Go Kart Track Design Ideas & Equipment You’ll Need

The go kart business is an exciting one! Go karting is a popular activity for adults and youngsters and the industry as a whole produces around $120 million annually. In order to make sure that a go kart business achieves its full potential, owners can make a few savvy choices in regard to go kart track design. Here are a few go kart track design ideas worth considering:

Track Footprint 

The amount of land available will be the biggest determining factor for the length of the go kart track. Some larger tracks may be over a thousand feet long, which is equal to about an acre of land. Once the maximum footprint has been determined, the actual course can be designed, which is the fun part! Working with go kart track operators, we’ve noticed that switchbacks and tight turns usually need to be balanced with straightaways and wider radius curves. A well-designed track will attract novices and pros alike.

Outlining the Track

Go kart tracks are obviously a lot of fun but they also have to be safe. The best tracks present an enjoyable challenge while paying attention to the health of visitors. There are a few common protective barriers that track operators can use to line tracks and mitigate the impact of crashes. Many tracks are lined with steel rails, which are then covered in old tires. The tires serve to absorb impact in a crash, keeping the steel rails standing longer and preventing damage to the go karts.

The other popular method is to use water-filled plastic barricades, similar to the ones used on professional race tracks and highways. Low profile water-filled barricades are brightly colored and highly visible to drivers plus the plastic-water combination absorbs impact, making crashes less harmful. 

Plastic barricades can link together and form a continuous wall along the entire track, or they can be strategically placed along the more difficult sections of the course. Barricades will deflect when impacted, meaning they will move when struck by a high speed vehicle. This is much safer for drivers than hitting a static wall. 

Indoor vs Outdoor Tracks

Whether indoors or outdoors, plastic barricades can be a wise investment. Indoors they are light enough to set up easily and once ballasted, heavy enough to keep cars from impacting other structures. Outdoors the heavy duty plastic stands up to weather and resists fading in the sun. Barricades can even be moved after they’re filled with water if a forklift is handy. Forklift holes are molded into the barricade itself.  

Accommodating Go Kart Design Changes

Since many go kart companies use barricades to form their tracks on large asphalt surfaces, it’s a wise play to invest in barricades that are flexible and portable. Concrete and steel barriers don’t offer the same sort of mobility that plastic barricades do. Once they’re set in place it’s difficult to make changes. Both concrete and metal barricades are more cumbersome, and while they will keep cars on a track, they can cause more severe injuries when impacted at high speeds. 

Changing the layout of a track from time to time is a cost-effective way to keep return customers engaged. Plastic barricades give go kart companies the flexibility they need to make changes to their track layout as needed.  

Industry Feedback

We’ve received great feedback from a variety of track operators this past year. The AR24x96 low profile barricade was originally designed for use at airports but the unique design and composition makes it a great solution for go kart tracks. It’s quickly becoming an industry hit! 

We manufacture our barricades to be durable and dependable no matter the setting. Contact us here for more information or to request a quote!