| Objective: Indoor Go Karts Location: Gatineau, Quebec, Canada Race Time: 30 minutes |
For those with a need for speed, Top Karting is a thrilling destination in Gatineau – across the river from Ottawa. Indoor go karts in the middle of winter is a brilliant idea. Once inside, you quickly forget about all that freezing snow outside. Top Karting is an all-in-one entertainment complex, with its own racetrack, sports bar, restaurant, and pool hall.
| The Track | The Race | Plan Your Visit |
The Track
There’s a thin crowd next to the track with temperatures dipping below zero outdoors. At the quarter mile track, the inaugural Gatineau 27 is almost under way. For the next half hour, I will live my life a quarter mile at a time. I put on my helmet, hop in trusty No. 10, and test the pedals.
The Race
The go karts are howling and rearing to go.
Vroom, vroom, vroom, VROOOOOM, VROOOOOMM, VROOOOOMMMM…
At this point, the green flag is raised. The 12-kart starting field roars to life and battles for position on the front lane before Turn 1. In the first turn, the No. 14 kart spins wildly out of control and somehow avoids the other go karts. I instinctively back off the gas and veer slightly to avoid a spin out. I’m safe, but have lost precious time. On Lap 17, the No. 3 kart slams hard into the wall and wedges itself. The caution flag is up while the crew frees the kart.
I finally catch up with the lead kart at Lap 20. But my kart does not have enough power to pass on the outside. My heart is pounding as I fling the kart through turns while trying to prevent the kart from losing grip. Occasionally, I look behind to make sure no one passes me during my pursuit. My kart is literally on the lead kart’s bumper. And that’s when the opening arises. The lead kart loses a little traction at Turn 4 of Lap 23 and skids a bit. I make a move on the outside and open up the throttle heading into the next straightaway. Soon, I easily tear away from the field and zip by the checkered flag. Today, victory is mine!
Plan Your Visit
| Vendor: Top Karting 200 Rue d’Edmonton, Gatineau, QC, Canada Price: $65/person for a 30-minute Grand Prix Go Karts: Fleet of 9 HP karts, capable of reaching 44 mph Track: 1/4 mile |