Should I buy this experience?
Who it's for
For a
fun and convivial experience shared with friends or colleagues, you
can’t beat go kart racing. It’s fast and furious, whilst
being great value for money and accessible to many. We reckon you should go
karting at least once in your life!
Who it's not for
If
you don’t like the idea of driving anything at all, karting won’t
be for you. Similarly, if you have zero competitive spirit, we’d
avoid the Grand Prix-style experiences, where you compete in a series of races.
Go karting racing experiences
FAQs
Will
I be racing in the go-kart?
Will
I be on an indoor or outdoor karting track?
Can
you race go karts in the rain?
Do
the seats in a go kart adjust?
I
wear glasses. Can I still go kart racing?
Do you have ‘arrive &
drive’ sessions?
Are these go karting race experience events
marshalled?
Can I
see my lap time?
How
fast do the go karts used on these experiences go?
What
happens if I hit a tyre wall?
Do you
have go-karts for kids?
Are go
karts easy to drive?
Will I just be going round and round an oval
circuit?
Can
you give me any tactics for go kart racing?
Do
I need a licence to go on a go karting race experience?
Do I need to have a real competitive streak
for karting?
Is
go-karting a stepping stone to F1?
Are
go karts road legal?
Can
I go kart racing in London?
Where can I go on a go kart racing experience near
me?
Will
I be racing in the go-kart?
Most of our go kart experiences are
‘Grand Prix style’, so YES you will be racing against each
other. These experiences run as a series of races, with warm up and heats, all
leading to a Grand Final to determine the podium finishers for the best
karters.
Will
I be on an indoor or outdoor karting track?
We offer karting
experiences on both indoor and outdoor tracks. The advantage of indoor is that
you can go karting whatever the weather. The outdoor tracks tend to be longer,
more challenging and have that real motorsport feel to them. Some are floodlit
so you can still race after dark.
Can
you race go karts in the rain?
If your go kart centre is indoor,
then you’ll be racing come rain or shine. As for outdoor karting
experiences, the event organisers will determine if it is safe to race or not
in the event of inclement weather. And of course, the policy is to rebook you
in for another date if this happens.
Do
the seats in a go kart adjust?
Yes they do. They slide just like
a car seat, so go karters of different heights are easily catered for, from
around 5ft to 6’6” in standard adult karts. Please see
individual kart experience pages for requirements specific to that location.
I
wear glasses. Can I still go kart racing?
Yes. In fact it is
better to wear glasses that contact lenses. Helmets are compatible with wearing
glasses too.
Do
you have ‘arrive & drive’
sessions?
Yes we do. This is where you simply head to the go kart
centre and join in an open session on the track. That’s to say there
are no organised races, you just race against the clock, trying to post the
fastest lap times and overtaking any other karters out there at the same
time!
Are
these go karting race experience events marshalled?
Yes. Safety
is the priority at all centres. A pre-race briefing will explain race etiquette
and the safety rules, including recognising any marshalling signals or
instructions that may given during the sessions.
Can
I see my lap time?
Most centres have large screen scoreboards
showing lap times. If you’re racing, it will also show you position
in the race. Many centres will even print out our lap times for you, as a
memento of your karting prowess (or a sore reminder of your pitiful
performance!).
How
fast do the go karts used on these experiences go?
This all depends
on the track and the operator. Please check each page for the full details of
what karts are used, but generally, the adult karts used for hire can reach
around 40-45mph when unrestricted. And when you’re just centimetres
from the floor, hooning it around tight corners, that feels stupidly
fast.
What
happens if I hit a tyre wall?
The tyre walls are constructed
around the go karting track to stop karts running off the track. If you do mess
up and hit the tyre wall, the marshals will assist and help you get back out on
the track (go karts have no reverse gear!). It’s all part of learning
how to kart race!
Do
you have go-karts for kids?
Yes we do. Several of our main go
kart racing experience suppliers also offer go karting for kids. They are run
using smaller, less powerful go karts that are ideal for kids to drive.
Are
go karts easy to drive?
Yep. There are just two pedals - the
throttle and the brake, not forgetting your steering, of course. The karts do
actually have gears and what are called centrifugal clutches, which is why
during your safety briefing, the instructors will ask you not to have your foot
on the throttle and the brake at the same time.
Will
I just be going round and round an oval circuit?
No, that would be boring wouldn’t it!
Even the smallest indoor karting track has been designed with some challenging
racing lines for you. You’ll be negotiating chicanes, hairpins and
bends, with a nice straight so you can go full throttle. Some of the larger
indoor venues even have bridges and flyovers for multi-level go karting fun. And
if you’re outdoor, you have the natural undulations of the terrain
that can make for blind crests, sloping corners and more.
Can
you give me any tactics for go kart racing?
‘Slow in, fast out’ is what
we’d say. It’s all about smooth throttle control and taking
wide lines in to corners, to come out nice and tight to the kerb. Nail that
racing line stuff and you’re sure to bag yourself a place on the
podium.
Do
I need a licence to go on a go karting race experience?
Nope. Karts
are all dead easy to drive too, so no previous driving experience or a licence
is needed. You just need the confidence to drive one of these things!
Do
I need to have a real competitive streak for karting?
It
certainly helps. If you’re on a Grand Prix style go kart racing
experience, there’s no denying it will get competitive out there.
It’s a lot less competitive on the arrive and drive style
experiences, as there are no actual races run, as you’re more
competing against the clock to post your own best lap times.
Is
go-karting a stepping stone to F1?
Indeed it can be. Amongst many
others, a very young Lewis Hamilton started racing go karts before working his
way up to Formula One. If you really take to this go karting lark on one of our
experiences, who know where it might take you?
Are
go karts road legal?
Nope. You need to have an MoT and things
like lights, indicators and all the rest of it to be a road legal vehicle, so
we’ll leave the go karts on the track where they’re much
more fun!
Can
I go kart racing in London?
Yes you can! We’ve got
indoor karting in West London and North London, both easily accessible by
public transport.
Where
can I go on a go kart racing experience near me?
We work with
individual go kart tracks and a chain of nationwide centres, to offer you go
kart racing experiences around the country. Just some of our current locations
include:
- Brighton
- Bristol
- Basildon
- Chatham
- London -
W3
- London -
N18
- Crawley
- Birmingham
- Reading
- Leeds
- Liverpool
- Nottingham
- Surrey
- Sheffield
- Newcastle
- Preston
- Wiltshire
- Wigan
