Kart blanche!

GulfWeekly asked intrepid reporter Shilpa Chandran to park up her shopping trolley and put her driving talents to the test at the karting track and this is what happened ….

I’VE never been a racing girl. I should state at the very start of this report that this was my very first go-karting experience.

Even as a toddler I was the little girl who screamed in fear when the annoying toddler next door started banging into my toy car with his big truck.

After the ribbon cutting ceremony one of the circuit’s brilliant staff drivers spun three laps in a sensational 49 seconds.

So after witnessing the road-runner do his bit to amuse the crowd, I admit, I was trying with all my might not to faint.

Although I like to drive – normally on the roads, in the middle lane, at a reasonable speed – I wasn’t sure about speeding on a track with hundreds staring and in something that appeared to be smaller than my normal weekly shopping trolley. 

Fortunately, a member of the BIC staff walked by and after mumbling quickly about who I was and where I came from, I put forward my carefully-concocted tale of woe: “This is a story for the layman … for people who are really hesitant about trying it … for new kart-drivers. What would you advise?”

“This is very simple,” Mohammad Alawadhi replied. “There is the accelerator and then there is the brake. All you need to do is keep a balance of these two and you will be fine.

“In the first lap it is advisable to warm up the tyres a bit – you can do this by turning the wheel slightly left and right. This is done so that the tyres don’t lose their grip on the bends.

“The best piece of advice would be for the driver to keep a balance. Your body movement has to be in par with the steering movement. At turns if your kart is weighing heavily on one end then move your body weight on to the other side. Balance it out by giving it grip. It’s either grip or speed. You need to throw your body against gravity.”

I beamed. It was easy after all. All that was needed was a bit of true grip.

In the 11 months since I passed my test and took to the roads of Bahrain, only one terrified passenger suggested I should stick to ‘dirt racing’ … well, here was my chance to find out  what he meant.

When it came to my turn, I rushed to the second red wonder in the line and uncomfortably placed myself in the seat. I had not realised how small it really was (compared to my overall body mass, that is).

Then it all started. I did just as we were advised during a briefing and placed my feet lightly on the brake and stepped on the accelerator, ever so slightly.

One point to be noted here: do not do that! This is not a sensitive on-road sedan; you need to push it hard!

Suddenly the race began. The first lap, first time ever, first everything. My spirits were so high I nearly hit the roof! I suddenly was overcome by aggression – something I never thought I possessed. By the third lap, in full control of the kart I felt like I was in charge of the Enterprise at full Warp speed.

You know what I mean – it was fun.

There were times, however, when I started to relive the experience of riding on three-wheeled South Asian public transport and cruising off-road. I think this might have had something to do with the vibrations (which, by the way, will leave you shaking for at least an hour afterwards).

This may also be a good time to mention that I was, indeed, the last one to finish the race. Proud, am I? Of course! I didn’t skid, didn’t hit the walls and didn’t fly off the barriers across the island and into the Gulf.

That was my little story and anyone out there thinking it is a death-track or a dangerous road to hell, fret not. It is an amazing experience. In fact, I want to it try out once again  … and next time I’m driving to win!