Psychiatrists claim that humans’ all-consuming need for speed supersedes their need for sleep, companionship, and brakes. Bypass your hierarchy of needs with today’s Groupon: for $42, you get five weekday races on the indoor tracks (up to a $20.95 value each) with required headsock (a $1 value) at F1 Race Factory (up to a $106.75 value). If this Groupon is redeemed on Saturday or Sunday, it is valid for four races with required headsock (up to an $85.80 value). Races can be used individually or shared with one other person.
A serious racing venue that has hosted the Indoor Kart World Championships, the F1 Race Factory puts racers behind the wheel of high-speed karts as they zip around two quarter-mile tracks. Speed demons first suit up in aerodynamic helmets and stylish-but-optional race suits, then slip inside one of 32 Sodi RX7 European racing karts for a 12- to 16-lap race at speeds of more than 45 mph. Track stats through the club’s state-of-the-art timing system, which displays finishing place, best lap, and average lap time on televisions and printout result sheets that allow victory to be literally shoved in opponents' faces.
Though it's not included in this Groupon, racers can refuel after the races at F1’s Trackside Bar & Grill, where pizzas, burgers, and wraps populate a menu of classic bar fare. Consult the FAQ for driver requirements, and check the calendar to find times that don’t conflict with your thoroughbred millipede’s steeplechase competitions.
Octane Raceway
It's hard to say which is more distinctive: the karts zipping around Octane Raceway or the track itself. During each lap on the 1/3-mile course, drivers zoom through an indoor area, then weave around an outdoor section that's covered by a permanent steel canopy, making for a hybrid experience rarely found in American go-kart tracks not owned by bored supervillains.
An equally rare find in the U.S. is the raceway's fleet of 32 Sodi RTX karts, all imported from France, whose electric motors give off zero emissions while reaching speeds of up to 45 miles per hour. Drivers who can stay in control at these top speeds are in for success: the winner of each race is determined not by who finishes a given number of laps first, but by who puts up the fastest single lap time, a result that's posted both at the track and online for posterity.
Races take place in a 65,000-square-foot space that doubles as a gathering place for parties and corporate events for up to 500 attendees. In addition to racing, the raceway is also home to off-track activities that include shooting pool in the billiards room, arcade games, and melting burgers and pizza into rocket fuel at the Brickyard Grill.
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