Go-karting

In part two of my company's team-building activity, I chose to go go-karting with my colleagues. Actually I was divided between that and paintball which I've never done either but since paintball is indoors, I decided on go-karting in the end.



We went to a go-kart circuit next to the Shah Alam run by City Karting Enterprise. I've driven by the place like a hundred times before but only got the chance to visit it only today. We arrive early in the morning and had the entire circuit to ourselves for the next two hours or so.



Before we drive the go-kart we were given the customary safety briefing and introduction to go-karting. Driving the go-kart itself is very easy and practically anybody can do it even those who had never driven before their entire life. You basically just control the gas pedal and the brake pedal and try not to hit anybody (or anything).



We get to try the smallest, 80cc kart which is quite small really and plush sized people would find it slightly difficult to fit in. The dress code is fairly simple - anything comfortable, pants, jeans and shoes. One thing for sure, your pants will get dirty from the grease so don't wear your favorite jeans!



My colleagues and I are divided into 4 main groups and 2 more sub-groups each. Each group chose a name for themselves and all chose a motorsport-themed name such as Ferrari, Sauber and BMW. For my group I suggested the Vivalution as in the lowly Perodua Viva and the Evolution monicker. Funnily enough my team members were cool with the idea so Vivalution it is.



The program for the day was an 80 minutes endurance race which means each group members will take turn to drive the go-cart until the whole 80 minutes is up. During the practise and qualifying session, my group lead the pack with one of my team members clocking the fastest time. Not bad for a group with one guy and all girls.



For the actual race, I volunteered to be the first driver and was tasked to drive the first 10 minutes of the race which I did about 8 laps and took pole-position.



The rest of the race however, my group dropped to 2nd since not everybody drove as fast as some of us did. But that's okay. It's not all about winning the race. Most of us do it for the fun, thrill and experience.



Driving a go-kart gave me a little taste of F1 racing albeit in a smaller scale. The similarities are there though and most if not all Formula 1 drivers begin their racing career from go-karting anyway. For once I can drive as fast as I could without worrying about speed limits or worry about accidents.



I especially enjoy negotiating the curves at high speed and since the center of gravity of the car is very low, there's no danger of overturning.



Overall, go-karting was a fun and exciting experience for me and my colleagues. I'd definitely recommend this activity for everyone to try at least once in their lifetime. The price for each session varies from one place to another but at City Karting it starts from RM35 for 10 minutes of racing (a bit steep, I know). Still, the experience is valuable and more than worth it.



They also provide special package for corporate karting like the one that we had. Head on to their website to find out more about City Karting.