Articles & Stories

Welcome to Amazing Places. Here, we’ll talk about awesome locations in New York that you can visit. Except this time, our Amazing Place is actually not in New York! This time, we’re going interstate, all the way to Foxwoods in Ledyard, Connecticut! It’s around a three hour long drive from here in Plainview. Foxwoods is home to the famous Foxwoods Resort Casino, and today’s Amazing Place is actually tucked away beneath the massive complex. With that being said, let’s dive into our third Amazing Place, the MONZA World Class Karting Track!

Even though there are a variety of posters around the resort suggesting the presence of a “MONZA World Class Karting Track”, even down to there being an actual go-kart on a pedestal advertising the course, getting to this supposed go-karting track can be sort of confusing, as the entrance to the karting center isn’t all that obvious. To get to the karts, you’ll have to find the entrance for the Fox Tower’s main parking garage. Once you enter the garage elevator, you’ll find it: a button labeled “Go Kart Track”!

Stepping out of the elevator, you’ll be greeted to a sight that’ll make you think: “How is THIS even down here!?” Looking through a glass window, you’ll see that beyond the divider, an entire racetrack sprawls out before your very eyes! Go-karts, revving their engines, zoom around the track at insanely high speeds. Ready to bring out the thrill seeker within you? Well then, let’s get off to the races!

Be warned: this experience is certainly not for the faint of heart. Before you race, you’re going to have to sign a waiver, then watch a pre-race safety briefing. Once you’ve done that, you’ll take a picture of your face and create a Monza account. The information in your account, as well as your picture, will appear on the race leaderboards. Next, you can select a race type. There are three race types (Mild, Wild, and Pro), but the Pro race is only available for Monza Pro Club members, leaving you with only two options. The different races all run on the same track, but are capped at different top speeds. The Mild race has your kart’s top speed capped at 25 mph, while the Wild race increases that top speed to an intense 35 mph. The Wild race is only available to those who are 16 and older.

Once you’re ready to go, you’ll go see the track attendant near the entrance to the track, who will help you pick a race helmet that fits you. You can also suit up in a racing outfit if you want to. The attendant will then guide you to the race pit, where you’ll strap into one of Monza’s cutting edge electric go-karts. Once you’re given the signal to un-pit, you can drive your kart to the beginning of the track, then jam down on that gas pedal and feel the adrenaline as you’re catapulted to your top speed in mere seconds! But take it easy: there’s a few things you’ll have to keep in mind during your first race. 

Slow down when approaching curves and don’t try to handle them at a high speed until you gain the proper experience, or you may end up swerving, which can be very unpleasant. Don’t drive too aggressively, or you may be asked to leave the course by the track attendant. Try not to overtake more experienced racers, let them do their own thing. And most importantly: if you get stuck in a tight place, press and hold the “reverse” button on your steering wheel, and apply a small amount of gas. You’ll back out of your situation soon enough. Once you’re more experienced, you’ll be practically flying through those hills and curves!

A race on average lasts around five minutes. Once time is up, you’ll be given the signal to return to the pit by screens located around the course. Returning to the lobby, you can view the leaderboard for that race, as well as see some other stats, such as your fastest lap and overall record. The racers with the top three times for that race will have their pictures shown in the lobby for everyone to see! (They’ll be replaced with the results of the next race once that one is over, though.) If you’re planning to get on that leaderboard, here’s a tip for setting the most efficient time possible: while racing, follow the painted line on the track. The line shows Monza’s own route for the course that has been specifically plotted for maximum efficiency. You’ll be saving loads of time if you just follow the line!

What an exhilarating experience! You’ve just experienced the high speed thrills and spills of MONZA World Class Karting! In the lobby, there are several photo opportunities. You can take a picture against a wall with a Monza background, or strike a pose with two other people on a racing podium! It’s time to go now, so I hope you’ve enjoyed your adrenaline filled Monza go karting experience as much as I did! Thanks for coming with me to this Amazing Place, and I’ll see you next time!