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By Benjamin Malcolm
Fed up with crawling along the clogged streets of Bangkok? Ever
wish you could just put your foot down and blast along as higher
powers divide the sea of pick-ups and taxis in front of you? Now
you can experience the ultimate in Bangkok driver syndrome therapy
with an adrenalin injection from a few high-speed laps around Thailand's
first indoor go-kart speedway.
This latest addition for Bangkok speed junkies, the PTT Indoor
Go-Kart Speedway is located above the Tops supermarket in RCA Plaza;
between Sukumvit and Pechburi Roads. RCA (Royal City Avenue) has
for a long time been a popular destination for young adults with
its rows of brightly lit and imaginatively decorated night entertainment
venues. Somewhere to burn rubber on the safety of a purpose built
track is a fitting addition to the character of the location. Sporting
an intestinal shaped racetrack that makes optimum use of the indoor
space with sharp bends and hairpins that cleverly snake round the
supportive (well padded) pillars make for a long and challenging
course of 700 meters in length and covering a total area of 7,000
square metres. The Go-karts are all newly imported from France with
200cc Honda engines, producing speeds of up to 55 KM/ph. That doesn't
sound very fast until you get in one of these mean machines, adjust
the seat and start bombing around the track, trying to negotiate
180-degree turns as your back end swings out, tyres squeal and your
arms ache from the heavy pull of the small steering wheel.
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Open every day from midday until 2 am, the metallic, air conditioned
observation platform with a snack bar, 2 blue pool tables, video
screens and a wall of plate glass for watching the races has a capacity
of 500. In any given day, the speedway caters for up to 800 people,
400 of whom will race once or more. It is possible though, with
a maximum of 20 drivers on the track at the same time, for 1600
drivers to race in one day. There is no real age limit for driving
a kart here but it is recommended that youngsters should be over
14 years old or at least 140 cm tall.
For the uninitiated, driving a go-kart for the first time is certainly
not as difficult as driving a car with a gear stick and clutch.
Go kart drivers only have to worry about the brake on the left foot
and the accelerator on the right. Then it's just a case of hanging
on, tight.
A day at the track is divided into 10-minute races at a cost of
550 Baht per race; once you've bought your ticket, you just wait
for the next race to start. Even though anytime you get in a kart,
you will be entering a race, this doesn't always mean there will
be others on the track. You might end up just racing against the
clock with the 8-metre wide track all to yourself. If you want to
test your metal against some of the more experienced go-karters
though, it's best to show up in the evening when the place starts
filling up with people.
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Although toy like in their squat, sized down frame, the science
of kart racing is comparable to the kind of things formula one teams
take into consideration when preparing their machines for a race.
In fact Many of the famous formula 1 drivers started their careers
behind the wheel of a go-kart: Michael Schumacher, Jean Alesi, Nigel
Mansell, Gerhard Berger and Ayrton Senna have all put in their time
in on the miniature tracks, honing their skills for coming in and
out of tight bends.
The PTT Speedway is the brainchild of the Sport Challenge 2003
champion, Christian Gilles, who, as Managing director, brought the
group of racing enthusiast investors together and sought the sponsorship
of the petroleum Authority of Thailand and BF Goodrich. PTT provide
the oil and gasoline for the karts while BFG supply the specially
made tyres. The speedway's early success gives good reason for Christian
and his colleagues to be quietly confident of South East Asia's
adoption of a sport that already has a big following in Europe.
Christian feels the time is right in Thailand for this kind of entertainment
to catch on. As the economy improves and people have more buying
power to indulge in the sport or hobby of their choice, Thailand
could well become a hub for the motor sports industry.
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Safety on the track is first and foremost in the operation of the
speedway. A total of 30 staff are employed here, two thirds whom
are dedicated to ensuring strict safety standards are adhered to
and that the karts are all in perfect racing condition. 4 marshals
stand around the tracks at hot spots ready to signal any dangers
ahead. Red, green and orange lights around the track also indicate
to drivers the condition of the race. Technology plays a key role
in maintaining safety standards too; each kart is electronically
monitored and the race officials can remotely control a kart's speed
when there is a lane blockage or the race has finished. These modern
Go-Karts, made in France by 'Sodi Kart,' are state-of-the-art driving
machines, about 2 metres long and 1.2 metres wide, with 4 inches
of space between the driver and the ground. They weigh around 100
kilogram's and come fitted with purpose built clutches. Not only
do they look cool but they are also guaranteed not to roll over
or stop dead after a spin out. Strong bumpers skirt the karts too,
preventing the wheels from becoming entangled with other karts in
the event of a collision. Obviously, ramming other karts is not
encouraged but drivers need not worry about incurring any expenses
or losing their 'no claims bonus,' should they damage a kart during
a race. Knocks, bumps and scratches are accepted as part of what
motor racing is all about. These karts are pretty tough though and
will take a lot of punishment. The flexible rubber partition that
lines the track can take a beating too. If it is hit or even run
over, the material will absorb a lot of the impact without bringing
the kart to a sudden halt or harming the driver.
The karts' exhaust fumes are very clean; a powerful air-cooling
and filtration system in the building also keeps the air circulated
and smog free.
Driving a kart fast is easy enough but proper use of the brake
and accelerator on the bends is what makes or breaks the lap times.
Even though the karts width and proximity to the ground means they
can be thrown into corners, you can't just go charging into a tight
hairpin bend, hoping to whiz through it at top speed, that will
just make the kart wipe out and maybe skid to a halt. Once this
has happened in the heat of a race, getting the kart up to speed
again seems to take an eternity as the guy you've successfully held
off for the last two laps, flies past in a flash of racing colours.
Go-karting is not exactly new to Thailand, with open-air tracks
in a few tourist destinations like Koh Samui and Pattaya but this
is the first indoor go-kart track in Thailand and apparently the
largest indoor karting track in the world. Even though the speedway
has only been open since march 2004, the almost instantaneous flood
of people who want to experience something close to the feel of
formula 1 driving, has investors behind the project quietly confident
of making profitable returns well before the end of the year.
No appointment is needed to come and race - just show up and put
your name down so they can plug you into the big scoreboard. (Great
if you make good lap times but the ego takes a bruising when your
name appears in big red letters at the bottom of the board for all
to see). Names are also kept on record for prize giveaways for the
fastest lap time of the month. Groups are also catered for, especially
popular for corporate events. Group bookings also bring down the
cost for individual drivers.
At the moment permanent membership is not an option but there is
a discount rate of 1800 Baht for a four-race package. Doing four
races in a row would probably be much too tiring on the hands and
arms; a vice like grip is needed for those tight turns. So a break
between races to replenish strength is recommended; giving you time
to watch other formula 1 want-to-be's and calculate new racing strategies.
550 Baht for a ten-minute race might seem a little expensive but
this is motor sport we are talking about. The state of the art safety
monitoring system and the racing quality of the imported machines
more than justifies the cost of being able to get a taste of the
world of racing. The ride itself is an unforgettable experience
and one that will have you excitedly telling you friends about every
little detail of the race; from the hairpin you nearly wiped out
on, to the guy you overtook on the last lap.
Go-karting is always fun, whoever you go with but it's best experienced
as part of a group in a mini Grand Prix; where friendly competition
reaches feverous heights. Company owners, large or small, might
want to consider organizing go-kart tournaments for their employees
as a way of saying thank you for a good year's work or as a memorable
team building exercise.
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