The Raceway

So the first thing I need to say is that I had a hilarious evening at The Raceway. It is always funny watching other people race (and more importantly crash!). So if I was rating the evening instead of the venue then it would be a straight up 4.
However I have a few gripes that I feel I need to get off my chest. Firstly, it’s never nice to be told «we don’t have space for your group» (9 people) when I was explicitly told by Customer Service not to bother booking for the Arrive & Drive event. Thankfully after a bit of a fuss we were told «we’ll fit you in». So what ensued was a 90 minute wait watching others drive (which was hilarious!).
Finally it was our turn to race and after the obligatory safety brief video; we were out in the pits. Now the Raceway’s website states «BRAND NEW KARTS!!!» but I guess that might have been true in the mid –00s as the Karts we were in looked to have had a fair few miles under their belt.
The track is fantastic, a great mix of slow, windy corners and some lovely sweeping corners which can be taken flat-​out if you dare! One thing to say about the racing is that the marshaling was lackadaisical at best. I lapped one friend twice whilst he was stuck in the barriers before a marshal spotted him. Perhaps a walkie-​talkie system between the marshals would improve communication instead of them shouting above the engines.
So all in all, a great evening and a great facility but some definite points of improvement. Will I go back? Certainly!

The Raceway provide a great indoor track, split across two levels — one of the best I have driven on! Unlike some tracks, there is a good combination of fast sections where it’s a test of nerve to hit the corners without lifting of the throttle and tight bends which need to be negotiated with some more precision!
What makes it even better is that unlike the lower level, which has a predictable, grippy concrete surface, the upper level uses a polished wooden surface! This leads to lots of sliding… and a lot of fun!
Unfortunately, the great track, one of the longest indoor tracks in the UK, and large number of drivers allowed on track does mean that there is a lot of time on the yellow light (where you can only drive at walking pace :/​) as it takes the race marshals some time to locate and clear any ‘incidents’. Additionally, the «brand new karts» advertised on their website, have definitely seen some action and are now looking worse for wear!
Despite a few niggles, the great track manages to makes up for these, and with a little more kart maintenance and a few more marshals to clear the incidents this would easily have been a 5* review!

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Prices:
£4.50 per game
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