Lemans Karting
Categories: Nightlife, Amateur Sports Teams [Edit]
45957 Hotchkiss St(between Boggs Ave & Brown Rd)
Fremont, CA 94539 (510) 770-9001
- Hours:
Mon 6:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Tue-Thu 12:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Fri 12:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m.
Sat 10:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m.
Sun 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Music: Juke Box
- Best Nights: Mon, Thu, Wed
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: None
- Smoking: No
77 reviews
Fremont, CA
"We walked in around 3pm and would have never thought we were in for such a great pizza and beer experience. This is probably the…" read more »
41 Reviews for Lemans Karting
This place is a cool indoor go-kart track with well maintained go-karts for the most part. It is just uber expensive to do go-karting in general. Why does it have to cost $40 for a 20 minute race? That is $2 a minute I mind you. One neat feature of this place though, is that they give you a "Bragging Rights" sheet of paper that lets you know your lap time and how well you compared to the other racers on the track.
This place is really fun! It also makes a pretty good date spot IMO ;)
I've been here a couple of times and had fun each time but it is pretty pricey. Expect to spend around $40/person. It's also worth it to get annual pass since it's only $5 bucks. Oh, and you get a pretty good deal for your birthday (free combo package worth $60)! Check their website for the weekday deals.
As for the races themselves, I've done the practice laps and the combo package (the practice laps combined with the sprint). The combo package was waay too long so I'd recommend either doing just the sprint or just the practice laps. I'd go with the practice laps since it's cheaper and basically the same thing.
The added bonus of getting to wear the racing suits and beating the boys just tops it all off. =D Have fun!
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
... putt-putt-putt-VROOOOOOM-putt-putt-VROOM-screech-p utt-putt... are we done yet?
Almost everything about this place sadly feels a little half@ssed...
The location itself is a bust, being not much more than a renovated warehouse building obscurely located in one of Silicon Valley's many uninhabited business parks [Fremont] with little else of worth or attention in the vicinity.
The interior has no avenue of entertainment for non-racers, save for the "hot pit" which is just a couple of tables and high-chairs at the end of the track wherein you can watch the racers lap after lap while inhaling exhaust fumes... Sounds fu*cough*... fun, huh?
The track itself. There looks to be only marginal differences in the "summer" and the "winter" track, both of which (as is a limitation of the building itself) are just too small and offer too little variation to be fun. I'm no racer; so I'm not awed by the "technical merit" or "skillful demands" of the track layouts here. I just want to have some competitive fun; give me elevation changes, ridiculous hairpins, wide full-speed corners, throttle-opening straightaways! Sadly, this place offers very little of any of that, if at all...
I will say that the staff here is attentive and enthusiastic about their sport and hobby and they provide excellent service, but they're seriously hobbled by the limits of this location...
For a little extra $$, and a little bit of a drive (to Burlingame), I suggest checking out GoKart Racer instead... http://www.yelp.com/bi...
_______________________________
... going around and around in a needlessly complicated loop of fast curves leading nowhere leaving me feeling empty...? We've dated before, haven't we?
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (8)
Funny (4)
Cool (5)
Go Karting is an adrenaline rush comparable to crack and redbull at the same time.
LeMans is pretty damn pricey. I think it was around 40+ per person. And they are really strict about their reservations. THEY WILL CHARGE YOU FOR PEOPLE WHO DO NOT SHOW UP ON YOUR GUESTLIST!
I've been there twice and the first time, I went the wrong direction like an idiot. I got owned and everyone laughed at me =[. But I ended up getting a pretty decent place in the runnings.
What can I say, the track is pretty challenging if you're an amateur like me and my friends. Guaranteed you will wipe out once on one of the turns or slam into a barrier or into one of your buds.
And PLEASE for all you fricking noobs, let the faster go karts pass you when the little man waves the flag in your face!
Yesterday was my second time going to Leman's. However, I still haven't actually gone go-karting there. Okay, call me a girl, but it's just not something I want to do (Hey, I'm not a scaredy cat, I've gone skydiving!! lol). idk, go karting just isn't something i like to do, and i suck at it.
Anyhow, my boyfriend wanted to go kart for his birthday, so we came here with about 5 of his friends. 6 of them all went go karting, while 3 of us girls sat along the sidelines and cheered them on.
The staff here is pretty cool. We had an appointment at 1:30, and even though our friends were late and the last of them didn't get there till 2:00, the staff was still nice and waited for the last of our friends to start - even though we were probably holding up the rest of the groups. A lot of yelpers seem to think it's pricey here, but I don't think it's that pricey at all. For $40, my boyfriend and each of his friends got to do a 20 minute race. I don't think $40 is expensive at all. Hey, they gotta pay the employees (desk staff/track staff), then the go karts need some money to keep them maintained, gas, etc.
Leman's also provides suits, gloves, face masks, and all of their equipment seems very clean. On top of it all, my boyfriend and his friends all had a blast, and now he wants to go back for more.
Also, you can either pay $5 for a day pass, or $10 for a member pass. With the member pass, you never have to pay the day pass for however many times you want to go in a year. Also, on your birthday and 3 days around it, you get a free combo race (the 30 minute one).
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
This place is FUN if you bring alot of your friends.
You must make reservations if you plan to bring your friends, this is to make sure that you all get to race at the same time. They take your credit card # for reservations, and they warn you that if you are reserving 10 people, you better be sure that 10 of your friends show up... Otherwise, if only 8 people show up and 2 out of 10 friends flake, you get charged for your "flaky friends" - Luckily, I didn't have this problem... but thought I would bring this up.
If you wear short sleeve shirts, you are required to wear their one piece racing suit (free)... otherwise, you can race with long sleeve shirts (which I recommend). You also have to wear a head sock, a neck gear, and a helmet. I wish I had on long sleeves because I had to wear the suit, and by the end of the race, I was so gross and sweaty... Then I thought - "how often do they wash these suits after a customer wears them?!" OMG... that was a gross thought. Anyway, if you don't mind sweating and you want to still wear the suit, that's on you... they do look cute on, though...
The staff at the counter was OK, could be better. The guys with the flags were good, not too bad... The girls locker room was clean, not sure about the guys, though.
Racing with friends is a whole lot of FUN!! It's definitely a great experience and would go back again...
It's about time we have an update on the track. C'mon on, how long have they been there? They should get better karts, that are similiar in speed because some of them are just worn out.
Leman's to me at first was fun...but after 30 minutes it gets a little boring and tiring. I would recommend to try out something less in time rather than longer time because you'll get a little bored.
They lend you suits, gloves, head stockings, helmets and also makes you watch a learning video which I believe serves a great purpose.
This is a very fun place to go to if you're feeling a bit competitive with the bf! My bf and I came here on a Friday night and only had to wait about 20 mins or so. Of course during the wait we had to watch some safety video which looked very outdated. In that time we also got suited up with our jump suits, gloves, mask and helmet. We brought our own helmets though because who knows when or how they clean their helmets! :P Once the video was over there was more waiting, which was fine because you can just sit around and watch the other people race. The track is a bit short but it still provided some trickey corners. I guess we were one of the last groups to go because it was only me and my bf with maybe two other workers just fooling around on the track. It was great to have very few karts on the track! I guess I would recommend going as late as possible so you don't have to go with so many other people? It was nice seeing your lap numbers too as you completed each lap. At the end, you get a print-out of how well, or bad (in my case) you did per lap :P I really enjoyed myself here and definitely wouldn't mind coming back!
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (2)
I have been to this place three times, and i love it!! They have really good deals through the week and if they didnt have the deals i would not be going there. When i go i always bring 2 other friends and they all seem to enjoy it alot also.. Yeah it would be cool for the track to change but its no biggie i guess. All id say is to keep the deals going or else alot of us would not be able to make it in. Thanks!!! And i recommend going there! You get to keep the headsock too.
This place is just okay. A group of about 10 of us made reservations on a Thursday night and it was packed until the 9:10pm slot (last slot). There was a special called Throttle Thursdays where it's $40 for a practice session AND sprint race (normally $60). The total actually came out to $45 (you can choose to pay $5 for a day pass or $10 for a 12-month menbership). The girl at the counter wasn't too friendly. She looked like she hated her job or us. She also wasn't very clear on the extra $5-10 (day pass or membership) charges. She actually forgot to charge my friend then confused us by trying to explain why then ended up charging him anyway.
Overall, the place itself was decent. The track is a bit small and I think 10 people all on one track is just too crowded. Our group was a little bad in following rules (i.e. bumping) and we could tell the employees were PISSED at us. A guy (I think the owner) even came out and yelled at us over the intercom... and I mean YELLED. He threatened to kick us off if any more bumping continued. And of course we were a group of Asians.... way to perpetuate the stereotype that Asians are bad drivers.
I think I'll probably continue looking for different go-karting places. This place was clean, the karts were in good condition, etc... but the atmosphere was all wrong. Service was bad from the start, all the employees were mad at us (can't blame them) and we were rushed to leave because they were closing (all the lights were off in the parking lot). This is a good place to go when there's a deal or if you're desperately bored in the East Bay.
We had a group event here and it was definitely a blast.
It was a little hard to find so definitely make sure you know where you're going before you head out to this place. The suits are a bit hot and you really better pay attention to the warnings from the staff or else you might get banned for a couple of laps.
They have an upstairs room where we had food brought in.
Definitely a fun time if your into cars, speed or competition. A little pricey, but comparable to other karting places.
This is not the karting at amusement parks. These karts get serious speed. Track is good, karts are good. Only bad thing with both is track is kind of bumpy, and not too long. And some karts are faster than others (good if you have a fast one, bad if you have a slow one).
Other than that, something you have to try at least once!
Great experience if you bring a crowd in. We booked a time slot in advance since we had 10 drivers. Just make sure that all of your friends understand that this is no ordinary karts n golf type karting. We came here with a birthday entourage, so it was a perfect activity before heading out for dinner at a sports bar.
THE spot for a birthday or bachelor party!
I went here this weekend for a friends 30th birthday party. We had the top room rented and set up the after racing buffet there. We were also able to have the track all to our selves for 2.5 hours ($50 each driver)! We were 13 drivers total who drove the Sunday Night Heats.
Its a great event for large groups cause you get the track all to yourselves! The staff was extremely wonderful. Very helpful and patient. (Its hard to see where your seat belt is with that huge helmet on!) Also...i got the feeling that they were more willing to let a little rough driving pass considering we were a big party, so not having the staff nark on you is also pretty awesome.
What was also pretty nice is they have a platform where they announce the 1st to 3rd place winners and they even have foe bronze, silver, and gold medals to hand out. A consolation prize for all the other losers (i included haha) were papers, "bragging rights", with the stats of every heat your raced in. Pretty neat stuff!
All in all, a really fun night! One grip, like someone else mentioned, it not really ideal for someone who is short (ie 5 ft like me!). They have little booster seats (sadness.) for those who need it, but it doesnt really help much. You'll have to adjust yourself to really floor the gas pedal and after a while its gets a little uncomfortable. But who cares, you're going so fast, you wont notice the pain until the end haha
Note: Wear long sleved shirts and pants. Otherwise, you'll have to put on the racing suite...which isnt so bad, i wore one, but only cause my BF was wearing a short sleeve shirt, and i didnt want him to be the only one wearing the suite =) It does get a little hot under all the gear so maybe go there covered up so you dont have to wear the extra layer.
Came here Saturday at 530pm, and we originally were told that the first available timeslot would be 9pm! Fortunately, they were able to squeeze us in at 7pm. Reservation is definitely recommended.
Staff is laid-back and friendly. The track is pretty fun. Looking at the brochure, they have a winter track and a summer track. The summer one apparently is a bit longer because the route goes outdoors for a bit and then back into the warehouse, which could be fun.
The karts go pretty fast, and seem well tuned. There were about 10 drivers at a time when we were there, and it's about right because there is enough cars to feel like a race, yet not too crowded.
Ventilation was decent; much better than the other one I went to before in Santa Clara (which I heard has since closed down).
There were 2 major downsides for me (thus only 3 stars):
1. they charge $5 "day pass" on top of the driving fee, unless you spend $10 for a membership. The driving cost is pretty high: $25 for practice, and higher for various races and combos.
2. the driving time is pretty short. we went for the $25 option which was supposed to be "about 20min", but the actual driving time was about 10min only.
If you are looking for something exciting, yet not too crazy to hang out with friends or take a date, Le Mans just might be your ticket. It's certainly far from the cheapest form of entertainment out there, but it's unique enough to be able to say you tried something different, yet not so off the wall to deter the general populace. It's go-karting, for Pete's sake! How can you not love it?!
It was a Friday night when I arrived with my favorite Yelper to meet up with two other acquaintances for a wild night of racing. Since we got there quite late, we were barely able to book the very last slot of the evening, 11:30 pm. However, this all turned out for the best, as we were offered an elongated stretch of private racing time with just the four of us (one girl, two boys, and me). There was another posse of veteran racers who joined us for the practice round, but the staff was nice enough to allow them to go first for the pole positioning and actual race itself, allowing our little group of noobs ample time to tackle the course at our own pace. As far as I can tell, we all had a blast. Although a bit intimidating at first, it didn't take long before we all started busting out our best DK (Drift King) impersonations.
Here are some more thoughts and tidbits:
Karts - Very barebones, yet well maintained. The handling is quite crisp, with quick throttle response. The engine is directly behind, so the vehicle is perfectly balanced, but it does feel weird and somewhat unnerving that the plastic gas tank rides right up on your crotch. The karts are fast, but not blazing fast. It's not the "pin you to the back of the seat" speed, but just enough to ensure that you are cautious behind the wheel.
Track - Apparently, the course changes slightly with the season, but the basic shape remains the same. It looks quite simple to the naked eye, but is actually quite challenging and exhilarating once you give it a go. The first couple of rounds are difficult to maneuver, but once you get the hang of it, you'll be tackling the course in the same manner as you cut and weave up and down the 101. It's certainly not as elaborate as the one offered at the now defunct Speedring, but still more than adequate nonetheless. The seasoned vets will still be challenged, yet it's not too daunting to scare away even the most timid of beginners. Keep in mind that for those not so much into the racing aspect, it may become boring and monotonous after awhile. However, if you are into time attacks like I am, you will constantly find ways to test yourself.
Equipment - The helmets look clean and compliant to regulations. If you are a Ruff Ryder, you are allowed to bring your own as well. Those donning short sleeved shirts and/or shorts are required to sport the cool fireproof jumpsuit, while those with long sleeved shirts and full pants are not. If you ask me, I would rather put on the suit regardless, as I don't see how a thin cotton cloth can provide much protection anyways, especially when traveling in excess of 35+ mph. Besides, who wouldn't want to look cool like a real race car driver?
Facilities - The entire building is very clean and well kept. It is located in a semi-secluded office building in what appears to be a safe neighborhood. However, although we obviously know that the main attraction is the kart racing itself, it would have been nice to have some other forms of entertainment such as foosball, video games, or at the very least, video monitors showing something other than the Speed Channel. Waits can get quite long, so it would make sense to have something to keep people occupied. If they want to keep the racing theme going, perhaps they could loop such classics as Fast and Furious parts 1, 2, and 3, Days of Thunder, and Talladega Nights. Heck, even the movie theater has an arcade, right?
Pricing - If there is one pitfall about Le Mans, this would be it. I understand that since it is the only facility of its kind in the area (Burlingame is too far), the management can charge whatever the heck they want. Overhead for this type of venture is certainly not cheap, but charging a whopping 40 bucks for 20 minutes? 60 for 30? Even a 5 minute practice session will set you back a cool 20. You can practically spend an entire day at any theme park for that kind of skrill. Such exorbitant rates ensure that trips to Le Mans are reserved for special occasions only.
Overall, Le Mans is a fun experience that everyone should try at least once. In addition to opening for general admission, packages for corporate events, as well as birthday parties, are readily available, so it makes an excellent place for group gatherings.
P.S. I usually follow the rule of letting the girl win, but since I was also competing against other dudes, I had to show her who the real man was. Those suckers had no chance. Let's just say I hope they enjoyed the taste of dust and exhaust fumes because that's all they were eating all night long.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (4)
Funny (1)
Cool (6)
SUPER FUN - if you know what you're doing...
even then... SUPER FUN! :)
Honestly, I guess karts and cars are different, because I drive like a speed demon regularly but suck majorly at driving carts. Maybe I am too law abiding? Maybe my legs are too stubby and short that I can't reach the gas pedal?
Who cares!?
Karting is super fun, and I would recommend it at least once to everyone....its a good experience, and I mean - when else do you get to don a firesuit and awesome helmut? :D Hot. And I mean HOT. Tempwise....that suit keeps you so warm you'll want to rip off your clothes right after you get out of your kart!
It is kind of expensive at $60 for a combo race, but worth it at least once. And, if you get the expensive racing license, you get a free combo race on your birthday! :)
A word of warning though, my entire right side of the body hurt because the steering is pretty tight, and it takes a lot of arm strength to turn the steering wheel...that coupled with short legs really gets to you by the end of the 30 minute race....that and, go with a group, because a lot of the people that go are regulars and they WILL be mean to you and bump your kart around.
Otherwise....go have fun, you speed demon you! :D
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (2)
Cool (2)
Fun place to go, the staff is pretty friendly - however I don't like how much the prices have increased over the years.
This place is AWESOME. Ok I say that because I just went to a friend's bday party there and out of 20 people (mostly guys)... I won the race! LOL. And now have this shiny gold medal to remember it by.
My friend arranged the whole affair, whereby it you have 1 practice round, 1 racing heat, 1 semifinal heat and 1 final heat. The staff were all super nice and the service was amazing. We had some people running really late, but they still managed to get everyone in.
And this one let's you wear your own clothes, instead of the jumpsuit provided it is all long sleeve and you have covered shoes.
Finally after you win you get to take this winning lap. That was the best! Then the people pulled me aside to tell me about ladies night on Wed, where women get a free practice lap. Now that's the value I know and love.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Cool (3)
This was my first go-karting experience. There were 15 of us. I was amazed at how fast these little karts can go. I took a practice round and had difficulty reaching the pedals on account of short legs. Felt claustrophobic in the suit and the helmet with my glasses. I could not control the kart properly and was going in the opposite direction at one point! Did not bump into anyone though.. I made a good decision by opting out of the second round as I knew it was going to get too wild with all the testosterone rush. The whole thing was paid for so didn't have to worry about it. Saw a couple of bad accidents - you could get seriously hurt in those. That's why you sign an agreement before entering.
Haven't been to this place in a while, but definitely a must try for those who have never go karted before, these are not Malibu Grand Prix lawn mower carts. These carts pack heat, so if you have never been you should probably kart with friends or newcomers also. You don't wanna end up crashing into the regulars/tires on the track or have them slow down for you. Guys that work there are pretty cool, love the fact you can use your own motorcycle helmet. The jumpsuits aren't bad but you might get one thats tore up and not fit as well and it gets hot as hell in the suits. If you need an adrenaline rush or just to get away and take your aggression out this is the place to be. Just make sure you watch the flags and workers on the track one to many warnings and you'll be sitting out.
The only downside to go karting not necessarily this place is that it can get pricey if you decide to do this on a regular basis.
This place is really fun, but not if you're short! None of their karts fit me....(I'm 5 feet tall). By the end of a round, I have serious cramps!
Their other location in Burlingame has a really fun track, btw.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
I brought all my friends here before and destroyed all of them, even took my gf here but she got sick from all the gasoline smell. My best lap time was 18.6sec. But i go faster when there's formidable competition beside me. haha.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Funny (1)
I go to Lemans regularly. It is a well maintained facility with a friendly staff. Karts are just powerful enough to be challenging and you will need to know how to performance drive (as opposed to just street driving) in order to pull fast lap times.
The track has 2 configurations for the entire year so you get roughly 6 months to get good at a track. Although, within a configuration, they still tweak corners here and there which will alter lines through them. In addition, as the track "matures" more sticky stuff gets sprayed down or rubber gets layed down from the tires. Compared to GoKartRacer of Burlingame, the track is a LOT simpler, but it is also wider in several places which allow for lots of passing. Since the track length is shorter than GKR, passing seems to be more common at Lemans.
Lemans is almost always less crowded than GKR; probably because of Leman's relative simplicity compared to GKR. As a result, it's easier to get a slot at Lemans, and wait times won't be as long. And unlike GKR, Lemans issues you gloves.
Lemans recently upgraded to an online system so you can check your times and compare to others online.
Lemans is not cheap, but it's slightly cheaper than GKR. Look for specials and take advantage of them. And if you frequent Lemans multiple times a year, then get a prepaid card which automatically gives you a discount.
Awesome karting place. Newbies beware: this place is frequented by a lot of veteran racers who have little tolerance for people who don't know racing etiquette (pay attention to the video they show before you hit the track). It's a very fun track. Karts are very quick. Highly recommended!
Lemans is a lot of fun. These karts are way faster and cooler than anything at Malibu or any of those places. The course is fun and if you go with the right crew it can get very competitive. Good, clean fun.
I came here for two "Starions/Conquests of NorCal" club meets. Friendly staff and pretty good track layout. Its not as vast as the one in Burlingame, but sometimes the simplest things are more enjoyable. Sure gets abit of the road rage out of your system. GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY!!!!! YOU'RE GETTING BLUE FLAGGED DAMMIT!!! Yeah, I know you, but what the hell? The second time I went, we ran a twenty lap session. The low slung buckets seats in addition to the high g's (you've got to resist lateral forces to stay straight in the bucket) takes alot out of you. I was about ready to fly out of the seat as I continued to pass folks. At that time though, I wasn't in the best shape. We'll see what happens next time. I'll do two hundred laps!!!!!
SHAKE 'N' BAKE!
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Funny (2)
Fun place to go karting. 10 minutes goes buy fast. You need to wear closed shoes (no flip flops, sandals, etc.). Sometimes they have spare shoes, but really, do you want to borrow someone else's shoes if you don't have to? You also have the option of wearing your own full length clothing (shirts/pants) and/or changing into one of their racing outfits. Locker room provided in back but no private stalls. If you are ever going to come back, then pay the $10 for the annual membership, otherwise just pay the $5 one time registration fee. Pay attention to the video, lights, flags and most importantly the pit crews and you will have a total blast.
this place is alright. i've been to a few places...dromo1 in southern california and gokart racer in burlingame. i would put this place in between both of them.
i went with a few friends one night. we were the only ones there, which was a bit disappointing since we wanted to race other people. unfortunately, no one was there besides us. the facility was clean, but very small. dromo1's front counter is small, but had a good size area to hang out in. lemans had an ok sized front counter, and a very small area to hang out in.
i wouldnt recommend this place if you bring a group of more than 5 friends. the suits and gloves were issued rather than you choosing for yourself. i ended up with a suit 1 size too small and a glove with a hole in it. as well as a headsock that i had to return. at least at gokart racer, you get to keep the useless headsock for another time.
as for the racing aspect of it. it was mediocre at best. the track was a bit slippery and in my opinion....small. you dont really feel like youre going that fast because its so slippery. the track itself wasnt that technical, i got a little bored with the track after a few laps and then all the turns felt very routine. i dont know if they have different tracks like they do at other facilities, but on the day we went...we were offered only 1 choice. the track is as wide as dromo1's, so it was easy to pass. the karts seem well maintained though.
getting there was a bit of an issue as well. most of us had never been there, so we drove aimlessly for a bit because it is seriously out in the cuts. not very accessible for people who have never been there. its not as visible as gokart racer, which you can spot very easily from the freeway.
all in all, i would rather go to gokart racer in burlingame if i wanted to go gokarting in the bay area. the other option is RPM in sacramento, which was way too far from where i live. lemans was an ok experience, but there are much better options elsewhere.
I love this kart track. The racing is fast and aggressive. You can enjoy many technical challenges on the course as well as a few high speed straightaways. The karts are the quickest I've ever driven though they do tend to spin out if you hit the brakes too hard. (Curse you solid rear axle!)
Watch out for that 180 degree turn after the straights though. Almost everybody takes it on the inside at full speed and spins out. If you swing wide to take the corner properly, people will assume you are yielding to them and when you dive into the corner, you'll get T-boned by some 300 pound guy named Jorge going 40 mph.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
sucks the service is horrible i cant believe that i couldnt race...im 18 have drivers license for 2 years it got suspended for i dont even know why so i had to retake the driving test so i had PROOF that i have license but they said they needed ACTUAL license and would not let me race with my friends. really stupid im sorry i love go karting and all and ive heard its fast here..which is awesome but service sucked and i was really dissappointed.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (2)
Cool (1)
Excellent place to simply relieve some stress and let off some steam.... or just to have fun! =) The karts are always in top shape and the staff is ultra friendly. The track looks rather small, but turns out to be a perfect balance of speed and lateral Gs. Although the karting is supreme in SoCal, Lemans is my choice for the bay area. My only complaint is the expensive price tag of 30 minutes of racing. ~$50 I'd recommend gathering up a large group for the discounts.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
Oh man was that fun. I mean, it seems silly to spend $40 on 20 minutes of racing, but it was awesome.
I'm a big guy but my kart accelerated very well compared to everyone else's. My brakes stopped working at one point, which they prepared us for, and that was definitely a bummer. Probably because I'm a bug guy!
Very, very fun.
This isn't your everyday Karts-n-Golf or Scandia affair. As far as I know, there are only two high-speed go-karting facilities in the Bay Area, with the other being nearly on the other side of the bay. I love go-karting. It helps relieve me of all the road rage built up by slow old people and horrible Asians. Anyways, I'm going to talk about the different aspects of this place that make it worthwhile.
First off, the go-karts. I love the go-karts here when I have that need for speed; ladies and gentleman, these karts are FAST if you have the guts to smash the gas pedal on every turn. These karts sport the Bowman chassis, which in laymans terms means the engine is behind you, rather than to the left or right like in other go-karting facilities. This makes the go-kart smaller with better weight balance, which in turn give the go-kart MORE kick. I've driven other chassis designs, and the Bowman karts definitely pull harder. As of my last visit, the karts have been well-maintained, with clean engines and good response.
Second, the track and the layout. The layout is tricky -- it's simple enough to drive for beginners, but when you're racing with people who know the racing line, it's even more challenging and fun. Try to set the daily record!
Third, Sunday Night Heats. For anyone who feels they are fairly skilled drivers, I recommend stopping by on Sunday night around 6:00pm. The "regulars" show up; it's really a challenge to race these guys -- they are REALLY fast. Call ahead for a $5 discount.
As for the lack of entertainment like arcade machines or pool tables, frankly, it's irrelevant? You're coming here to kick your friends' ass at driving, not show them your Tom Cruise impersonation from The Color of Money.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
someone took me here on a date - and it was damned fun handing his ass to him on the hair pin turns and owning him on the timed run. these go-karts can reach up to 45mph for the adrenaline rush you are looking for. it might make for a first date a little akward though, because they make you suit up - helmet, suit, and gloves with shoes. if your date has a sense of humor, its all gravy... but if he/she is a stiff that cant take a joke or is too pretty to dawn a helmet out of fear for messing with up their hair, i would advise you not take them here or mayhaps you should not even be dating them at all. IF YOUVE FOUND YOURSELF A THRILL SEEKER THAT CAN HAVE THE TIME OF THEIR LIFE WITH YOU THERE, there's a keeper! =P
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Definitely not a bad karting spot, but not among the better that I've been to.
The track layout is wide enough where there are plenty of spots to pass. I'm not stuck trying to pass only down the straight, but often by late braking into turns on the inside. The karts handle pretty well. Given how chewed up the track looked, they went over without a problem. As somebody else mentioned, the lap time print outs were not very pretty. I've been at other karting places where the print outs had lots of charts, comparisons to other people over the last 24 hours, 7 days, month, etc. The whole system seemed a little too manual and not up to date.
The lack of any food or other entertainment facilities is a little disappointing. When you're there with a large group and you're waiting for them to finish their round, the only place to hang out is in the exhaust filled pit next to the track. Also, without food you have to drive a mile down the road to the strip mall for a fill up.
Bookmark Send to a Friend Link to This Review
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
For a while the karts and track weren't taken care of well. One time the gear popped off while I was on the track, had no power. Another time, my friend's kart had no brakes. The suits were shredded, some suits exposed my skin/shirt... how safe is this? None... I also bring my own helmet, who knows how many times the provided helmet has been dropped.
There is one indoor track, at one time they were tempting the idea of an outdoor track in the adjacent parking lot... that never seemed to materialized even though I saw tire walls been up and their employees were 'testing' the track out.
In the recent weeks I've tried to go there three times, they were booked up so business is good. One weekday afternoon around 12:30p I went there and they said the track wasn't ready, they were securing the tire walls and to return 2 hrs later... I wasn't about to wait around, so I drove 40minutes to GKR and ran two practices and was back home in under two hours had I waited for Lemans. I guess weekday business was slow, even though they advertise lunch time specials, there was no lunch time special going on that day with the track closed.
With the second of two indoor karting places available in the bay area, LMK serves the south bay folks.... GKR up in Burlingame hosts the northern peninsula. (FYI, SpeedRing in Santa Clara was closed down a few years back.)
I joined my husband at Le Mans one evening. This was a decent karting facility, though I felt the smell of exhaust was digusting. The printout of my times was hard to read. My husband, who is really into racing, hasn't been back since he discovered GoKart Racer in Burlingame (http://www.yelp.com/bi...).
I found this place on Yelp (which I've recently discovered and like very much) and decided that it sounded like a lot of fun after I read the reviews of the place. There's going to be two different responses from different people on this place. One group is going to say, "far too intense wasn't all that fun" and another is going to love it exactly because it is so intense.
These karts go FAST. Once you loosen up a bit you'll be drifting round corners and jamming the gas pedal.
One word of advice: WEAR long sleeves and pants. Otherwise they make you wear this ridiculous jump suit.
For you speed demons.....this is the place you want to go for a rush....u get all dressed up in the gear (