Karting in the city

He has been promoting karting to the elite for years. This time, however, businessman and motorsports enthusiast Johnny Tan is going mainstream.

The man behind the Carmona Circuit in Cavite recently opened a new kart track – aptly named Kart Trak – in the heart of Manila to introduce the sport to the common folk.

At a press briefing last week, Tan said he expects the Kart Trak at the Boomland (formerly Boom na Boom) compound in CCP Complex to be the door that would lead more people, especially the youth, to the high-speed world of car racing.

"Most great drivers started with karting," he said. "In other countries, there are kart tracks everywhere. With this Kart Trak, we hope to give ordinary people the chance to experience what karting is all about."

A former karter himself, Tan knows that to be a good driver, one must have hundreds of hours of experience. The problem in this country is there is just no available venue to practice within the city.

Before Kart Trak, the closest kart circuit for Metro Manila dwellers is the Speed Zone along Sumulong Highway in Cainta that opened recently. It may be close to people living in the eastern portion of Metro Manila, but still too far for those who are coming from the northern and western parts, especially the city of Manila.

"Our location is our biggest come-on," Tan said. "We’re very near the Makati business district so people can come here straight from work. We’re in Manila’s tourist district so tourists from nearby hotels can come here and enjoy."

Just like other forms of motorsports, karting doesn’t come cheap, although it is considered the cheapest. One brand-new kart can cost from P100,000 to P120,000. Used ones can still go as high as P60,000 to P70,000. Due to the high price of acquiring a kart, it is but logical for a beginner to go to a place like Kart Trak and rent a kart.

But renting isn’t that cheap either. A five-minute karting experience at Kart Trak costs P150 (it’s P500 at Speed Zone for 12 minutes), but Tan made the price more attractive since it already covers the use of a helmet, driving suit and racing shoes. For that amount, the five minutes of driving would feel like doing the "real thing."

Since opening during the last holiday season, Kart Trak averages 30 to 40 customers a day. According to Mat Gabriel, the manager of the place, they had close to 200 customers during Christmas and New Year’s day. "People waited for their turn. Some even bought dozens of tickets so they could really enjoy the experience. Para hindi bitin," he said.

We tried out Kart Trak ourselves. There are five single-seater karts available and two two-seaters that allow non-driving passengers to ride along. There are also five kiddie karts for children. We were told, though, that a kid needs to be at least four feet tall to be allowed to drive.

The karts we drove were not that fast. Powered by 6-horsepower engines (those in Carmone have 15-hp motors), we leisurely drove through the 650m-long track in approximately 42 seconds (we didn’t time it but we made seven laps in five minutes). Only two karts could run side by side in most of the 7m-wide track, and overtaking was virtually impossible with five of us racing.

The experience was challenging, to say the least. Even addicting. No wonder one customer who drove after us asked Gabriel where he could buy a kart – a faster one – and where he could get some training.

"We already sold four karts since the holiday season," Gabriel said. "And we’re receiving many inquiries from other interested buyers."