Go-karting is an exhilarating, fun-filled activity you can enjoy with friends, family, and co-workers. Aside from being an absolute blast of adrenaline and awesomeness, go-karting improves your confidence, reflexes, strength, and stamina. It’s a wholesome and fun experience that also provides many benefits you might not have realized.
Go-karting was born in LA in the 1950s. Kurtis Kraft fabricator, engineer, and “Father of Go-Karting” Art Ingels, together with his buddy and neighbor, Lou Borelli, created the first-ever go-kart in Ingels’ Echo Park garage. Ingels and Borelli used discarded lawnmower engines with a customized steel-tubing chassis to build their first go-kart.
Today, go-karting is the most popular motorsport, and globally, the sport of go-karting has exploded because go-karts are an absolute thrill to drive, and there is nothing more exhilarating than zipping around a racetrack proving your skills against your closest friends and family at speeds of 40 to 45 miles per hour.
Go-karting isn’t just the most fun you’ve ever had; it’s hugely beneficial for you, too! Health benefits of go-karting include strength building, improved reflexes and reaction time, and even burning calories. Yes, according to a study by karting magazine VROOM, just 30 minutes of go-karting burns 358 calories for the average driver. That’s 40% more calories burned than going for a boring old jog on a treadmill!
Endorphins for Miles
After a few laps around the track, there’s no question that you feel good. The physical exertion and thrill of zipping around a track at 40 miles per hour gets your blood pumping and activates your endorphins which are the neurotransmitters in your brain responsible for making you feel fantastic after a few exhilarating laps around the track.
Exercise, like go-karting, produces hormones called endorphins which give you a feeling of euphoria. Endorphins affect your brain, reducing your perception of pain, and they also trigger what is referred to as ‘post-workout elation’ or ‘runner’s high.’
“I started racing go-karts. And I love karts. It’s the most breathtaking sport in the world. More than F1, indeed, I used to like it most.”
– Ayrton Senna
Professional Formula 1 race car driver Ayrton Senna and many other accomplished F1 drivers credit go-kart racing as the introduction to motorsport that made them fall in love with racing. Some, like Senna, considered go-karting the most fun motorsport ever. Even if you don’t have a competitive bone in your body, you cannot help but feel the thrill as you take a turn and accelerate on the straightaways.
Inject the Thrills
Don’t hit the brakes; accelerate! Go-karting is ridiculous fun, especially when you learn to drive and your confidence in your abilities increases. Learning to drive a go-kart well is a massive achievement that boosts your self-confidence and sense of accomplishment, not to mention a tremendous adrenaline rush. The rush you feel as you’re racing around the track can make you feel alert, alive and also sharpens your senses.
Escape the House
Suppose you’re stuck in a slump or bored at home, rally some friends and family and take a trip to your nearest go-karting track. Break the everyday monotony with a few invigorating trips burning rubber around the track. Your spirits will lift, and your doldrums will disappear once you strap yourself in and go for a few fun spins!
Especially if you’ve been feeling low or depressed, taking the time to connect with others can help ease the load. Maybe you don’t want to talk about what’s troubling you, or you need a brief respite from lingering thoughts. The racetrack is the perfect place to escape and reinvigorate.
Boost the Happy
It’s not uncommon to see drivers alighting from their go-karts with the biggest grins. Go-karting is ridiculously fun. When you’re having fun, you feel good about yourself, and your morale soars. Experiencing that much fun with your closest friends, family members, or co-workers is a superb bonding experience. When you’re enjoying yourself, you stop worrying about things and relax. Serotonin levels increase, and you sleep better, which is beneficial for both your mind and body.
And You Get Adrenaline in 3…2…1, GO!
Don’t lie, you love to win, and you love the rush!
Go-karting is a great group activity. It’s competitive, fast, and exciting for everyone. Nothing quite compares to the excitement that sweeps over you when you settle into your go-kart. You look around and see Grandma on your left and your 12-year-old on your right. It’s time to make them eat your dust. You feel that burst of adrenaline hit you as the light goes from red to green, your pulse soars, you hit the gas hard, and suddenly you’re off! The adrenaline rush you get from karting is terrific, but it also makes you more alert and sharpens your senses. Maintaining a sharp and active mind also helps with concentration and memory.
Time to Pump the Breaks, Is Go-Karting Safe?
The great news is that go-karting is very safe for adults and kids, too! Modern go-kart tracks and karts are safer than ever. Adults and kids are assigned different karts to ensure that everyone is driving the appropriate kart for their size. Most karts feature seatbelts, a roll bar, and a 360-degree impact protection system. The engines on kids’ karts are smaller and perform at slower speeds than adult karts. As a rule, most race tracks don’t allow kids and adults to race in the same heats. Kids and adults must also wear safety gear such as a protective race suit, gloves, and a helmet.
Let’s Race!
There’s no doubt that go-kart racing is a motorsport that combines physical activity, friendly competition, and health benefits into fun-filled hours of zipping and zooming around a track with friends, family, or colleagues. It’s a wonderful bonding and team-building experience.
After a ridiculously fun session at the track, you can look forward to a sense of accomplishment, an endorphin boost, improved concentration, and a good night’s sleep.
So, what are you waiting for? Come down to Chaos Karts, start your engines, and race!