F1 Boston go-kart racing
Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 8:01 pm
Overall: 3 / 5
Performance: 3 / 5
The go-karts seem to have common centrifugal clutches, but very timid ones. It's not like a snowmobile or the go-kart I had as a kid where it engages aggressively and you accelerate hard; it goes BMBMBMBMBMBMBMBMBMBMBM and you go nowhere until you slowly get up to speed. That may also be from tall gearing. There is a nice amount of oversteer, so handling is fun...you can really rotate the machine to aim it as you come out of a turn. The rear of the go-kart flares out wide, so if you try to pass on the inside of a turn and get cut off then you can get stuck on the turn and need an employee to yank you out.
Features: 3 / 5
You get a printout of data from each race with your lap times, starting position, ending position, etc. You get to wear a racing suit that might be nasty if you think too much about it but doesn't look or smell nasty, and it seems like they wash them after each use. The neck braces don't get washed though, and the helmets (though you wear a balaclava under the helmet and that DOES get washed).
Comfort: 2 / 5
The suits and helmets aren't too bad. The go-karts fit small people, but the steering is for large people. I was a little cramped; the seat was snug around me, offering plenty of side bolster support, but length was a bit short so my legs were more bent than I'd prefer. One machine had a fairing that interfered with my feet reaching the pedals properly. The steering is quick-ratio...VERY quick-ratio. You get all of your steering from a few degrees of steering wheel. I suspect there is a whole lot of friction in the system too. At every speed, it required about as much force as my Buick takes for a whole turn with the engine off.
Economy: 1 / 5
I didn't pay; it was an event paid for by a vendor who was presenting a seminar. I think I got about $100 worth of racing. I could not pay $100 for that.
Interior: 4 / 5
The main floor is really nice. There's a nice looking bar, some real race cars on display (but you can't get close enough for a good look), and a good view of the tracks. The track area has a couple rooms where you watch an instructional video and put on the suit...they're craptastic. The benches are wobbly and the lockers are lock-free (but you can keep your phone and wallet in your pocket while you race).
FOSE: 1 / 5
Your only chance is if your girlfriend/wife gets turned on by the vibrating go-kart or by seeing you win.
BTW lighter people are definitely more likely to win...the laws of physics cannot be violated and the weight ratio of driver to go-kart means 50 or 100 pounds makes a big speed difference.
Other tips:
- It's not fair. Just accept that it's unfair. Enforcement of rules is spotty and seems biased and that's just the way it is.
- Don't be confused by the yellow and red lights for the pits and the penalty lane, which can look like they're for the track when you're going fast past them.
- A yellow flag can be canceled mid-lap. Don't be surprised, do watch for the yellow lights on the track to quit.
- They tell you about not driving too fast for full traction as if it's a rule but it's not; you're expected to screech through the turns (except maybe one specific turn, the corkscrew). They also say most of the turns are full-throttle and, if you use a good line and the tires are warmed up, they're right.
- Reviews online claim that contact is treated the same way but I'm not so sure...I got a few warnings (though I was never sure what for) and one person got a penalty.
- Accelerate early coming out of the corkscrew turn to get loose and rotate the go-kart for the right line into the tunnel turns, otherwise you can't get the right line at all.
- When you leave, don't forget to recalibrate your arms for power steering and your attitude for public roads.
Performance: 3 / 5
The go-karts seem to have common centrifugal clutches, but very timid ones. It's not like a snowmobile or the go-kart I had as a kid where it engages aggressively and you accelerate hard; it goes BMBMBMBMBMBMBMBMBMBMBM and you go nowhere until you slowly get up to speed. That may also be from tall gearing. There is a nice amount of oversteer, so handling is fun...you can really rotate the machine to aim it as you come out of a turn. The rear of the go-kart flares out wide, so if you try to pass on the inside of a turn and get cut off then you can get stuck on the turn and need an employee to yank you out.
Features: 3 / 5
You get a printout of data from each race with your lap times, starting position, ending position, etc. You get to wear a racing suit that might be nasty if you think too much about it but doesn't look or smell nasty, and it seems like they wash them after each use. The neck braces don't get washed though, and the helmets (though you wear a balaclava under the helmet and that DOES get washed).
Comfort: 2 / 5
The suits and helmets aren't too bad. The go-karts fit small people, but the steering is for large people. I was a little cramped; the seat was snug around me, offering plenty of side bolster support, but length was a bit short so my legs were more bent than I'd prefer. One machine had a fairing that interfered with my feet reaching the pedals properly. The steering is quick-ratio...VERY quick-ratio. You get all of your steering from a few degrees of steering wheel. I suspect there is a whole lot of friction in the system too. At every speed, it required about as much force as my Buick takes for a whole turn with the engine off.
Economy: 1 / 5
I didn't pay; it was an event paid for by a vendor who was presenting a seminar. I think I got about $100 worth of racing. I could not pay $100 for that.
Interior: 4 / 5
The main floor is really nice. There's a nice looking bar, some real race cars on display (but you can't get close enough for a good look), and a good view of the tracks. The track area has a couple rooms where you watch an instructional video and put on the suit...they're craptastic. The benches are wobbly and the lockers are lock-free (but you can keep your phone and wallet in your pocket while you race).
FOSE: 1 / 5
Your only chance is if your girlfriend/wife gets turned on by the vibrating go-kart or by seeing you win.
BTW lighter people are definitely more likely to win...the laws of physics cannot be violated and the weight ratio of driver to go-kart means 50 or 100 pounds makes a big speed difference.
Other tips:
- It's not fair. Just accept that it's unfair. Enforcement of rules is spotty and seems biased and that's just the way it is.
- Don't be confused by the yellow and red lights for the pits and the penalty lane, which can look like they're for the track when you're going fast past them.
- A yellow flag can be canceled mid-lap. Don't be surprised, do watch for the yellow lights on the track to quit.
- They tell you about not driving too fast for full traction as if it's a rule but it's not; you're expected to screech through the turns (except maybe one specific turn, the corkscrew). They also say most of the turns are full-throttle and, if you use a good line and the tires are warmed up, they're right.
- Reviews online claim that contact is treated the same way but I'm not so sure...I got a few warnings (though I was never sure what for) and one person got a penalty.
- Accelerate early coming out of the corkscrew turn to get loose and rotate the go-kart for the right line into the tunnel turns, otherwise you can't get the right line at all.
- When you leave, don't forget to recalibrate your arms for power steering and your attitude for public roads.