What are you waiting for? Go karting, it's a brand new sport in town and its loads of fun. Narayan Karthekeyan, India's first formula one racer started his racing career with go karts. Who knows, you might just be Nepal's first as well. "I don't see why not," says Kristjan B Edwards, a go karting enthusiast himself, "In fact, I'm willing to sponsor good Nepali riders to go and participate in go kart races in India and other countries." Edwards has made a go karting track in Manamaiju under the Tiger Karts' banner. He had the karts built in Nepal, importing only a few of the components and the engine.
"Go karting not only adds to the list of fun things to do in the afternoon but could also be a hobby," says Edwards. At a maximum speed of 40km per hour, you are barely inches off the ground as the world goes whizzing by. The racetrack is 240m in length and five m in width, longer than most go karting tracks. It's easy to get addicted to the speed.
Initially, you feel hesitant about getting into the seat of a kart that looks like a toy but as soon as you are behind the wheel and you feel the rattle of the kart, the whirr of the engine and the wind in your hair, all your fears are forgotten.
The only thing on your mind is how fast you can go without having to brake for the turns. The adrenaline rush is addictive once riders have enough experience to start racing. Riding karts is as simple as it sounds, with only a brake and an accelerator, the technique is: you are either sitting still or hurtling through space.
Edwards plans to have 10 karts in total and eight on the track. He and his team insist on complete safety. They have tires all around the track to ensure that should a rider crash (and there will be quite a few of those) there will be minimal chances of injuries. The karts are built with low centre of gravity so they don't tip over, even in tight turns at high speed.
A safety helmet and bright yellow boiler suits are provided to protect the rider. It is an alcohol-free zone and anyone who has visibly tanked up is not allowed on the track. Only those above 15 years are allowed to ride and old age is no bar.
Tiger Karts is planning to have two systems for its customers-the lap system and the time system. The lap system will allow customers to pay for a certain number of laps on the track and the time system will allow them to ride according to time limits. Though the prices for either system have not been set as yet, they plan to make it affordable for the Nepali
public.
Contact: Tiger Karts, Tiger Mountain
4361500, www.tigermountain.com
