They call it the Garage Mahal. And we’re not talking about yet another home theater appropriating a space normally reserved for automobiles. There are still cars in this garage, and the surround-sound system is relegated to a living space on the second floor.

The 6,000-square-foot garage is all about high-adrenaline entertainment. It’s one of several garages located on an amateur racing track at Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, IL. Autobahn members race their cars on a 3.56-mile Grand Prix circuit—and garage owners Dennis Hiffman and Tom Collins wanted more than just a place where they could tinker with their prized automobiles for their team, GSD Racing (for Greasy Side Down).

Builder Patrick Lee of Lee Construction Services in Gary, IN, was contacted to build the structure, and when the owners said they wanted an entertainment system and a camera on the roof to help catch the racing action, Baumeister Electronic Architects of Niles, IL, was called in. “This garage has the most advanced technology of any garage at the course,” says Lee.

The garage and an office take up the first floor, while a 1,200-square-foot living space including a living room, kitchen and two bedrooms is on the second floor. A 42-inch plasma HDTV with Artisan speakers attached to the sides and in-ceiling SpeakerCraft speakers, along with a Denon receiver, provide the home theater revs for post-racing downtime.

In addition, a Crestron Adagio control and audio distribution system routes music from a ReQuest hard drive media server to five more areas, including the two bedrooms, the garage, the office and a deck overlooking the track. Each audio zone is also equipped with SpeakerCraft in-ceiling and on-wall speakers.

Downstairs in the garage, a 55-inch Fujitsu plasma is mounted in the corner, with four SpeakerCraft speakers mounted in each corner, so Hiffman and Collins can tune out while they tune up their cars. Another plasma is in the office. The audio and video are controlled by three Crestron in-wall touchpanels with 4-inch LCD screens—located in the living room, garage and office—as well as three Crestron handheld ML-600 remotes.

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About the Author:
Steven Castle - Contributing Writer

Steven Castle is a writer, editor, and humorist who recently completed Filthy Rich Things, a savage satire on our thirst for success and wealth. He is presently expanding his magazine work by writing more about alternative energy sources and green building.