MONROE — Go-kart racing is back in Snohomish County with a small track that recently opened outside Evergreen Speedway.
It’s a short oval with a couple of challenging corners for now.
The owners are seeking an indoor space for a much bigger track.
The regular hours are Saturdays from 3 to 9 p.m.
They have a contract to run on weekends through Oct. 1, Traxx Karting president Jeff Ritter said. The track returns Sept. 9. It had a few weeks off because of the Fair, and two big speedway events, on consecutive weekends.
The track operators bought one dozen karts from a recently closed track in Lakewood and about 10 karts from Traxx Indoor Raceway in Mukilteo, which closed last fall. In Mukilteo’s case, the owners were retiring, and the business sell-off didn’t include the ability to stay in the Chennault Beach Road warehouse they’d been renting.
Ritter said by email that “we’re working to re-establish indoor karting while using the best components and ideas of other karting facilities that have closed to make a new version of the experience.”
The closure in Mukilteo meant the nearest indoor go-kart tracks were all in King County.
Ritter and his team are looking for a location in Snohomish County that can generate enough steady business and racers to make business sense for rent prices. “The going prices would make it necessary for us to be busy like Traxx was” in Mukilteo, Ritter said. Drawing in private rentals for company parties and employee-team exercises are a big piece of the business model, he said.
For now, Traxx Karting’s outdoor space is on the north side of Evergreen Speedway’s main building, close to Arena Building 100. Races last eight minutes and cost $17, plus $2 to borrow a required “head sock” when using their helmets if you lack a balaclava.
More information is on TraxxKarting.com
