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GoKart Racer
Rating Details »
Categories: Amusement Parks, Venues & Event Spaces [Edit]
1541 Adrian RdBurlingame, CA 94010
(650) 692-7223
One of our many Corporate partys
Check it out http://www.youtube.com...
- Hours:
Mon-Thu. 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 10:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
144 reviews for GoKart Racer
This business is a Yelp Sponsor
9/7/2009
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One of the Business' Favorite Reviews What's This?
I've been waiting for a place worthy to be my 100th review, and since I haven't got forever, I've chosen GoKart Racer. Yay!
It was my first time gokart RACING, which I loved because you can actually pass people. I have never been so focused driving in my life; this place kind of brought out the manic in me.
They also provide you with your own brand new head sock, and cool graphs to chart your lap times and race positions (to serve as evidence for bragging rights, I guess).
I had a great experience, and felt very accomplished by the end of the day (haha, I really did). Just be ready for some sore arms, and possibly neck/back.
This place really brought out the speed racer in me!!!
We had a reservation at 1:45 pm today, but really needed to move it back at least a half hour. I called them at 12 pm and they were accommodating since they still had some room after 1:45 p.m. We arrived on time (very important for reservations) by 2:15 p.m. At the entrance we all signed up for a GoKart Racer license via computer. There wasn't much advising by the employees there, so you kind of half to make your way around by reading signs and assuming you want to end up on the race track. My work group could've had a better orientation.
Since this event wasn't a company sponsored event, we could only afford the cheapest race, 10 minute Hot Laps. It's $25 (includes license) for the happy hour. I wish the cost wasn't so high otherwise we would've definitely entered into the Grand Prix and the whole nine yards.
The Monza track was small, but very very very fun! That may be because of my competitive driving nature. I loved the sharp turns, the bump in the middle of the track, and some of the longer stretches. For those slower drivers, keep an eye out for the blue flag with the yellow diagonal stripe! That means, get out the way, bitch!
I will come back someday and bring a group of friends for the larger races. I can't wait! Definitely won't be a regular though. It's a bit pricey.
Very-overpriced, but their carts are decent.
Horrible corner workers that don't let you pass as they prefer to stand and do nothing and let you have a glorified time trial.
Their track is way to skinny as well.
Living in San Francisco now I can't get to Fremont as easily but this isn't a problem because I have GKR which is a lot better on many levels.
The Good:
2 tracks means walk-ins are possible almost every hour (unless there's a company function). Still recommend calling in before driving over. The tracks can be combined to form a supertrack on sunday/monday evenings. Which is better for weightier people like me because the individual tracks are a little too tight to keep any momentum. Officiating is mostly great but I usually don't get any sort of governing when it comes to rear ends except once when i was rammed and passed but the guy was blue flagged before the lap was over. It's expensive because discounts are very rare but otherwise worth the price.
The waiting area is very nice and accommodating with plenty of seating but as a photographer it's a bit of a pain trying to take shots through the window and the racing area itself isn't very well lit either. Overall very nice facility and front staff is obliging.
The carts are fast. This place is fun but too pricey, so I probably won't be back. We paid $40+ per person for 15 minutes. If you have a decent sized group and want to race together, you may have to wait around a while before your race time comes up. Nobody in our party felt compelled to purchase the Red Bull & Clif Bar meal combo for $3.50. Their concession stand offers other energy dense foods as well.
My company went here for a sales rally and it was SO MUCH FUN (I guess it helps that I came in first...ahead of all the guys!)!!! They are super professional and the facility is really clean (they clean their racing suits after each use, which was a must for me), but the real fun is with the racing. I didn't know if I'd like it or not until I got on the track...what a rush! Super fun place to have a work party...beats the usual standing around with a cocktail making chit-chat any day!
This place was fun. We paid $60 per person for the Grand Prix package. The first 10 minutes of racing was to get drivers comfortable with the go karts and track. Then there was a 15 minute break. Afterward, there were 5 minutes of qualifying laps. And finally a 15 minute race.
You will be a little sweaty afterwards. And some people said their arms were tired. But I felt fine afterwards.
Guys will probably have more fun than girls, since guys tend to be more competitive. But girls still have a lot of fun too.
My friends said that a person's weight has a significant affect on how fast the go karts go. If you're 150 pounds, you'll go faster than a driver weighing 220 pounds. It's not really a big deal, but my friends said there is a slight advantage.
This is the second indoor go-kart race track in the bay area i've been to and it is decent. Been to go-kart racer twice and both times were enjoyable. Once for a corporate event and second time for my husband's birthday.
We paid $50 per person for the race. You get a qualifying round for best time/position and then a 27 lap race. We raced on the Yokohama tire track. If it's your birthday I think the price may drop to $25. If you have a group of 8 or more you get the track all to yourselves.
After you sign in and get your head sock, you have to get suited up in the locker room. Then they will call your group in for the cheesy instructional video.
The race itself is really long. I wanted to give up driving halfway through. It smells like gas the entire time and the suit is really hot. My whole shirt was drenched after the race. The kart is pretty hard to drive and my arms were sore the day after.
If you're tiny like me (i'm 5'1) don't forget to ask for a booster chair and extra foam to boost yourself forward. Otherwise if you can't reach the gas pedal you won't be able to go anywhere.
This is a total boys thing to do and a great idea for birthday parties or bachelor events.
Alright so I'm biased. If you want a true racing experience it's got to be in a way that if you have equivalent levels of drivers that so whoever gets off the line first doesn't sit there forever and then no one can pass. Even better drivers get stuck and if the pole is decent enough they can never flex their skills appropriately to ever pass if they are consistently being blocked.
Otherwise it's a fun way to see how timid or mad some of your co-workers are; watching them sit in the penalty box or wreck themselves on the walls. It would be better however if they could wet some of the track down so you could powerslide through the turns.
It however is not cheap fun by any means and I can see how people drop a pretty penny here when they get addicted. However it's never going to beat having a track day at say, Laguna or Infineon.
Went with a group of co workers about twelve months ago.
It was flipping hilarious..!
A little spendy(due to all of us becoming addicted to it & buying more laps)
A lot of fun to go to with a group.
You have to try it at least once.
What happens when you take an admittedly poor driver, throw her in a racing suit and helmet, and put her on a track with four testosterone-fueled boys and another equally clueless girl?
Exactly what you think would happen.
Within a minute of starting our practice session, I confused the gas and brake pedals, crashed into one of the guys, and careened into a barrier hard enough for the plastic face mask to get knocked off my helmet.
It was awesome.
Our group lucked out and got an entire track to race against one another on the Yokohama course. The only gokarting I've ever done previously was the weenie one at Scandia and this is definitely a few notches above that. GoKart Racer, much like the interwebz, is srs bsns. I now have a go kart license and a sweet black headsock as souvenirs, or for when I decide to go incognito and rob the nearest liquor store.
It was a little pricey ($52 for 5 minutes of qualifying and 15 minutes of racing) but well worth it for the adrenaline rush. My only regret is that I wish I had the cajones (ahem) to keep up with the guys instead of having to out-strategize the other girl as we both got lapped for the second and third times.
Three days later and I'm still telling my friends about how rad it was. And my arms are still sore - it's quite a workout! Huh. Apparently those things are called biceps and triceps. Who knew?
This was simple fun. Got my aggro out! Wild guess - 35 mph in the straightaway.
I planned a bachelor party for a long time friend and we had a quiet slow 9-hole golf experience followed by this loud and fast GoKart Racer experience. The GoKarts were the highlight of the days activities without a doubt.
I was first place in golf (just how I roll), but last place in driving (on the first go round). I ended my day in 5th place but I think we all had an equivalent amount of fun. I was the only person who had never been in a GoKart of any kind before and the right foot = gas; left foot = brake took some getting used to... but, who uses the break anyway (believe me, I do!)
You learn very quickly that even though the 4 wheel drift is a lot of fun, it is not speed enhancing. The less your tires slide the more speed you carry through the corners. Good drivers need to have skills to match their sheer courage.
LOVED IT and I will be back at some point.
Vrooooom...vroooooom...It's all I heard, because I'm actually the *slow* one on the far right, hugging the rubber wall...:P
Head sock = ROCKS.
Two tracks = fun!
Running into someone = great. Getting rear-ended = better. (Yes, I know, not bumper cars, but accidents happen!!!)
I like the service here, the video tutorial.
Cost to play = moderate. I'm a chick with a need for speed...but I can't handle it, so this closed course thing is perfect for the once-in-a-blue-moon night of fun. It was a group of us, so we got the entire track to ourselves...*w00t*
This is a pretty amazing place to have fun with your friends. As a first timer you'll have to go through a video introduction so you'll have the mindset of a brave fighter plane pilot when you're entering to your car. I haven't really understood the blue/green flag at the first time, then before the second round I've realized it means you're the leader and you have to let pass the car behind you. What a crazy rule! In Europe usually they can pass if they're good enough to do that. Somehow it kills the spirit, but despite that, the quality of the cars, the stage and the whole event is just phenomenal. Don't forget to memorize the ideal curves of the track before you go, you can save a lot of time instead of learning it by your own mistakes while you're already in the race as I did. They've got some pool tables as well. It's a good place, recommended. =)
Came to this place last year as part of my friend's bachelor party (i know i know) he's not the Vegas type.
This place is actually pretty cool. Although it was on the expensive side for only about 25 mins of actual driving time I would have to say its one of those things where you just do it to say that you've done it no matter how much it cost. Our party of 8 came and were immediately greeted and signed their waivers. We then sat through a orientation/training video to how to properly and safely operate a go cart. We then were outfitted with our jump suits and helmets and waited for our group to be called.
Once you're on one of these little monsters you can get up to speeds of 25-30mph. The course was challenging, long and fun. You even skid and Jockey for position among your friends. Overall great experience.
Pretty great place for gearheads and everyone else. Karting is always fun, unless your idea of fun is sewing or something. Point is, you don't have to be an expert driver to have fun here, and chances are if you come more than once it'll help your driving skillset on the street as well.
My only complaints are that the karts are poorly maintained and thus inconsistent to drive, and the price is a bit high. Much more fun than the stupid Scandia karting though, these are much closer to the "real" thing (think 60 horsepower in the same kart rather than 6.5) without being dangerous to drive.
Super fun! Really well organized. New karts... Well trained staff.
Came here with a group of 15 ppl, we paid $55 each, at first I thought it was a lot, but now I think it's so worth it. You get to gear up in the racer suits and then you sit to watch a video so you know what the flags mean.
At first I didn't know how I was going to do, since we were with about 10 guys and they were all about winning. They do a 5 min testing, to see who ranks where then they line you up so the fastest ppl go in the front. I was in the middle so it was ok. After a while my arms were killing me, since there's no power steering. But it was a great experience. I beat all the girls haha, and at the end they give you your stats to show you how you did.
I'm planning to have my bf's bday here, since he had such a good time.
The only other go-kart racing I've done is at Scandia, so I don't have much to compare with, but I had fun! :) Those cars go pretty fast, responsive steering and breaks. A little on the pricey side (minus one star), but my friends and I got the half-off gift certificates from Half Off Bay Area, so we were good. Steering is stiff in a good way, but I was hella tired after the 15 minute race. We did the Super Track (both tracks combined) on a Sunday, which was pretty fun cuz it was so long. I recommend the Super Track; I think if it were half as long, it might get boring after 5 minutes.
The verdict: definitely fun, but only for once in a while; a little too expensive to do every other weekend.
Super fun but super expensive. Definitely worth a try, but not sure about it being a regular sport.
I think I prefer the outdoor tracks, even if they are at lower speeds.
This place is a lot of fun. It is perfect for parties, groups, or by yourself. They offer practice sessions and races. I usually just do the practice sessions on one of the two tracks, but there are people who spend the entire day racing and improving their ranks.
I know they combine the two tracks to make one large track from time to time, but I don't go often enough to keep up with that. The website has a lot of great information, and I love that they keep records of your driving so you can compare your track times and see how you improve.
My nephew who is 12 was visiting me and wanted to go. Since he didn't have a drivers license, I called to see what they could do. They offered him a special course, which he took, and now he can race against me or anybody else. He loves it. I love it. Everybody wins.
5 stars!!!
Wild! Like a video game except you only get one life. I don't know what kind of carts these are, but they sure aren't what I had as a kid... these things go like crazy, so they make you wear a helmet and watch a safety video, and they have track marshals out there to keep you in line.
You enter the building from the front, go enter your details in their computers to facilitate signing your life away, pay a very high price ($50 per race, plus a $14 fee for a "racing license" and headsock if it's your first time), change into a variety of oddly sized jumpsuits (larger sizes mean "fatter" not "taller" generally), watch a safety video, then go to the track where you do a "time trial" to seed your starting position, and finally race.
It's only 20 minutes of racing but it feels like an hour of adrenaline... enough so that I would be more than satisfied doing this once per year or two. The manual steering on these carts gives you a great upper body workout that will leave girlymen feeling it for days. (Work your biceps for weeks before if you wanna not get sore!)
Advice: do not wear a long sleeved shirt under the jumpsuit as it will become a sweatshirt no matter what kind of shirt it is. And whatever you do, do not have a drink for several hours before this... as I hit that first curve all I could think was "holy crap if I had even one sip of beer I would have plowed into that barrier." Does that say something about me?
My boyfriend and I went here on Valentine's Day and they had a special for couples (buy one get one half-off). This is probably the best place to do go-kart racing. I can't believe they are open until midnight on some days!
The facility is HUGE and pretty nicely kept. I would imagine this would be a great place to throw bdays or events for a large party. The staff is also very friendly. Once you register for the first time in their system, they issue a go-kart license for you to use when you come back any other time. They even give you a free head sock for you to use underneath your helmet.
I remember racing at Speedring in Santa Clara. I had no control over the go-karts and even hurt my neck really bad from crashing into the wall.. lol. But the go-karts at GoKart Racer are pretty easy to handle, yet are super fast!
We weren't sure which package to choose because we wanted to make sure we made the best of our time here. You'd be surprised, 10 minutes goes a LONG way! Even my arms felt sore afterward and I even got a little workout going on cuz when I took my helmet off, I was all sweaty. LOL. For $25 bucks you can practice for 10 minutes; a Race costs around $45 bucks and you get a little over 20 minutes on the track (THAT would be super tiring!). We did the Monza track - which was pretty fun! It has an elevated bridge and lots of fun twists and turns.
I would definitely come back here again! I had so much fun!!
This place is a blast! I recently went there on a company outing, and this place is amazing. It's definitely worth the extra 10 minute drive past Malibu Grand Prix and extra cost. This place is expensive, though. so be ready to shell out over $100 for two people.
You go through a short safety video (10 mins) and have a brief question/answer period then get suited up to race. This is REAL go-kart racing!
They have three different courses that can be raced on and many different ways to race (time attack, race vs friends, etc). Go Kart Racer definitely knows how to make you feel like a real racer.
Perfect for experienced drivers and great fun for those who are not.
Scenario: A group of friends just setting up some go kart fun.
Product: SO much fun! Our group of friends did the 10 minute practice, 5 minute qualify, and 15 minute race. The 10 and 5 felt short, but the 15 worth of racing was just right. They also have some good snack options, like red bull and a clif bar for super cheap. Seating, video games, pool... All around a good hangout. WAY better than some ripoff like Scandia.
Service: It's actually pretty simple. They get you the tickets, take your info, make you watch a really silly video by some obviously unenthusiastic actors, and before you know it your zipping around the track formulating post-win smack talk. They even analyze your laps, keep a record in case you become a regular at the track, and have a little victory area where you can stand on a podium and look awesome for pictures.
Atmosphere: The smell of gas and burning rubber... doesn't get any better. Once you get out near the track your heart starts racing (pun intended) and you can't contain the excitement.
Uniquity: At first it sounds expensive, but when you're done you've had a ton of fun that was totes worth it. I only wish they made it easier for friends to take pics or that they had a rollercoaster-like action camera.
boy o boy I got really sick riding those toys. gasoline smell made me really dizzy.
I would say this place is the closest i have felt to driving a real racing go kart. Very fun if you actually try and drive them correctly and not just slide around the track like an idiot. I would recommend GoKart Racer to anyone who is looking to amp up there day or night with this adrenaline packed activity. The first time is the most expensive because you have to get a membership for an extra $7 or so but after that you can do a TEN minute practice for $25 . Remember to keep your head sock too because they will make you buy one next time if you don't have it. Cool place to bring a date ! There is also food/drink which is nice when your waiting around. Many T/V's playing racing footage and arcade room. Pool tables and air hockey is there too! Make sure you check this place out if you are in the area !
I admit, in my first review I was mad at the lack of passing this track has because the track is too skinny. But now, I was the guy in front and my friend Ryan F was the faster man that race but he didn't win.
Why?
It's because the karts are not equal and the flaw of squeezing 2 tracks in that space for the length. The track is too skinny for a race. Perfect for time trial by yourself. For the faster guy to pass he has to be much faster AND the guy in front has to really screw up the turn. Well in our race, Ryan was a little faster but I never screwed up so there literally was no place for him to pass.
Maybe I was faster. I mean, I am formally educated in high performance driving. And he has Forza on Xbox. But I don't think I was faster that day and my last review on 11/14/08 is probably how he feels now (mad).
Why I think I'm qualified to say all this: I have many race "kill stories" from the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) autocrosses and I have raced at Infineon / Sears Point raceway with NASA (National Auto Sports Association). I own an Audi TT with a wet nitrous setup, Mazda MX-5, Kawasaki Ninja and a BMW M5. When it comes to racing I don't know many people more into it than me.
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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11/14/2008
My first one star review got deleted somehow. They can't handle the truth. So I'll re post it.… Read more »
LAMEST RESERVATION POLICY EVER! I was told that I wouldn't have to pay in full if I made a reservation on the day of - in advance, you have to pay in full... I didn't want to get stuck with the tab if all 9 people didn't show up in our group (they didn't) so I waited to make a same-day reservation... except then I was told I still had to pay in full. Grr.
A note to GKR: a non-refundable deposit (i.e. a fraction of the total payment would be fair). You are definitely losing customers with your current policy...
Despite the reservation policy, the experience was still fun but, clearly, the reservation experience left a bad taste in my mouth. My advice - go in a smaller group or have someone make reservations with $$$ to spare!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/21/2007
I like speed, especially on the roadway. This was the perfect way to get that adrenaline rush… Read more »
I came here back when they first opened a few years ago. It's been a while since I've been back and I should pay a visit soon.
Back in the day, they gave you a racing license with your picture on it, and when you raced, your picture and times would be on the scoreboard. I thought that was cool.
A year later, they gave up on the picture license and gave everyone a generic one with your own "License number" on it.
You choose what kind of race you want to do, practice, race, etc. It was about $25 per practice, which is essentially 10 minutes of racing. It starts getting expensive after a while!
You suit up, put your stuff in a locker, and go to the briefing room where you watch this really really cheesy instructional video, get briefed by a track official, and they send you off to the track where you find a suitable helmet. They need to wash those helmets once in a while because some of them smell like the inside of a buffalo's rectum when it has major indigestion.
The karts are fun and I think they use Honda engines, propelling you to about 35 km/hr max speed. The tracks are tactical and there are plenty of opportunities to pull crazy stunts like power slides and the occasional drift.
If you crash your kart, it's game over. No refunds, no new kart. The first time I went, my friend totaled his kart, and they gave him a new one to race in. Guess they don't do that anymore haha!
This place is great -- certainly better than any go-kart place I have ever been. It's a bit expensive, but your money goes a pretty long way. I was worried that 20 minutes would not be enough time, but it's pretty physical and you will get tired.
I went on a tuesday at 9pm and there was almost nobody. My date and I had the track to ourselves, which was really fun. I'm interested, though, to see what it would be like to have some more people on the track. I'd also like to go back and try it when they link the two tracks together to create the world's longest indoor go-kart circuit. Just looking at the two tracks, I can imagine it being pretty challenging.
They don't have really substantial food there, and you need to be there about 20-30 minutes ahead of your race time to suit up, watch the safety video, etc. I thought about grabbing a bite to eat before and I'm glad I didn't, because I surely would have felt sick to my stomach. If you're hungry, wait until after and then head to Burlingame avenue.
Though I have nothing to compare this to, this place is pretty cool! My coworkers and I got together and made reservations to try the Grand Prix package, which includes a 10 minute practice run, 5 minute break, 5 min qualifying, and 15 minute race for a total of $67 ($60 for the package, and $7 for the one year membership). Although it's pretty expensive, I've heard this place is better than the other ones, and actually slightly cheaper too. The staff overall was pretty friendly and helpful. We got dressed in our full body suit, and headsock, and because we made reservations for 8, we were able to get the track to ourselves. After our 5 minute training session, they sent us off to the tracks, we hopped in, and were off to the races. They gave us our track times after each run. Fun place to go, although now my back is a bit sore from resisting all the G-force.
Lots of fun! Kind of rough on your fore arms if you don't use your kung-fu grip often. There's a five minute qualifier race and then the actual 15 min race. Beware: you get super hot under the jumpsuit and helmet; women, you will feel as though your makeup is melting off your face. It's fun to experience at least once though.
I'm a racer at heart and this place is the next best thing when you aren't driving 200mph at the race track.
This place isn't for the slow pokes or for those who don't think gokarting doesn't involve a heart felt nudge from behind when you are going too slow and taking up all the track.
Vroom vroom!
Friends until the green flag waves!
If you love speed but hate the risk of getting a ticket, GoKart Racer is the place for you. This is one of the premiere places to race in the bay area. Just be prepared to spend a pretty penny for one session.
For about $60, you get about 30 min worth of racing including prelims, qualifying and grand prix. On the day that me and a couple friends went, we had the choice between two courses: a simple straight-away type course or a windy more technical course. Its heavily regulated by staff though, so you wont be able to throw red turtle shells, use turbo mushrooms or drop banana peels to gain an edge over your competition.
The place really likes to make you feel like a professional racer. Before the race, you get to put on a full body racing gear and stylish helmet. After the race, statistics show your best lap time and your comparison to other racers. They also show other complex race statistics for those really into their performance.
Overall, I gave this 4 stars because of its great atmosphere and sense of fun. Its a great place to go with your friends. Half a star is marked off because it is very pricy but I do expect that from these sorts of places. The other half is marked because my experience was ruined by some inconsiderate d-bag who broke a part of the course and the whole thing had to shut down. We were not given a refund but only partial credit for the next time we come. Lame!
They just got their new karts in the other day and they're better than the old ones.
No more sore arms!
Guys complaining about not getting flagged in a race obviously didn't listen to the briefing... O_o
I'm going today to get my free birthday practice on. That 7 dollar license fee is worth it if you use your free birthday heat!
Not a fan of this place. I've been karting for a while now and was very disappointed by this place. First of all, the karts here are have a lot of variation between throttle response and braking response. This makes for a very uneven playing field. Someone with a better kart will go faster than you and there's nothing you can do about it.
I have also worked around gokarts as far as being around a private gokart team who owns their own gokarts. I can tell that these variations in the karts are related to the fact that they have not been well maintained. The seat belts are worn down, seats are in different sizes (how tight a fit the seats are makes a big difference in karting), and biggest of all the throttle and braking mentioned earlier. The track is also quite slippery. I found myself drifting on the course way too easily. I'm not sure if it was the kind of tires they were using or the track itself but one of them is off.
The people who work here screwed up my lap time with someone else who had the same first name as me. So, he ended up getting first place and I fourth when it clearly should have been the other way around. The staff here are nice and respectful... however they don't really care about you.
Despite this, my main grip is still that the karts are horribly unbalanced. In order to have a good race, you need to be playing on as even a playing field as possible... then you can see who has the skills. I will not be going back to this place anytime soon.
At my office we really fit the "work hard, play hard" motto. On our breaks we don't smoke, we play Mario Kart (and some people play some other non important games that i don't care about).
We keep a score board, we have rules, the rules are posted on our company wiki, you have to beat both myself and Clare to even qualify to get your name on the board and begin earning points. We are serious about the kart.. seriously dorky. Since I work for a gaming company this is pretty much to be expected.
Anyhow, when we released a racing game we decided to celebrate by taking the team out GoKarting. We didn't want any baby stuff so we picked GoKart Racer.
I set up the event, racing for 25-30 people, catering, limo bus transportation. The boss said to try to keep it under 5k. I managed.
Here's my not so simple star break down for this place:
+2 star for having fast karts and not being a baby pus place. It was pretty intense.
+1 star for the lady that help me set this up, I can't remember you name.. promptly replied to my many emails. I didn't have to call her once. I hate calling people!.
+1 star for clean, nice facility... I'm stretching it to give them this extra star because I don't want to rate them a 3.
Okay now here's all the bad things (not too bad) I'm only taking off one star combined:
-1 star for not supplying gloves OR telling you to bring your own OR even suggesting them at all. Blistered and bruised hands for a group of programmers kinda sucks.. a lot. They said they used to offer them put people kept stealing them. If they felt the need to offer them back then.. shouldn't they at least warn you to bring your own? Come on!
- the same star =) for having very limited and sucky catering options and not allowing any outside caterers. 5 places available, nothing looked that great. I picked Cheese Please which was 1500+ for 30 people .. who barely touched the food because it sucked (review for them coming soon). Maybe my group is spoiled by our company chefs bet hells.... we could have gone to a taco stand and fed everyone for 200 and it would have been as good as this place... We know you get a kickback by only offering these few caters but at least try to pick some decent ones if this is what you really have to do.
- same star for the staff being .. not really unfriendly.. but not friendly either. they were okay.. but hells kids we dropped 2200 in your lap in a bad economy you could at least play nice. The staff also somehow managed to not collect my stats for the first race.. but got everyone else's. erm.
-same star. We weren't sure on our numbers 25-30.. so they made us pay for 30 racers. We ended up having 22. They don't do refunds on the overpaid amount... they put it on a gift card. very lame.
I'm giving them 4 because our team had a good time and said they would probably go back. Personally I would rate a 3. or a 3.5.
Maybe I'm bitter because my Mario Kart skills did not help me out at all and I totally got owned.. maybe a little..
GoKart Racer is just like Mario Kart, except you never have to avoid exploding cannonballs fired by angry pirates. Check out the video here http://www.gokartracer... to get a feel for the experience.
If you enjoy speed (as in velocity, not amphetamines), driving, roller coasters, or are just looking for something new, GoKart Racer is for you. Its a great thing to do on a friends night out, with a work group or on a date.
It takes virtually no skill to get the gas powered karts around the course, and they provide basic instructions together with a racing suit and helmet. But you could spend a lifetime mastering the intricacies of the sport. For better or worse, depending on who you hang out with, you'll only be on the track with your own group.
How and how much:
Call and make a reservation. Groups of six or more can reserve a week in advance, fewer than that and they only take same day reservations. And you will be required to give a credit card when you call. You could also walk in, but I understand on a busy night you might end up waiting as much as an hour.
Your first time there they charge a license fee of $7 (which they seem happy to discount to $5 upon request). They offer two basic packages, costs are in addition to the registration fee.
Race: $45. This is a 5 minute "qualifying session" (for most people, its really practice) and then a 15 minute race. You will complete between 30 and 35 laps. For most people this is plenty and its the package I'd recommend. The whole experience is about an hour.
Grand Prix: $60. 10 minute practice, 10 minute break, 5 minutes of qualifying and then 15 minutes of race. You will complete between 50 and 55 laps. That's a lot of laps. You'll be in-and-out in about 90 minutes.
Drivers should be over 18 and have proof (Driver License, State ID Card, Passport, Military ID). International driver's license or foreign passport OK. No weight requirements but they require a minimum height of 4'10".
Note: You are required to wear close-toed shoes.
Tips:
- Look as far in front of the cart as possible. You want to see the road ahead, anything right in front of the cart will already be history by the time you've seen and processed it
- When you go around a turn, use your knees to grip the gas tank so you don't slide in the seat
- They tell you to keep your helmet visor closed. However, if it starts to fog it's OK to crack it open a little
- When you go into a tight turn the cart will drift. Just use the gas to get the kart going straight again when its pointed in the right direction
- Banana Peels can be dropped directly behind or lobbed far in front and will cause anyone who drives over them to spin out. It's a simple, easy to use weapon, and perfect for setting traps in tighter, more confined areas. Mushrooms provide a brief speed boost useful for blazing off-road to hidden ramps and general corner cutting. Oh wait, those are from Mario Kart. Never mind.
This place was tons of fun. My cousin was in from Vancouver for the weekend and I wanted to bring him to this place, being that we were trash talking about Mario Kart, which he did beat my ass thoroughly in later that day.
I knew this place was expensive, but goddamn, it was expensive. I paid $94 for two races and two licenses. The race consisted of at 5 minute qualifier and a ten minute race. All in all, I think the price was a bit too expensive, but fun none-the-less.
I didn't think racing was that physically demanding. I was sweaty when I was coming out of the provided suit. Be mindful of that. My hands and forearms were quite fatigued after the race.
