Pole Position Raceway

Experience real head-to-head racing at Pole Position Raceway and discover why indoor karting is the fastest-growing sport in the United States. If you think this is kids play...well, think again! Our high-performance European karts are capable of 45 mph, and that seems extremely fast when you are sitting just one inch off of the ground trying to navigate a 1/4-mile road course! Pole Position Raceway has invested over $10 million in the latest go kart technology to combat the environmental problems caused by running traditional gas engines indoors. Ultimately our development team created the world's best electric kart known as the Formula EK 20 Pro Kart, and nothing else compares! From a competition standpoint, our high-performance electric karts accelerate quicker and handle better than any other indoor competition kart on the planet, and you will only find them at Pole Position Raceway! We also have junior karts for kids, and you only need to be 48" tall to race. Best of all, the action takes place inside our comfortable state-of-the-art climate-controlled facilities and there are no smelly fumes! The end result is North America's best motorsports entertainment venue, and nowhere else can you find the adrenalin rush created by this type of side-by-side race action. It is so good that it's been called the ultimate indoor entertainment, and all of our tracks are open seven days a week. We only close for Christmas (except Vegas) and private events, and you can check availability online by clicking on the calendar link at the track of your choice.

We welcome everyone, from walk-in racers who want to race family, friends and other customers, to private groups both small and large. Pole Position Raceway caters to corporate events, team building programs, birthday and bachelor parties, new product launches, training seminars, meetings and other special occasions. We have seven tracks, two in southern California (serving Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, and San Diego Counties plus the entire Inland Empire), Dallas, Oklahoma, two in Nevada and one in Jersey City (serving New York City and New Jersey) with others planned throughout North America. In fact P2R Karting, Inc., the company who franchises Pole Position Raceway, is currently working to create a network of 20-plus tracks.

Indoor Karting

"Indoor karting is probably the closest thing to real racing that most people will ever experience," said three-time land speed record holder Ken Faught, the company's co-founder and president. Pole Position Raceway was built for racers, by racers, and 2004 NASCAR Champion Kurt Busch and 7-time AMA Supercross Champion Jeremy McGrath are among those who helped create this ultimate racing experience. After every race, each racer is given a Speed Sheet™ that allows the driver to check a wide range of race statistics. The unique Speed Sheet™ computer program can only be found at Pole Position Raceway. It also allows competitors to view lap times and race position in real-time during each and every race on a 10-foot-wide television screen. What is even better is the fact that you can go online to view your results as well as the top times of the day, week, and month.

Pole Position Raceway also offers a wide variety of race formats and the typical race lasts about 10 minutes. We also offer group event packages that come in two- and three-race formats known as our Pole Position Challenge and Grand Prix respectively, and our infamous four-race Super Pole offered exclusively at our Las Vegas and Summerlin tracks. It is no wonder Racer X Magazine said Pole Position Raceway is "America's #1 Indoor Go Kart Track." See you at the races!

Indoor Karting in the next 10 years

There are estimates that nearly 35 million people in the United States participate in some type of go kart racing every year. This ranges from the casual amusement park rides to high-performance indoor karting to 125cc shifter kart racing at triple-digit speeds. The arrive & drive format, which allows customers to show up at the track and compete in a professionally prepared kart, has really helped bring the sport to the masses. The average racer’s age at an indoor karting center is around 30 years, which is why this has become a legitimate form of family entertainment. Go karting is no longer just for kids! That is why P2R Karting, Inc. is working diligently to bring the Pole Position Raceway chain of indoor kart tracks to major cities around the U.S. Here is a partial list of markets that we expect to have indoor go kart tracks built within the next decade:

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Anaheim, California

Atlanta, Georgia

Austin, Texas

Bakersfield, California

Baltimore, Maryland

Boston, Massachusetts

Charlotte, North Carolina

Chicago, Illinois

Cincinnati, Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio

Columbus, Ohio

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Dallas, Texas

Denver, Colorado

Detroit, Michigan

El Paso, Texas

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Ft. Worth, Texas

Fresno, California

Honolulu, Hawaii

Houston, Texas

Indianapolis, Indiana

Irvine, California

Jacksonville, Florida,

Kansas City, Missouri

Long Beach, California

Los Angeles, California

Memphis, Tennessee

Miami, Florida

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Mira Loma, California

Nashville, Tennessee

New Orleans, Louisiana

New York, New York

Oakland, California

Omaha, Nebraska

Ontario, California

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Phoenix, Arizona

Pittsburg, Pennsylvania

Portland, Oregon

Raleigh, North Carolina

Reno, Nevada

Sacramento, California

Salt Lake City, Utah

San Antonio, Texas

San Bernardino, California

San Diego, California

San Francisco, California

San Jose, California

Seattle, Washington

St. Louis, Missouri

Tampa, Florida

Thousand Oaks, California

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tucson, Arizona

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Washington D.C.

Wichita, Kansas

How the electric go kart changed the sport

The popularity of indoor racing dramatically increased with the creation of the electric kart around the start of the new millennium. Engineers working on hundred-million-dollar electric-vehicle projects for the automotive industry had figured out how to make more power out of compact motors. Simultaneously, battery packs were getting smaller and more potent, and the electronics were getting more high-tech and durable. The early days of indoor go kart racing were hampered by exhaust from the four-stroke engines that powered what was otherwise a well-built chassis. The carbon-monoxide output in a confined space basically limited the audience to mostly teenagers and young men. The rest of the family typically stayed away from the tracks because the exhaust is impossible to eliminate. Let’s face it – only a rare breed tolerates the odor and doesn’t mind being subjected to the potential health concerns. Indoor tracks that use gas-powered go karts are normally required by law to use giant fans to vent out the unhealthy air; this generally makes it next to impossible to incorporate creature comforts for the participants such as air-conditioning and heating. It is the introduction of these comfort elements that has made go kart racing incredibly popular with corporate team-building events and private parties. It has also totally changed the image of indoor karting into a respectable sport that has wide-range appeal.

Fact is, the fleet of electric karts used at Pole Position Raceway costs about three times as much as a comparable fleet of gas karts, but we know that it is worth every penny. This allows racers to compete in the comfort of a climate-controlled indoor race track with the most-competitive go karts in the world.

Now, critics have argued that electric karts are heavier, and that is true. But the electric karts also produce the equivalent of 18 horsepower compared to the 6.5-horsepower created by the average gas kart used for indoor competition. Electric motors also create more torque, which is the strength of the motor. This is why electric karts accelerate quicker than their gas-powered kin, making the weight argument a moot point. Interestingly enough, the most powerful trucks and trains in the world are actually electric powered. They use on-board gas engines to power generators that run electric motors. In fact, the world’s fastest electric motorcycle has run the quarter mile in 7.890 seconds with a top speed of 174.05mph! Even more impressive is the fact that the world’s fastest electric car has traveled 321.834mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats during the S.C.T.A. World Finals! As you know, electric vehicles are already on the road today and there is a heavy push by government and environmental agencies to make them the wave of the future. No wonder why so many research and development dollars are being spent on this technology around the world!

From a tuning standpoint, electric motors are also much easier to maintain and keep consistent. The biggest challenge with small gas engines lays in the carburetor. The carburetor uses a series of tiny parts (usually made out of brass) called “jets” to control the proper air/fuel mixture. The opening on some “jets” can be as small as the eye of a needle, and they can become easily clogged by the very gas that feeds the engine. The small gas-powered motors struggle and loose performance when this happens. This is why there are so many commercials on TV that talk about engine cleaning problems. They tend to hiccup, sputter and cough, which takes away from the racing experience. Now, the quick fix is to externally try to adjust the idle screw on the go kart carburetor, but this really is not a cure. There are several different air/fuel circuits in the carburetor that control bottom-end, midrange and top-end power, and they all have to be working properly to maximize power. Remember, if the TV commercials are touting how clogged intake components can hurt your 250-300 horsepower family car, imagine what they can do to a 6.5 horsepower go kart engine!

Adjustability is another area where electric engines outperform their gas-powered counterparts. Using a hand-held computer called the K1 controller, we can fine-tune our EK20 karts to control a wide range of power characteristics. Our technicians can adjust everything from throttle response and sensitivity, to power output through the entire rpm range, and even top speed. More importantly, the technicians can do this in a matter of seconds without any guess work!

The goal at Pole Position Raceway is to maintain the most-consistent fleet of karts on the market so that every racer has the same opportunity to post their best possible lap time. After all, no one likes to go to a kart track where there is a chance of getting a slow kart! While gas karts can vary from kart to kart by as much as two or even three seconds a lap, the electric karts can easily be kept within tenths of a second from one another. We also conduct regular test sessions with our top drivers, which is done under the supervision of Bill Dyer, who has 20,000 miles of indoor kart race experience. This means that you should be able to race competitively each and every time you drive one of our high-performance adult or kid karts.

All of the information above is why most industry experts expect gas-powered go karts to be extinct in the next few years as far as indoor karting is concerned.

Better by race track design

Another item that has made indoor karting more attractive to a wider range of individuals has been advances in race track surface preparation and the overall physical size of the facility. In the past, companies have created “slick tracks” using polished concrete or asphalt so they could tout “a real racing surface” in their advertising. This may sound important, but too much tire grip actually hurts the overall indoor karting experience. If karts are not able to slide around a little bit on the surface, then it’s difficult to differentiate between a good and bad driver. Too much grip takes away the talent aspect of driving, and allows most everyone to drive around at the same speed, kind of like at an amusement park kart track. And while “slick tracks” can be fun in moderation, they require a specific technique to master, and that can take hundreds of hours to learn. The polished concrete surface also slows the speed of the karts and tends to cause drivers to loose control more often.

In contrast, Pole Position Raceway worked with a team of highly trained professionals to develop a track surface that is in between the “slick tracks” and asphalt tracks of the past. It’s a proprietary technique created by Kerry Peterson at Peterson Brothers Construction in Yorba Linda, California. The goal was to create a surface that is fun for an entry-level driver and yet challenging for the seasoned professional. It’s a surface that has received a stamp of approval from NASCAR Champion Kurt Busch, Supercross Champions Jeremy McGrath and Chad Reed, along with X-Games reporter Jamie Little and freestyle motocross stars Travis Pastrana and Mike Metzger.

We have taken this surface preparation technique into some of the world’s largest karting venues. Pole Position Raceway uses oversize buildings that are as large as 85,000 square feet (about two covered acres). This allows for tracks that are wide, fast and with plenty of opportunities for experienced drivers to use their passing techniques. After all, we allow up to 13 karts on the track at one time at some of our facilities.

Pole Position Raceway’s mechanics have also spent the last six years fine-tuning kart setup on this racing surface to maximize the overall racing experience. We combine that with a high-tech timing & scoring system called Speed Sheet™ that provides all racers with a score sheet immediately after their races. Speed Sheet™ shows the racer’s times for every lap, an average lap time, position in the race, and more. The Speed Sheet™ program also displays live scoring on a giant 10’ x 12’ television screen that is visible from the driver’s seat during the race. Most importantly, it shows who got the fast lap for bragging rights! We also change the course configuration several times a year to make it more challenging and to provide diversity. The end result is perhaps the closest thing to real racing that most people will experience in their lifetime.

Our motto is Built For Racers By Racers ® and we never stray from that philosophy. It is why racers around the world have driven several million miles collectively at our six indoor kart tracks, and it is how we have earned our reputation as America’s number one name in indoor kart racing!

What professional racers say about P2R:

 

“Pole Position Raceway is the place for indoor karting.”
-NASCAR Champion Kurt Busch

“I’m amazed at the performance of the electric karts. They accelerate quicker than any gas kart that I’ve driven at any indoor track.” 
-7-time AMA Supercross Champion Jeremy McGrath

“These are the most competitive karts that I’ve ever driven indoors.”
-X-Games Champ/MTV Nitro Circus star Travis Pastrana

 

What business executives say about P2R:

 

“I’ve used Pole Position Raceway for new product launches, press introductions and corporate team building events and everyone always seems to have a good time. We will continue to come back over and over again.”
-Mel Harris, American Suzuki VP

“My employees and my family love indoor karting. Pole Position Raceway offers the cleanest facilities that I’ve seen and the best overall racing experience!”
-Gus Saba, Corona Motorsports

“I travel back and forth between the East and West coasts and I’ve never found a better indoor kart track than Pole Position Raceway.”
-Daven Anthony, Mira Loma Auto Tech

 

What parents say about P2R:

 

“Thank you so much for making my son’s 10th birthday party so memorable for him and his friends. He’s already talking about coming back next year.”
Kim W.
Carlsbad, CA

“Pole Position Raceway is very family oriented and I’m a big fan of the electric karts. I don’t think our party could have turned out any better. Thanks for all of the friendly service!”
Louis A.
Edmond, OK

“I reward my son’s good grades with a trip to Pole Position Raceway. It’s the best motivation I’ve found yet.” Gail H.
Torrance, CA

“Thank you for bringing Pole Position Raceway to our city. It’s the best family entertainment we’ve found, and that says a lot when you live in an area like Las Vegas.
Diana F.
Summerin, NV

“We drive 80 miles just to race at one of your tracks. We’ve been to three of your facilities and no one else does indoor karting better!”
Mike M.
Sylmar, CA

“Pole Position Raceway has done a lot for our community. Year after year they sponsor local sports teams and have helped raise money for the Full Circle Foundation, Toys 4 Tots, Michelle’s Place and the Reeve-Irvine Research Center.”
Rick S.
Thousand Oaks, CA

“I like Pole Position Raceway so much that I'm willing to drive 45 minutes just to make sure my boys can get a real race experience. Amusement park karts just don't cut it these days for my sons!"
Caitie S.
San Bernardino, CA

"We had so much fun at Pole Position Raceway in Oklahoma City, we bought a franchise for Dallas from P2R Karting!"
Robert F.
Frisco, TX

"I want Pole Position Raceway in South Dakota."
Debbie C.
Sioux Falls, SD

"The best form of family entertainment I have found in the country."
Frank C.
Orlando, FL

"I've been to over 15 kart tracks and no one does it better than Pole Position Raceway!"
Brad M.
St. Louis, MO

 

History of go kart racing

The first-ever go kart was created in Los Angeles by Art Ingels and his neighbor Lou Borelli in 1956 (and one of the first four prototypes has actually been on display at Pole Position Raceway). It featured a surplus McCulloch West-Bend 750 lawnmower engine and a chassis that rested just a few inches off the ground.

At the time, Ingels was working for the Kris Kraft Company in southern California building hot rods and race cars. But a few years earlier Ingels was an airman stationed in Europe and had built crude prototypes in Britain as a way to pass time during World Ward II. 

The first official organized race took place with several dozen of home-built machines in 1957 in the parking lot of the famed Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Now, it has been estimated that over 1.6 billion people world wide have raced go karts at some level (amusement parks, indoor kart tracks and organized professional races) in the last half century.

Ingels’ one-off two-stroke creation was the inspiration for Duffy Livingstone and Roy Desbrow to start the Go Kart Manufacturing, Co., Inc in 1958. The pair created their own versions of the go kart and then found inexpensive engines from the failed West Bend rotary lawn mower venture. As an interesting fact, the first go karts sold for $159!

The year 1964 saw the creation of the 100cc World Championship, the first of its kind, and now there are organized competitions all around the world. The evolution has produced a wide range of karts including 100cc air-cooled classes, 125cc two-stroke shifter karts (capable of 115mph) and SuperKarts (capable of 160mph). All modern day Formula One racers grew up racing karts including Michael Schumacher, Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, as well as NASCAR’s Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Juan Pablo Montoya.

Presently, karting continues to grow. The first-ever public indoor go kart stadium race was held February 2010 in the 4400-seat arena at the South Point Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas. Combined with what is being billed as the largest go kart expo, this shows that the sport of indoor karting has a bright future. See you at the races…

Kart organizations

CIK-FIA
International Kart Federation
World Karting Association
American Kart Racing Association