Drive yourself sane: Why COVID-19 has helped make karting the world’s most popular motorsport.
November 10, 2020
If you’re like most people, this virus is totally stressing you out. If so, we have good news for you — not only does karting let you blow off steam and experience heart-pumping fun, but it’s one of the activities that people feel safe doing during this pandemic.
The top three reasons why karters feel confident:
- Social distancing is built in. After all, the whole point is to get ahead of the pack!
- Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. The cleaning staff races around and sanitizes the hard surfaces throughout the day. After each race, the pit crew speeds in and thoroughly disinfects the kart and equipment. Karters get a freshly sanitized car and race wear for their use only.
- Plenty of space to keep visitors at a safe distance. With facilities that can easily be the size of two football fields, keeping your distance is no problem. Since a time slot is required, employees can easily control and limit the number of people on and off the track.
Even though COVID-19 infection remains a serious risk in many sports, karting just isn’t one of them. According to Children’s Hospital, pandemic sports safety pretty much boils down to a few things, the amount of contact between players, the duration of the contact, and whether you’ll be wearing a mask during play. Karting scores high in all three areas.
While karters are going to the tracks in high numbers, so far, due to the nature of the sport and the stringent safety measures, there haven’t been any known outbreaks reported to date.
Reduce stress at warp speed.
When Dr. Anthony Fauci cautioned us about moving at warp speed, you know he wasn’t referring to karting. However, you may have heard him along with other doctors and mental health experts speak about the importance of stress-management techniques in the middle of a pandemic.
While the CDC website doesn’t specifically mention driving around a multi-level indoor track just two inches off the ground in a powerful racing machine as a way to stay healthy and reduce stress, it does suggest making time to unwind and do activities you enjoy. We agree that taking steps to reduce your stress is crucial. Some of the stress-reducing benefits that regular karting provides include:
Exercise Did you know that karting is considered a form of strength training? Maneuvering a 300-pound electric kart around the track works muscles in both your arms and legs, giving you a full-body workout.
Focus and mindfulness You need to keep a high level of concentration throughout the race to maintain control. This means, every time you’re on track, all this focus sharpens your senses. What’s more, as you hone in on the course and your competition, you may find that the rest of the world and your worries disappear.
Connecting with others Karting is so much more fun when you share it with family and friends. Besides being enjoyable, research shows there are physical benefits as well. Connecting with others can release a hormone that may reduce inflammation.
Learning something new You’re constantly learning new skills on track such as problem-solving and making decisions under pressure. Learning physically changes the brain and supports brain plasticity, which may help protect you against stress and depression.
Take a spin inside your comfort zone.
Sick of constantly worrying about COVID? We have a prescription for you. It starts with the adrenaline rush of driving around an 80,000-square-foot Supertrack, and ends with the exhilarating sense of freedom.
If you’re craving to experience what life used to be like for a few laps, you’ll be thrilled to know that we’ve implemented vigilant safety and sanitation procedures throughout our 125,000-square-foot facility. Hey, we’re a competitive bunch, so we’ve gone above and beyond the required state guidelines to ensure your comfort and welfare. These revved-up measures include:
- Strict hand-washing and sanitation protocols
- Compulsory masks
- Abundant hand sanitizer stations throughout our facility
- Clear markings to promote social distancing
- Daily temperature checks for all team members
- Contact tracing
- Turbo-charged equipment sanitation using hospital-grade disinfectants
- Plexiglass barriers
- Contactless payment options
- Easy online booking
Rest assured that we will continue to do everything we can throughout our facility so you can let loose, hang with your pod, and enjoy socially distanced fun.