Did you know that LVGP is located in the original Mack Truck assembly building.  Built in the early 1920’s this space was home to the assembly lines that built one of America’s greatest automobiles.  If you live in the Lehigh Valley or surrounding region there is a good chance that a family member of yours has worked here.

Along the walls in the facility you can find photos of the space dating back to the 1920’s.  These photos were donated by Mack Historical Society.  On Thursday, May 20th the Allentown Economic Development Corporation is showcasing the facility as a renovation of a historic building.  Click Here for details of the event.

~ El Diablo

The Indy racing league has given the ok, to hold a new event in Baltimore.  Being raised in Baltimore this really excites me!  The combination of a downtown race in Baltimore, Crabs and the Inner Harbor sounds like a perfect scene for the racing world!  Sign me up as a spectator for the event.  It looks like the event will be held in August of 2011.  Hopefully, we will be still celebrating a Ravens superbowl victory at the race!

~El Diablo

Many may not be aware that I am a Lehigh University graduate.  I love my Mountain Hawks!  It was not until after graduation and we opened up the track that I was made aware of the Lehigh Formula SAE Team.

This group of students from all different majors have one common thread and that is a love for racing!  The team must raise money to build a formula style car for an international collegiate competition.

To learn more about the group or to donate to their cause Click Here.

~ El Diablo

What was an ugly winter is now turning into an ugly spring.  It appears that March could be setting record rainfall numbers for the region.  This is just another reason why we are happy to be racing under roof!! Come join us for a little indoor go karting.

LVGP_FaceOfFun_91609

Last night I spoke to a group of 25 boy scouts from a local troop.  Something that brings great pleasure to me is speaking to students about entrepreneurship and how that word has changed my life.  The reason for the blog today is not to dive into entrepreneurship and its meaning but to talk about how the world of racing may change in this country over the next decade.

At the meeting last night I asked the boys to raise their hands if they were into racing.  One boy raised his hand.  My second question was how many had participated at LVGP.  Half the room raised their hands with big smiles on their faces.

Here is a group of kids that probably couldn’t name two NASCAR drivers or a single Formula 1 driver but they all loved to race.  I would guarantee that none of these kids would have had a racing experience by the age of 15 if it hadn’t been for LVGP.

So what’s the point?  The point is that indoor karting facilities are breeding a new kind of racer.  A person that might not have grown up in racing but found it through a leisure time activity.  If LVGP has had this sort of local impact and the number of facilities in the US has doubled since 2007, what is the racing community going to look like by 2020?

~ El Diablo

The Race Name is something that should be given some thought.  Little did I know that I would be referred to as “EL DIABLO” by most of my friends and colleagues.  It was a quick decision made shortly after watching the film Talladega Nights.  With that being said a Race name can stick with you beyond the walls of the facility.  Whether you are shopping at the mall or walking down the hallway at the office.  That race name can come back to haunt you!

Part of the thrill of racing is the time sheet.  Everyone is hitting the race track to try and cut that tenth of a second from their best time.  To make the list of the top 50 times of the month is something that is truly special.  The fact that everyone who races analyzes that time sheet means that if you make the list, your name is going to be seen.

Remember that when you choose your race name.  Some have regretted their choices while others are proud of their creative decision making skills!  I am leaving you with this one word of advice.  “If you let your friends choose your race name for you, you are playing with fire.”

~EL Diablo

Welcome to my first Blog.  The reason I felt the need to create a blog is that there is a lot of great things going on in the indoor karting industry that simply cannot be explained through our website or posts on facebook and twitter.  To start the blog I find it necessary to explain the industry and facilities.

Indoor karting?

I’m sure your first thought of indoor karting is a dirty warehouse of tires with beat up vehicles going around in a circle with fumes that are so thick you can barely breathe.  If that is the case you might be a little surprised.  The indoor karting scene has brought a new thought process and a new attitude to racing.  These European inspired state of the art facilities are not the 8-10mph go carts you find at the beach. The average facility contains a ¼ mile road course style track hosting karts reaching speeds of up to 45mph.  Along with the track many facilities have conference rooms, party rooms, arcades and gathering space to accommodate corporate teambuilding, birthday parties, charity functions and more. The average facility is around 50,000 sqft.  Some of the larger facilities can reach up to 200,000 sqft.   Your average super market is 30,000 sqft to give you an idea of the size of these spaces.

What makes indoor karting unique is the entertainment value.  The industry offers high speed thrills of the open wheel racing experience with safe environment for all to enjoy.  The facilities use state of the art timing systems to track racing results and offer up bragging rights!  Where racing use to consist of extreme costs in buying vehicles and equipment it is now at your finger tips at roughly $20 a race!

I’m not a racer.  Why would I want to go?

Indoor karting is not just a racing venue.  Because of the low barrier to entry it serves many purposes.  Along with the competition aspect there is also a consumer and corporate driven side to the industry.  What these venues try to accomplish is a POSITIVE ADRENALINE EXPERIENCE.  What that means is they  are looking to pump you up with some high speed fun!

Attached are some great links if you are interested in seeing more information about the industry.