those obsessed with speed and dream of fast cars, India offers a big motor sport opportunity — go-karting a sport that re-creates nerve-wrecking non-stop karting action.
Right from their steering system to powerful brakes to Briggs & Stratton Vanguard engines, these electronically operated cars are guaranteed to provide the thrills and spills of Formula One racing. Legendary Formula One racers like Michael Schumacher, Jean Alesi, Jacques Villeneuve, Ayrton Senna, Gerhard Berger and Nigel Mansell all started their careers with go-karting.
“Besides relaxing the mind, go-karting teaches the driver discipline, speed, competitiveness,” says Salil behl, a go-carting enthusiast. “Go-karting is completely safe due to the extremely low centre of gravity of the karts and relatively lower speed to that of full scale motor racing. It is the cheapest and most enjoyable way to enter motor racing.”
Even for the drivers who do not aspire entering motor sport, karting is safe, fast, competitive, teaches the basic road sense and is lots of fun for everybody from 12 to 60 years. An electronic scoreboard would tell the timings you clock for each lap and also your speed.
Interestingly there is also a go-karting championship now in place in India. The championship involves three specified classes based on age groups — cadet class for participants from eight to 12 years, juniors class for participants from 12 to 16 years and seniors class for participants above 16 years of age.
With the aim to discover and encourage young motor sport talent, children participating in cadet class have a Grand National Finale among themselves — with the national winner getting the special Colt Sport Kart as his prize.
But apart from the championship, an increasing number of people are taking to go-karting simply as a relaxing sport that provides thrill without much cost. A number of families are seen heading to the adventure clubs that have mushroomed in and around Delhi. On offer here are indoor sports like Wall Climbing, Nine-Pin Bowling and Pool Tables. But the most popular among the lot is Go-karting.
“It’s a dream come true,” says Rikhil Vaid, an accounts manager with a leading call centre in Gurgaon. “Whenever I’ve had a stressful day or long drawn meetings in office, I usually head for the go-karting where I enter into my own world. A half hour of driving around the course does wonders to me. I feel totally rejuvenated.”
And that’s exactly what these leisure games are all about. To relieve stress, to kill tension and provide hours of intelligent entertainment.
“For me, it’s a complete stressbuster,” says Sandeep Dasgupta, a jet- setting merchant banker. “Every Sunday, I take my family out to one of these places which offer outdoor facilities indoors. When I do go-karting within minutes all the work-related tensions just evaporate. Could you think of a better way to spend a weekend? It’s fun for me and good wholesome fun for the entire family.”
Fun time for the family and relaxation for the high-flying professional. A heady combination, indeed. — NF
