3 circuits in Dudley run grand prix events. The full race weekend in miniature: qualifying to set the grid, heats, then a final with a podium at the end.
Coseley, Dudley
Cannon Raceway is an indoor petrol kart track on Cannon Business Park in Coseley, between Wolverhampton and Dudley and close to the M5 and M6. The 500-metre circuit has a flyover bridge, a banked corner and a hairpin that runs underneath the bridge.
Price not published
Stourbridge, Dudley
Full Throttle Raceway is an indoor karting venue on The Stourbridge Estate off Mill Race Lane in Stourbridge, a short drive from Dudley, Halesowen and Birmingham. Two separate tracks share the building, giving over 400 metres of circuit under one roof.
Halesowen, Dudley
Teamworks Birmingham West is an indoor kart track on Dudley Road in Halesowen, between Birmingham city centre and the Black Country. It is part of the Teamworks Karting chain.
Price not published
The thing that catches groups out. Below the minimum you either pay for absent drivers or book an open session instead.
Ask how many laps the final is. A 30-lap final is a proper race; a 10-lap one is a sprint with ceremony attached.
Six drivers is typical. Some formats need ten or more to fill a grid properly.
Some tracks run junior versions of the same format at the same price. Others set race events at 14 or 16 plus.
Printed results and a podium are what people remember. Live timing screens make the qualifying session matter.