Dromo 1 is a kart racing track in Orange, CA.  They have gasoline powered carts that can hit up to 60mph.  Although with the limited straight away you cannot hit maximum speed, you can still get up to 45mph which is plenty fast enough to require your full concentration, upper body strength, and ability to control a two wheeled (and sometimes four wheeled) skid in the corners.  And, it is definitely fast enough for some aggressive racing, including a little bumping and position fighting along the way.  Mama mia.  Unbelievably fun. 

The two rules on the track were 1: NO POWER BRAKING and 2: NO BUMPING.  Well, since I didn’t use my brakes until the third race, #1 really wasn’t an issue.  However, in my second visit to the track a few days later (for a one race challenge with my cousins,) I played around with the braking, and I did try hitting the brakes while still on the gas (aka power braking) once.  It was definitely the fastest way to get around the corners, since you could come in hot and keep the engine primed for the fastest exit speed possible.  But with cameras and big brother watching every move, I refrained from the practice.  I didn’t want to be black flagged, or have my kart shut down.  The bumping, though, was another story.

In the first race, I tried not to “bump” anyone, and I quickly learned that any sort of passing or maintaining position would be impossible without doing this safely.  Bumping was absolutely required if you were going to take an inside tight line to make a pass!!  It was also necessary to bump to hold position.  Once I figured out that the idea was no RECKLESS bumping or crashing people (obviously,) I managed to settle in to the racing.    

And it was fun… and I was sore after…

I will certainly be revisiting this place.  I am a little bit of a 4 wheeled speed junkie, and until I can get in a real race car on a real track, I will occasionally have fun racing the karts.

More photos and video coming.

My first visit with my brother-in-law Nate and husband Jason (blue)

My second visit with my cousins and second cousins.

Waiting to start the qualifying round.