Time Out Tries: Kart Racing

Registering is a pleasantly speedy process, requiring little more than a few personal details and a photo if you wish. It pays to do this, because this information is linked up to your performance on the track. That means that everytime you come back, you can look at your past race times and track how well you're doing. 

While you're waiting on your companions to register, we suggest taking the time to study a map of the racing track that's printed on the lobby wall. It's got tips to help you smash those turns – and might give you an edge in the coming race. 

When you're speeding along in a go-kart at 30 km/h (or 50 km/h for those who can produce a driver's license), there's bound to be some risk involved. Just so that everyone is clear about how the karts work and safety rules on the track, we sit down in a spacious lounge for a snappy video briefing. 

There's nothing worse than putting on a soggy, smelly helmet. That's not the case at The Karting Arena, which has a helmet sanitation station specially developed by its parent company Presidium Instruments. The rack has rows of weight sensitive units that activate when a helmet is hung on it. A UV bulb and air blower turn on, working to get the helmets – well, not quite fresh as a daisy – but dry, sanitised, and clean-smelling. Hair nets are also provided as an extra layer of protection. 

And on to the action! We went ahead with the The Karting Arena's fun-karting experience – that's a full 10 minutes to go around the 700 metre track at Jurong. It's a real blast to go full throttle on the straights and navigate the turns, especially the particularly tight hairpin towards the end of the track. The track at Jurong measures 10 metres at its widest, so we had lots of space and rarely came close to bumping into each other. There were times we zipped down the lane side by side though, giving us a taste of the Formula One racing experience! The petroleum fueled Birel Kart was great to handle too – light, smooth, and responsive. 

The folks at The Karting Arena tell us that they have regulars who come in to race around the track alone. Their objective? To beat their own lap time. My best time was 57 seconds – not much compared to the record, which stands at around 51 seconds with a 50 km/h kart. 

Fun-karting prices start at $25/pax for Novices (under 18s) at Jurong and Bukit Timah; and $30/pax for Adults (above 18s) at Bukit Timah and $35/pax for Adults (above 18s) at Jurong. 

Okay, so we didn't quite get the full F1 racing experience. But you could if you wanted to, because The Karting Arena has a special Grand Prix group racing package. For $140/pax, you can race your friends in a 10 minute practice round, five minute qualifying round, before duking it out in a final race. Up to fifteen people can take part in the Grand Prix experience at any one time. In fact, you can do one better and make it a private event with music, snack bar, and beverages included. Get a quote here. 

Kart racing is true blue passion for some people. We had the privilege of watching Jeremy Lee, a team driver at AutoInc Driving and overall champion of deLaCour X30 Challenge Singapore 2016, zip around the Jurong track at a whopping 100 km/h. 

If you're thinking of taking this hobby further, you can actually take up a membership yourself. It starts at $2500 a year, with perks like waived or discounted track fees depending on your tier. At an extra fee, you can rent karts, load shared rental karts, or store your personal kart in The Karting Arena's warehouse. Check out the race teams that are on-site at the track and get a detailed quote here. 

The Karting Arena @ Jurong is open Tue-Fri 1pm-9pm; Sat & Sun 9am-9pm. Find out more about rates, packages and the Bukit Timah facility at thekartingarena.com.