Here’s your chance to enjoy Go-Karting in Wiltshire round a 350m long circuit on the edge of the Cotswolds This challenging outdoor loop delivers real racing conditions so whether it’s tyre melting hot or aquaplaning wet outside you will need to hone your kart skills and adjust your throttle steering and brakes to match the conditions. Grip shouldn’t be too much of a problem though as this Motor Sports Association approved track for professional standard go-karting near Chippenham is covered in the same high adhesion ‘SMA’ tarmac that is used on professional motorsport circuits worldwide.
You’ll be you’ll be waiting for the starter’s signal as you sit on the karting grid behind the wheel of a responsive 200cc Stratos Kartpro capable of speeds of up to 30mph. These rapid racers are manufactured by a specialist kart company with over 35 years of experience boasting slick tyres and a four- stroke engine in the classic ‘right hand engine’ chassis format that all karting aficionados will know well. Friends and Family will be able to give you a cheer as you take on the karting Wiltshire Grand Prix challenge and they can enjoy the action from the rooftop gallery of the ‘hammerdown’ building which was purpose built to ensure all the action on the circuit is in full view.
The Kart Grand Prix run on regular Saturday afternoons throughout the year and are open to solo drivers as well as groups (it’s a favourite for stag groups from nearby Bath and Swindon). The result is a motorised melee of novice karters all hungry for their first chequered flag . To ensure the racing is always clean and that everyone has fun a team of experienced instructors are on hand to act as marshals race directors and pit crew. All have motorsport and driving backgrounds so you could be getting braking tips from Luke Cooper – an accomplished single seat racer or be given the black flag by Geoff Shortman who as a police pursuit driver of 23 years knows a thing or two about catching the driver in front!
Before the title of King or Queen of go-karting in Wiltshire can be contested in the proper race you’ll first attend a kart driver briefing where you’ll learn things like the rules of the course and how to make a fast getaway from your slot on the grid. You’ll then be issued with racing overalls helmet and gloves before snapping the visor shut and getting in some valuable practice laps to learn the layout of this tough outdoor track and perfect the smoothest racing line between the tyre barriers. You’ll then move onto a series of four fast and furious qualifying heats where you’ll go head to head with your rivals to secure your position in the all important semi-finals. Only the best drivers will proceed to the challenge of the Grand Finale and the chance to hold aloft a winners trophy and step onto the podium to be crowned the greatest go-karting fiend of Wiltshire.
