Andretti Indoor Karting brings electric jolt to Orlando’s I-Drive
Here are two things that visitors won’t experience at the new Andretti Indoor Karting & Games facility: gasoline fumes and the sputsput-sputtering roar of go-karts.
The fleets of the attraction, now open on Universal Boulevard near the Orange County Convention Center, are electric-powered via solar panels up on the roof. The hum from its three kart courses resembles the approach of highpitched “Star Wars”-y drones, not a band of rogue lawn mowers.
Technology has enhanced the long-running activity in other ways. The vehicles can be slowed by remote control, and sensors on the track’s side will monitor speed, force of impact and frequency.
“Each one of those bumper systems in the car and in the track can give us information of what areas in the track need to be addressed to make the experience safer, to make the experience more fun for the customers,” said Eddie Hamann, one of the owners of the attraction.
The courses can be adjusted over time, and they can be reconfigured into one “super track.”
Other partners include members of the famed Andretti racing family, whose images are prominent in the 150,000-square-foot building, which represents a $32 million investment by the firm.
“All the Andrettis are very much involved in what we do,” said Samantha LaMagna, senior marketing manager. One of Michael Andretti’s race cars is in the lobby.
Karting participants are given helmets and safety instructions before getting behind the wheel. One track is for junior drivers. A second features 15 turns and multiple elevation changes, plus an upper-level view of the convention center. The third regular track has banked turns and longer straightaways.
The karts max out at about 35 mph. Driving sessions last seven or eight minutes, LaMagna said.
By design, the tracks are not the sole draw. The building houses virtual-reality simulators, a bowling alley, a ropes course, an arcade with over 100 games (including the “world’s largest Pac-Man screen”), a 12-seat Dark Ride motion theater and a laser-tag arena themed to an Indy-car engine.
Along with 10,000 square feet of meeting space, there are two bar areas and a full-service restaurant.
The facility is available for rent, in pieces or the entire attraction, LaMagna said. The rate for all of Andretti would vary depending on day, time of year and requested activities, but it would be $30,000 and up, she said.
“Our goal is to have corporate groups during the day, doing meetings and facilitating team building to those corporations,” Hamann said. “And then, in the evening, we will have couples and families come and enjoy the facility together.”
Employees serving alcohol recommend that customers race before drinking, “or they may not be allowed onto the track,” Hamann said. Track staff can also remove people from the waiting line for karts or recognize an impaired driver “and stop the race to remove the unsafe guest with as little disruption as possible,” he said.
Hamann said he expects the range of activities and Florida’s heat and rain will help make Andretti a popular option with indoors-seeking tourists and Central Floridians. There is no fee for admission or parking. Visitors pay for what they participate in, and most activities cost between $10 and $25. An Andretti membership includes discounts on attractions and meals.
Through Sunday, Floridians with valid IDs will receive a $10 “play card” for use at the attraction.
The Andrettis have an outdoor karting attraction in Melbourne and two indoor facilities near Atlanta. The company plans to add a location in San Antonio next summer and in Dallas in 2019.
“We’re looking at some more Florida locations,” LaMagna said.