Forget Mario Kart, REAL Go Karts!!!!! - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Cynthetiq · 06-03-2008, 04:54 PM

Quote:

View: Kart Track Revives a Run-Down Area
Source: NYTimes
posted with the TFP thread generator

Kart Track Revives a Run-Down Area
April 13, 2008
Redevelopment
Kart Track Revives a Run-Down Area
By IRENA CHOI STERN
MOUNT KISCO

AFTER learning he had prostate cancer last year, Earl Thomas was told by his doctors that one of the keys to healing was to find pleasure in life and do things that are fun. So when he heard that an indoor kart-racing center was opening here Feb. 12 , he drove up from City Island in the Bronx to check it out.

And he keeps coming back.

“It’s my fourth time,” Mr. Thomas, 43, a writer, said one March afternoon. “I’m going to come back tomorrow, too.”

Mike Norris of Katonah was also back that day for his fourth visit, this time with two colleagues from MBIA, the Armonk-based bond insurance company. And on a recent Friday after school, Nick Bruno and Ben Mezic, both 17, had returned with four Somers High School classmates.

The track, called Grand Prix New York, is the centerpiece of the redevelopment, along with a conference center, of a former distribution center for Grand Union grocery stores, now owned by Diamond Properties. Drivers can get karts with 6.5-horsepower engines up to 40 miles an hour on two quarter-mile tracks, with up to 15 people racing at a time.

Since Grand Prix New York opened for corporate events in January and to the public in February, nearly 5,100 people have visited it. The hope is to build attendance to 120 drivers during the peak evening hours, from the current 30 to 40, said Michael Dardano, a track spokesman.

Neighboring businesses couldn’t be happier, especially those along North Bedford Road that face Grand Prix New York.

“They’ve definitely revamped the area and made it 1,000 percent better than it was — empty, dilapidated and overgrown with weeds growing through the blacktop,” said Peter Simone, co-owner of Simone Brothers Auto Body, across the street. “It was not a pretty sight.”

The repaved roads and new traffic light at a busy nearby intersection will be good for business, said John Carlino of Star Guitars and Frank Enea of Satellite Music Studios, also on North Bedford Road.

“A few months ago, this street was pretty much a street nobody would venture down,” Mr. Enea said. Grand Prix “has been driving traffic through this street, and people say, ‘I’ve seen your sign.’ ”

Janet Deane, executive director of the local Chamber of Commerce, said the redevelopment of the building, which was vacant for about a decade, had “created a lot of business opportunities.”

Mayor J. Michael Cindrich agreed. “We collaborated and came up with a good business plan for both the village and him,” he said, referring to James A. Diamond, whose company owns the Grand Prix building.

The building also includes a sports photography company and an electronics distributor. The remaining space will soon house the Wine Enthusiast, a magazine and mail-order company that sells wine accessories, a self-storage facility and an indoor athletic facility with turf fields for activities including baseball and basketball plus golf instruction. There have been discussions about a health club.

While Grand Prix New York has its boosters, several visitors said they thought that to attract repeat business, it should lower fees. The track requires a $10 license fee and $25 for a race of 15 laps. By buying an annual pass for $50, drivers can forgo the $10 fee. For a yearly fee of $4,500, a driver gets unlimited races.

“I was thinking they should discount the races for those who have the annual pass,” Mr. Bruno, one of the Somers High students, said. “It’s still expensive, especially for a high schooler.”

Sabina Gagliano and Fran Eckel, Somers residents who had brought their sons, agreed.

“It’s a little pricey,” Mrs. Eckel said. “I’d like to see some kind of discount program where you can buy five rides. You’d have a lot more people coming and staying here and racing more than once if it was a little bit more cost-effective.”

Grand Prix New York check them out if you live in the NYC area...

virtual tour

Racing with CBS

Uptown Track

Downtown Track

Did you ever go go-karting? Have a neighbor who built a go-kart out of a lawnmower engine as a kid?

Growing up in Southern California I used to go go-karting with some friends from 10 until 21. We always had a blast. The last time I went carting was in Las Vegas. I never did ever drive at Malibu Grand Prix, always just played video games there.... don't know why I never drove those wannabe formula 1 cars.

I remember learning how to spin out the leader with a simple tap to the rear wheel at the right moment.....

good times... good times...

Anyone have any go-karting stories???

BadNick · 06-03-2008, 07:49 PM

As a kid I was into anything with a motor on it and so was my best friend which eventually led into the car hobbies. From the time we were about 10yo we went to a local outdoor go kart track within biking distance of our homes. It was pricey for us so we only rented karts once a week or maybe twice some weeks. This was an outdoor track with gasoline motor karts. My best friend's dad's friend owned a truck repair business nearby and he also raced go karts at this track and also other tracks; his were mostly twin engine worked motors, running racegas, very fast. He let us drive them a couple times during practice sessions and those things were a real handful until we got more experience. This rental track had organized go kart races on weekends so we'd go watch but we never drove in those races.

A few years ago they converted an old industrial building near here into an indoor go kart/arcade center. Every few weeks or so I take my two boys and sometimes a couple of their buddies and we all race around and have a great time. It's a pretty nice track, but since it's indoor they are electric motors like in those GP NY vids above. With telemetry they can crank up or down on the power to each kart based on how well you're driving. But if they know you're decent they'll crank up the power pretty good. My sense is that I prefer gas powered, seems like better throttle response which on a twisty track is important; you can see that vid above where the guy looses his momentum and that really slows you down until you pick it up again. Then there is another indoor track not too far that actually runs gas powered karts...I have to believe that the forced ventilation must be very strong sinced I didn't smell any odors but there were only about four karts running when we were there; I was only there once and had my younger boy with me, he drove a few sessions but I didn't so I haven't compared these to the other place. Actually my older son is not as much into it...I think he's not as "brave" or is more sensible so he doesn't push it as close to the limits.

Our local car club is now organizing a meet at another local indoor go kart track, not sure if we'll have enough people to rent the entire track of if we'll have to share it with others.

Yep, go karts are great fun. My younger boy asked me a couple days ago to help him build one, so we're figuring out what that would involve. I'm sure in a few years he'll be driving my car at the roadcourses after going through some instruction, he seems to like this stuff and is a pretty good driver.

One of the tracks I take my car is Pocono Raceway, and there are events there where they rent shifter karts...these have transmissions/gears and are very fast. I'm looking forward to trying these out one day soon.

bobby · 06-04-2008, 06:44 AM

The shifter carts at Portland International Raceway are so fast that they would qualify 3rd in the last CART race there!..........xoxoxoo

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8guQ6QynT_g

BadNick · 06-04-2008, 07:57 AM

That's pretty cool, bobby. And it reminds me that my old flesh and bones would need to be whipped into better shape to survive those kinds of gravitational stresses.

cadre · 06-04-2008, 08:20 AM

There's a cart place like that in Phoenix but if you want a real thrill you get a shifter cart and take it to a race track. My ex always wanted to get one to drive around town and I of course always said "NO". They're fun little things though, I take a group of noobs to the go cart track in Phoenix every so often just for amusement.

ratbastid · 06-04-2008, 08:32 AM

We have a go-kart place here that a bunch of us went to one time. Fun stuff.

06-03-2008, 07:49 PM	#2 (permalink)
BadNick Riding the Ocean Spray Location: S.E. PA in U Sofa	As a kid I was into anything with a motor on it and so was my best friend which eventually led into the car hobbies. From the time we were about 10yo we went to a local outdoor go kart track within biking distance of our homes. It was pricey for us so we only rented karts once a week or maybe twice some weeks. This was an outdoor track with gasoline motor karts. My best friend's dad's friend owned a truck repair business nearby and he also raced go karts at this track and also other tracks; his were mostly twin engine worked motors, running racegas, very fast. He let us drive them a couple times during practice sessions and those things were a real handful until we got more experience. This rental track had organized go kart races on weekends so we'd go watch but we never drove in those races. A few years ago they converted an old industrial building near here into an indoor go kart/arcade center. Every few weeks or so I take my two boys and sometimes a couple of their buddies and we all race around and have a great time. It's a pretty nice track, but since it's indoor they are electric motors like in those GP NY vids above. With telemetry they can crank up or down on the power to each kart based on how well you're driving. But if they know you're decent they'll crank up the power pretty good. My sense is that I prefer gas powered, seems like better throttle response which on a twisty track is important; you can see that vid above where the guy looses his momentum and that really slows you down until you pick it up again. Then there is another indoor track not too far that actually runs gas powered karts...I have to believe that the forced ventilation must be very strong sinced I didn't smell any odors but there were only about four karts running when we were there; I was only there once and had my younger boy with me, he drove a few sessions but I didn't so I haven't compared these to the other place. Actually my older son is not as much into it...I think he's not as "brave" or is more sensible so he doesn't push it as close to the limits. Our local car club is now organizing a meet at another local indoor go kart track, not sure if we'll have enough people to rent the entire track of if we'll have to share it with others. Yep, go karts are great fun. My younger boy asked me a couple days ago to help him build one, so we're figuring out what that would involve. I'm sure in a few years he'll be driving my car at the roadcourses after going through some instruction, he seems to like this stuff and is a pretty good driver. One of the tracks I take my car is Pocono Raceway, and there are events there where they rent shifter karts...these have transmissions/gears and are very fast. I'm looking forward to trying these out one day soon. Last edited by BadNick; 06-03-2008 at 07:53 PM..

06-04-2008, 06:44 AM	#3 (permalink)
bobby Super Moderator Location: 18,000+ posts on TFP #1,2,3,4 and 5,but I'm not counting!	The shifter carts at Portland International Raceway are so fast that they would qualify 3rd in the last CART race there!..........xoxoxoo http://youtube.com/watch?v=8guQ6QynT_g __________________ "Life goes on,within you,and...with out you !" xoxoxoo Last edited by bobby; 06-04-2008 at 06:46 AM..

06-04-2008, 08:20 AM	#5 (permalink)
cadre The Worst Influence Location: Arizona	There's a cart place like that in Phoenix but if you want a real thrill you get a shifter cart and take it to a race track. My ex always wanted to get one to drive around town and I of course always said "NO". They're fun little things though, I take a group of noobs to the go cart track in Phoenix every so often just for amusement. __________________ My life is one of those 'you had to be there' jokes.

06-04-2008, 07:57 AM	#4 (permalink)
BadNick Riding the Ocean Spray Location: S.E. PA in U Sofa	That's pretty cool, bobby. And it reminds me that my old flesh and bones would need to be whipped into better shape to survive those kinds of gravitational stresses.

06-04-2008, 08:32 AM	#6 (permalink)
ratbastid Darth Papa Location: Yonder	We have a go-kart place here that a bunch of us went to one time. Fun stuff.