This was definitely one of THE MOST fun things I’ve ever done on four wheels!  Tom, Doug, and I went to F1 Boston, which is the area’s premier indoor go kart racing facility, and it was an amazing experience.  I expected it to be fun, but I had no idea HOW much fun!

We signed in, got our racing suits and helmets, and then sat through a short training video.  The races are scheduled ten minutes apart, and they have an area where you can watch the current race while waiting for your race to set up.  When our names went up on the board, the track manager signaled for us to head out to the pits to find our karts and get settled in for the start of the race.  Once we were underway, we had one slow lap before getting the green flag.  Then it was pedal down!

The track we raced on was called the “city” track (I have no idea why) and it was a wonderful combination of challenging corners that included an uphill straightaway, a diving hairpin curve, and a chicane with a blind exit.

The track is only a quarter mile overall, but a lap takes twenty to thirty seconds to complete.  Each race was 15 laps and we were drained after each one.  I still can’t believe what a blast it was – the carts were fast, very responsive, and handled like they were running on rails.  My top speed was almost 40MPH and my best lap was 22.758 seconds, which was only 4.3 seconds off the track lap record.  I was quite pleased with myself, especially since it was my first time!

I was a bit surprised at how much effort it took to handle the karts.  When you are running flat out and start turning in to a corner, you realize real quick how much effort it takes to turn the steering wheel and hold a line through the apex and out the other side.  And when you’re racing wheel to wheel with anywhere from four to ten other karts, the level of concentration required is immense.  It really gives you a good feel for what real motor racing is all about.

I will definitely go back.  It isn’t cheap, but it is just too much fun.  And it was a great primer for the go kart track I’ll be going to at Phillips Island in Melbourne.  Oh, have I failed to mention our trip to Australia in March?  That will be another post.  Stay tuned!