Older Adults are Enjoying Go-Karting
Posted in Fly Fishing Gear on the March 10, 2010
The topic of race karts may seem a bit outside the scope of interests for say, the baby boomer generation. But, if the truth be known, many older adults are discovering that Go-Karts offer a terrific recreational outlet. One fan is Jay Leno, who is 59 as of this writing. What kid isn’t excited at the prospect of driving? If you’re a boomer with kids or a grandparent with grandkids, you might just want to consider participating in this ideal sport for the entire family. You might want to consider this, if you want to spend some quality time with your kids or grandkids.
Because these cars started out as youngsters’ toys, many people think that go karts are just for youngsters. It’s no surprise that many people aren’t aware that older adults can have a great deal of fun on go karts, when you bear in mind their small size and the unconventional spelling. With karts capable of going as fast as sixty miles an hour, go karting is a lot more popular among adults, although there are junior leagues.
That sort of speed doesn’t feel very fast if you’re driving a car on the interstate, but just try it in a go kart, and you’ll see how fast sixty miles per hour can really be. There’s no suspension in a kart, no windshield, and no enclosed cabin to keep you from feeling the wind. Furthermore, the bottom of a kart is only just off the ground, so you’ll feel every change in the pavement. Going top speed in a go kart feels much faster than the same speed in a Formula 1 racer, even professional racers say.
Corporate outings are turning much more to go karting. With sessions focused on leadership development, staff motivation and team building, some go kart tracks do mostly corporate business. Even business professionals get to cut loose and hit the track in a go kart, with these corporate events dedicated to the metaphor of racing. In fact, karting is quite possibly the fastest growing motor sport.
With kart ownership costing as much as a small car, dedicated go karting can be expensive. This clearly is not just for youngsters - high end go karts can cost more than ten thousand dollars and hit highway speeds. Indoor karts are used on smaller tracks and normally go only about forty miles per hour, while high end racing karts are used only on large outdoor tracks.
It’s like a roller coaster that you can control - the turns and twists on a commercial go kart track can make it seem a lot faster. Indoor karts also have more safety features, for example steel buffers to keep cars from knocking wheels on a tight track - something that could be dangerous at high speeds.
Adults who are curious about driving go karts can just walk into a track, and pay for a session - usually about thirty to forty dollars. However, they’ll have to wear protective clothing and go through a safety talk, since these karts are a lot more powerful than go-karts for kids. It’s also possible for kart enthusiasts to race against one another, with adult racing leagues at most tracks. Each lap takes about twenty seconds, and a normal race is fifteen laps.
Think again, if you’ve been thinking that go karting is just for kids. This is a terrific sport that can be enjoyed by anyone. Many grownups are rediscovering go karting, and having a lot of fun.