In the fast lane at new £1.2 million go-kart track

Getting back into my modest Peugeot and trundling home after a thrilling morning whizzing around the 475m track with my friends was a bit of a comedown to say the least.

The five of us blew away the Sunday morning cobwebs at TeamSport’s new track on the Tinsley Industrial Estate off Shepcote Lane.

The circuit opened on February 22 and is TeamSport’s 20th venue in the UK.

The South Yorkshire track is unique because it is the first in the country to be split over four levels.

It took three months to build the new facility, which has created 40 jobs.

With Fleetwood Mac’s famous F1 rift from The Chain playing in my head as we pulled in to the hangar-type double unit, I was ready to channel my inner Hamilton.

The red, black and chequered decor still had that new smell as we signed our lives away on the disclaimer forms which stated racers cannot have consumed alcohol in the last 12 hours.

After the formalities were over it was time for the excitement to begin — and that started with getting kitted up.

Specially made flame-retardant overalls, gloves and helmet were all provided — the only extra cost was the 50p disposable balaclava.

If you do have your own kit though, you are welcome to take this with you.

And if, like my friend Eleanor, you were unsure, racers do wear clothes under their suits!

I’d recommend trousers and a vest as it got quite hot up top once the action began.

There were male and female changing rooms with free lockers to leave our civvies and a licensed on-site snack bar to refuel.

After a short safety video and flag instruction we hit the ground running in the 200cc biz petrol karts.

Two TeamSport members who were seasoned racers also joined our group and helped to set the pace.

At first, I cautiously pulled out of the starting blocks and took each corner carefully.

My apprehension soon went out of the window though — once I got my bearings I turned into a woman possessed as I threw my kart round nail-biting bends, accelerated up hill and brazenly overtook on the long straights.

Our time on the track was split into two 15-minute races with a break in-between to assess our performance.

We were each given score sheets which detailed how many laps we had covered and in what time.

I completed my first nervous lap in around 55 seconds, but had soon got that down to around 38 seconds — which is around the average time for the track we were on.

The break allowed us to rethink our tactics, scope out the ones to beat and collectively revel in excitement, joy and adrenaline.  

There were all kinds of groups, old and young, hitting the tracks during our visit.

Children aged eight and over can race in specially-built smaller karts and when the three circuits are combined to create a 950m track, up to 20 karts can compete at one once.

It was certainly an exhilarating morning but getting back behind the wheel of my one-litre Peugot was just as much a challenge as my first nail-biting lap.

Dom Gaynor, managing director of TeamSport Karting, said: “We’re hoping for more people to start up indoor go-karting as a hobby, which we are fully supporting by running offers such as half price Wednesdays and discounts for students and forces.”

For more information visit www.team-sport.co.uk/go-karting-sheffield or call 0844 9980 000.