Ben races at soon-to-open ADK Karting at Aviation Mall

By Ben Westcott, Chronicle Staff Writer

Saturday I got behind the wheel at ADK Karting Experience ahead of its Nov. 12 opening at Aviation Mall.

Friendly staff gave some pre-race instructions. Then it was time for me and five others in my ‘race’ to don our helmets and hop into our electric karts.

The karts came from England. The 57,000 square foot track was built by an Italian company with input from the ADK Karting team.

Owner Jeremy Treadway said he “spent about a year prior to signing the lease on this place traveling to other kart organizations and talking to them, to realize what track and kart manufacturer I really wanted to work with.

I buckled up, pulled my visor down, hit the “gas” and was on my way.

It was fun to pick up speed on straightaways and deftly try to navigate hairpin turns. The kart is very open, so it’s invigorating to feel the air hit you.

The karts were smooth and responsive. The steering wheel has a boost button you can use once a lap to temporarily drive even faster.

I thought the track layout offered a good middle ground, with both challenging sections and manageable terrain.

“It flows, it’s technical, but it’s good,” Mr. Treadway said. “It’s a lot of fun.”

He started kart racing at age 12 and was a professional car driver for 18 years around the world. While a lot of tracks now are multi-level, he wanted a flat track because of his racing background.

“So we take up a little bit more room than most places that are multi-level.”

I completed eight laps, with a best lap time of 42 seconds. The fastest person in my ‘race’ of six people had a best lap time of 35 seconds.

Safety was stressed. People are instructed not to bump into each other on purpose; these are not bumper cars.

If someone ahead of me was in a tough spot and came to a stop, caution lights went on, the karts automatically slowed down, and staff came onto the track to help them get back on their way.

After my drive, I checked out the rest of the facility, which measures 87,000 square feet in all.

There’s a kids kart track and six simulators where you can virtually try out any racecar in the world on any track. There are arcade games galore, and an 80s arcade game-themed miniature golf course.

There are suites, and next to the track is a future bar and grill under construction called The Paddock at 578. There will be leagues for karts and the simulators.

The space had been a Sears store, a COVID vaccination site and a Spirit Halloween.

“It’s been seven months of building,” Mr. Treadway said. “We gutted it wall to wall, and then built what you see today. That was a big undertaking, but it’s been great.”

He said the closest similar facility for karting is in Poughkeepsie.

“Everything in here is brand new,” he said. “Everything we invested in was new. We’re here for the long haul. We want to be here. We want to bring a little more life back to the mall. We’re excited.”

Prior to the Nov. 12 opening, ADK Karting offers the opportunity to reserve “Test N Tune” two-hour blocks Nov. 1-9 “to help us fine-tune our operations and train our team while giving you a sneak peek of the full ADK Karting Experience,” their Facebook page says. Booking is available at adkkart.com.

The cost of an eight-minute race is $26, $16 for juniors.

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