VOD Cars RED
Review: Velocity 17 Go Karting - Paramus NJ
This past Friday night, a couple of buddies and I decided to test out the new indoor Go Kart establishment in Paramus, NJ - Velocity 17. Walking through the doors we came to the main desk were everyone is required to sign up for 1 year membership (.00) and to pay for a race (.50), making it a bit pricey to enjoy the facility. Make sure to show your driver's license when you sign up so you get to use the full potential of the karts (people without licenses are only allowed to drive slower karts). Included in the 1 year membership is a V-17 ID with basic information on it, picture, and bar code. 
Sorry for the poor quality - Cell Phone Camera.
From the front desk you are directed to the track area, walk through the double glass doors and wait online to get registered for the race. Expecting to hear the whine of small engines and the scent of exhaust, we were intrigued to find that these were in fact electric power karts, little to no noise (except for the shrill of drifting tires) and no exhaust. After waiting in another line you end up at the next check-in desk were a staff member checks your receipt and takes your ID (which is returned with a timing and race data sheet after your run). From there you get lead into a side room where a safety video is shown and an explanation of all the flags is given (red blue yellow and black flags are used). When all is said and done you pick up your shower-cap style hair cover, pick up a helmet and neck brace, then proceed to the waiting area and sweat (from the lack of A/C) for about 30 more minutes. Tolerable waiting time especially for a Friday night, however I would suggest going in the middle of the week and earlier in the evening to beat the crowds. 
Two clowns of the VOD/FLD staff prepped and ready for the race.
When the time comes to race, the staff calls out people's names in groups of about 7-10, allowing them to enter the track area and into the karts. Stay in the yellow lines to avoid stepping on the electrical floor plates that charge the karts when they aren't on the track. Sit down in your kart, buckle up and (you guessed it) wait some more. After about 20 minutes or so of some more waiting for the current group on the track to come off, you are told to drop the visor on your helmet and pull out into the track "slowly". Of course, we being the automotive junkies that we are, got out of pit lane and took off like bats out of hell, being told numerous times to "take it easy" on the first lap; not being entirely sure, I'm assuming the first lap was more of a warm up then the beginning of the actual race - oops! 
Total time on the track is 6 laps or 6 minutes, whichever comes first, a short time compared to all the waiting we did. However, for the big question that I'm sure is lingering on your minds since the very beginning of this article, was it worth all the money, hassle and waiting? Absolutely! This was the greatest experience one could have in such a setting. If you like racing or just driving like a maniac in general - this is definetly the best place to go (besides an actual track). The karts are FAST (35mph top speed for a short indoor track - which is relatively crazy), and top speed can be hit on the long bends and straight-aways. Handling is what's to be expected, ridiculous but tough; no power steering requires some muscle to turn the wheels, especially going flat out around turns. Drifting and spinning out is easier then walking so watch out. The brakes bite hard as well so last minute breaking is doable if you want to try and drive like a pro. There are only a few flaws I found with the driving part of the experience, no rear view mirrors, mediocre acceleration and lousy drivers mixed with good ones. The lousy drivers are probably the most annoying, having people spin out in front of you becomes a nuisance pretty quickly, therefore try and be one of the first cars so you can get out ahead ASAP. Also, this isn't a race between people based on position but on lap times. All in all Velocity 17 is an experience worth paying for and waiting on a line.
Quick Look:
Pros - 35mph Karts, winding track, overall experience and atmosphere, clean bathroom, friendly staff.
Cons - Price, wait times, no A/C in track area.
Other Attractions:
V-17 features lifelike F-18 flight simulators and a tactical training simulator.
www.v-17.com
- Tom Albrecht
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