airpark Motorsports’ history wasn’t always smooth cruising.

The Boruckis moved in 2000 from Illinois to Arizona after successfully running a previous local repair shop that serviced daily drivers.

With no plans to carry over the business, Chris went on to work for a Cadillac dealership. In 2011, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

The “gearhead,” following a successful craniotomy, was then inspired to tap into his passion of working on ‘70s classics, customs and collector cars, Robyn explains. He joined a local hot rod shop in 2013 before tragedy struck again. Chris was diagnosed with cancer.

By 2017, a cancer-free Chris and Robyn agreed it was time to reclaim their employment opportunities — and thus, Airpark Motorsports was born.

They rented a small hangar. Nine months later, the blossoming business transitioned into its second location on 82nd street, boasting a roughly 12,000-square-foot space. Now, Airpark Motorsports is thriving in its current 43,000-square-foot facility — and has plans to evolve into a one-stop shop for all classic automotive needs.

Robyn says the shop will soon offer in-house services for fi nancing, insurance, third-party title registration, storage, consignment and preferred towing services, among other vital services.

It’s also gearing up for a new venture with Great American Motorsports, slated to occupy the upstairs of the facility as a Superformance dealer. The designated “Cobra Supercenter of the West” will off er clients access to the full catalogue of Superformance, a distributor for “Rolling Chassis” replica and continuation race cars of the 1960s.

For more information about Airpark Motorsports, or to schedule a consultation, visit Airparkmotorsports.com. Follow the shop’s latest projects on Instagram at @airparkmotorsports. 

Christian Borucki, 27, specializes in restomod builds and vintage car restorations.

(Dennis Murphy/Contributing Photographer)