TeamSport Karting

Last week we went karting for the first time at TeamSport Karting. We had a celebration and we’ve decided to do something we thought of doing before but we kept postponing. We both loved it so much that we bought vouchers to go again, as it was on offer for customers. As we didn’t have the car with us in London, we’ve decided to go to the closest (by London standards), which was Acton. There are 5 locations in London and many other throughout the country, including Liverpool. Check their website for details.

First of all, the track at Acton was very interesting, on two levels with a total of 500m. They say the average lap time is 28s, but my experience tells me it’s not exactly like that, as only a couple of people were under the 28s mark. Not that it makes any difference though. The cars, all electric, go with 40mph and the experience is incredible. For us it was the first time and I saw a significant improvement in my lap times, in the second session.

We had the Adult Ultimate Race Experience, 2 sessions of 15 minutes each. It is recommended to arrive at TeamSport Karting 30 minutes before the booked time, so you have time to gear up and have the briefing session, when the rules are explained. The rules are quite simple, just like with any other motor-racing, red means stop, yellow means slow down to walk pace, green means go. A couple of flags are used too, the black and the chequered ones.

It was so strange to be so close to the ground and feel the air moving. I don’t drive, so I was surprised by how much I could feel the kart, the difference between the first and the second one was visible when driving, I could sense the tyre difference too. It was fascinating to try different lines and taking the curves at different angles. After the first session I didn’t realise that they are getting us into the pit lane because the 15 minutes were up and that happened again after the second session. It was amazing.

Karting is physically demanding, even for those 30 minutes in total, so it’s only suitable for fit people. I had sore muscles on the back and shoulders, which I didn’t expect considering that I am fine after doing 50 push-ups. Just a thing to keep in mind.
The gear is included in the price with the exception of the balaclava and gloves, but these are £6 and you can use them again and again. The experiences are £37 per person (at the moment, prices can vary) with discounts for students and NHS staff. It might look a bit expensive, but I think it’s all worth it considering that it is such an incredible experience and of what is included in the price too.

Have you tried go karting? Is it something you might want to try?