HAVERHILL - The first turn's a real doozy.
Sitting in a high-powered electric go-kart just a few inches off the cement floor while hurtling around hairpin turn No. 1 at the Checkered Flag Indoor Karting Center on Friday, it was easy to see why Kerri Beningo slammed into the plastic barrier, bringing her cart to a halt.
Beningo, 50, of Hudson, N.H., is an outside salesperson for Heilind Electronics in Wilmington. She was at the recently opened race track as part of a corporate team-building exercise.
Beningo and five other members of her sales squad made it out of the pit unscathed and were finishing the first of 25 laps when she hit the power-pedal at a time when she probably should have chosen the brake-pedal. Her yellow, low-slung cart slammed into the modular barrier, burying the front end under a pile of plastic.
T.J. Tasca, race operator and co-owner of the track in the Ward Hill Industrial Park, slowed the other carts with a remote control and walked over to extricate Beningo from her predicament.
He put the barrier back together with a couple of swift kicks and Beningo and her co-workers were back in the race.
About six minutes later, the drivers were directed back into the pit, where they climbed out of their cars and rejoined their co-workers for a soft drink behind the black, chain-link fence that separates the race course from the snack area.
"It didn't hurt, but it was a lot of fun," said Beningo of her brush with disaster. "I just don't want to be the slowest."
"They seem very competitive," Maria Messina, whose husband, Dominic, co-owns the track with Tasca, noted with a smile.
The track opened for business Sept. 18 and after working out the bugs is having its grand opening Saturday, Oct. 27.
Already, word of mouth and advertising have led to a steady stream of customers, from children as young as 4 attending birthday parties, to teens out with friends, to adults taking part in corporate functions.
The business took over part of the old Foss Manufacturing plant. The 152,000-square-foot building has been subdivided into several businesses, including the United Way, L&M; Bakery and the Dusobox Corp.
More recently, the building on Neck Road behind the new BJ's in Ward Hill West is also home to a day care center.
The go-kart business takes up about 30,000 square feet of the building, including a 20,000-square-foot area for the track and 10,000 square feet of meeting space for corporate functions, childrens' and family birthday parties, a cafe, a small kitchen and reception area/video arcade.
Sitting in a high-powered electric go-kart just a few inches off the cement floor while hurtling around hairpin turn No. 1 at the Checkered Flag Indoor Karting Center on Friday, it was easy to see why Kerri Beningo slammed into the plastic barrier, bringing her cart to a halt.
Beningo, 50, of Hudson, N.H., is an outside salesperson for Heilind Electronics in Wilmington. She was at the recently opened race track as part of a corporate team-building exercise.
Beningo and five other members of her sales squad made it out of the pit unscathed and were finishing the first of 25 laps when she hit the power-pedal at a time when she probably should have chosen the brake-pedal. Her yellow, low-slung cart slammed into the modular barrier, burying the front end under a pile of plastic.
T.J. Tasca, race operator and co-owner of the track in the Ward Hill Industrial Park, slowed the other carts with a remote control and walked over to extricate Beningo from her predicament.
He put the barrier back together with a couple of swift kicks and Beningo and her co-workers were back in the race.
About six minutes later, the drivers were directed back into the pit, where they climbed out of their cars and rejoined their co-workers for a soft drink behind the black, chain-link fence that separates the race course from the snack area.
"It didn't hurt, but it was a lot of fun," said Beningo of her brush with disaster. "I just don't want to be the slowest."
"They seem very competitive," Maria Messina, whose husband, Dominic, co-owns the track with Tasca, noted with a smile.
The track opened for business Sept. 18 and after working out the bugs is having its grand opening Saturday, Oct. 27.
Already, word of mouth and advertising have led to a steady stream of customers, from children as young as 4 attending birthday parties, to teens out with friends, to adults taking part in corporate functions.
The business took over part of the old Foss Manufacturing plant. The 152,000-square-foot building has been subdivided into several businesses, including the United Way, L&M; Bakery and the Dusobox Corp.
More recently, the building on Neck Road behind the new BJ's in Ward Hill West is also home to a day care center.
The go-kart business takes up about 30,000 square feet of the building, including a 20,000-square-foot area for the track and 10,000 square feet of meeting space for corporate functions, childrens' and family birthday parties, a cafe, a small kitchen and reception area/video arcade.
Dominic Messina, president and chief financial officer of Peabody Supply, went in on the business with Tasca after years of research, Maria Messina said. Peabody Supply is a plumbing and heating wholesale company based in Peabody with outlets across the North Shore and Merrimack Valley.
"Ten years ago my husband was in California and he went on a corporate event where they raced," Maria Messina said. "He had a ball."
The business plan has been in the works since that time, she said. The Messinas, who live in Bradford with their three children, partnered with Tasca, 32, who also lives in Bradford with his wife Amy and their twin boys.
The business is deceptively simple.
Customers walk in and buy a $10 "license," which is good for a year and enables them to race any time without going through the process of signing waivers and showing their driver's license.
They enter a "locker room" where they pull on a race outfit - one-piece, padded suits that zip up the front - a hoodie and a helmet. Tasca, who doubles as the race director and pit-crew chief, goes over the rules, which include no "intentional" bumping, among others.
He discusses the layout of the race course, pointing out the difficult first turn and other details of the course, then brings the drivers out into the "pit," where the cars are parked in two lanes off to the side of the course.
He waves the green start flag and the drivers enter the course. That's where the fun - and technology - take over.
For drivers, the experience is exhilarating, as the tight turns and 20 mph speeds simulate life in the cockpit of a true race car. Drivers lean into the turns and work the power and brake pedals to maximize speed down the straightaways and in the curves.
Even though each race is only six minutes, they feel a lot longer.
But that's only part of the story.
Each car is "chipped" with the racer's name. A computer keeps track of the speed of every lap. At the end of the race, detailed sheets are printed out almost immediately, giving each racer his or her best and worst lap times, as well as a lap-by-lap analysis of the overall race. The analysis details above- and below-average speeds and where they stack up against the other racers.
The cars have four speeds set by remote control. Next to the pit near the front of the track, Tasca sits at a computer where he can watch the action and monitor the drivers. If there's an accident, he uses a remote control to slow all the carts down to the safety speed - the slowest available, or he stops them altogether. No matter how hard the drivers hit the power pedal, they can't move or speed up until Tasca has cleared the track.
The second setting is for junior racers - children 10 to 16 who are at least 54 inches tall - while the third setting is used for adults. The top setting is for advanced racers, enabling the cars to go over 20 mph.
At the end of each race, the cars are recharged by parking them on top of power pads linked via conduits under the cement floor to electric panels on the wall.
While the race course area, which includes a separate, mini oval for children 4 to 9 years old, takes up about 20,000 square feet, the remainder of the space also figures into the business plan. Two party rooms are available: One for children and the other for teenagers and families. There's also a carpeted conference room for corporate functions.
The foyer is filled with video arcade games, and the reception area sells shirts, mugs and other race paraphernalia.
Adjacent to the course is a snack bar offering hot dogs, sandwiches and drinks, while Maria Messina also has a small kitchen for catering larger events.
The whole operation is a "family affair," says Amy Tasca, who helps out at the business, too. Deborah Mangano, Maria's sister-in-law (married to Maria's brother Nick), runs the reception desk.
Of the 12 or so employees, many are "family, friends, nephews, daughters," Deborah Mangano said. "Working with family and friends that you love has made this a great experience."
Maria Messina agrees.
"It's been a lot of fun," she said. "It's brought us closer together."
Go-Karting information
* Location: 239 Neck Road, Haverhill
* Call: 978-374-7223, checkeredflagindoorkarting.com
* Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday, Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 12 noon to 6 p.m.
PRICES
* Adults: 1 race, $18; 3 races, $48; 10 races, $140
* Juniors (must be at least 54 inches tall): 1 race, $15; 3 races, $39; 10 races, $120
* Mini-cup (children 4 to 9): Birthday party packages cost $13.95 per child and include two races per child on mini-cup (small oval) race track, party racing helmet, racing prizes, party room, pizza, and soft drinks. Party favors and cake are extra.
* Kart Party package for children 10 to 17: $29.50 per guest, two races per person, party room, slot cars, pizza, drinks.
* Specials: Lunch special costs $21 and includes a race, a sandwich and a drink.
