3
The space you have to utilise.
The available space impacts on the type of market you can attract and also the design of the track and available facilities. Smaller areas are better suited for junior and family markets, larger areas for teenagers and motorsports. However, smaller sized areas can still be utilised to create larger tracks by incorporating flyovers, underpasses and bridges. A good track designer can also maximise the best use of space. At the end of the day, track size is relative to the stage of the go-kart market in the country and the offerings of the competitors nearby. If you have no competitors then smaller tracks are still going to be the biggest track in the area! Other considerations include a café, F&B area, merchandise sales area, viewing area, etc.
4
Customer flow through the attraction.
It is crucial in the planning stages to take account of how customers will progress through your venue; mistakes here can create bottlenecks which can create operational nightmares for staff. This is often an area that is overlooked when establishing a track and we have been contacted by many clients after the building has been completed to assist with the set-up and solve these flow bottlenecks.
A typical flow is waiver signing, ticket purchase, changing rooms to suit up, briefing room for a track briefing, helmet selection and fitting, pit lane for loading into karts, YOUR RACE! Afterwards, the flow would be pits for unloading, helmet return, changing rooms to de-suit and return, (usually) pick up your lap time report and then check out times compared to others on the display screens. This is a typical flow, though it is affected by the type of operation and market the operator is trying to cater for.
5
Safety, safety and safety.
This is naturally a critical area. There must be the right equipment, staff need adequate training and the operator must be ever vigilant that safety levels are upheld. Safety is more than having helmets and ensuring they are correctly fitted. The track needs to be designed with safety in mind and karts should be fitted with kart speed controls so it can be ensured customers slow down or stop when there are incidents on the track. However, more importantly the operations need to be safe, including no smoking when refuelling karts (I’ve witnessed many people refuelling karts with a cigarette in their mouth!)
6
Track design and build
A go-kart track does not necessarily need to be on level ground. Fastline has several customers who’s tracks are on slopes or incorporate undulations in them. These tracks tend to be a little more challenging for the drivers and are generally more demanding on the karts. Unlike cars, go- karts have no suspension so any undulations or rough surfaces are absorbed by the chassis, which have a bit of flexibility, but prolonged use on such tracks can lead to fatigue. Operators must therefore ensure they purchase the right type of kart as some are more robust than others.
There is also a trend for some indoor tracks to have flyovers, bridges and banked corners which all add to the experience.
Most operators of such tracks say that these features give them a marketing edge in the more mature markets such as Europe, America and Australia. However, they create the problems with chassis fatigue.
For the greatest flexibility it is best to have the space on a track as open and as level (not necessarily flat but level) as possible. This will mean that as time goes by there will be greater flexibility to change the track layout and generate a renewed interest from customers. Being more open also has safety benefits such as no obtrusions to hit and usually greater run off areas.
In the next issue of InterPark, the second part of this article we will look at areas including design features, how to keep things “fresh,” kart choice, safety and maintenance. For more information on Fastline Group visit
www.fastlinegroup.com
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