A GO karting track in Basildon opened its doors this weekend after ten months of preparation.

TeamSport Go Karting Track in Festival Way had groups of racers take to the 500metre two-floor track for the first time on Saturday.

The Echo was given a sneak preview of the brand new £1.2million track, the day before opening.

Phil Hay, the assistant general manager of the track in Basildon said that it had been a long time in planning and preparation, and the group are happy to finally see people racing.

He said: “It feels pretty nice to have the place opening, it has been a long time coming.

“I believe that the builders were in ten months ago so it has been a pretty quick turnaround for every one.

“We have had the building to ourselves for around a week and everything is now good to go.”

Phil said that the track is different to any other in the area because of what TeamSport are offering over its competitors.

He said: “When you come here, you are going to get the best customer service we can provide.

“As a national company we have a lot of resources that many others will not have.

“We also have the best karts you get right now.”

The go karts have a top speed of 40mph with a zero to 40 time of three and a half seconds.

Speaking about the speed of the karts, Phil added: “They do get you around.”

The briefing room at the track is the first point where racers will begin to get a feel for what they are going to experience.

The groups can be up to 16 adults or ten ‘cadets’, ageing up to 12-years-old.

Phil said: “Everyone should arrive around 45 minutes before they are supposed to be on track. “They will then have a briefing 20 minutes before they are due to race.

“We will then get everyone suited and booted and fitted with gloves and a helmet, which are compulsory.

“Racers can also buy a disposable or multiple use balaclava when they get to the track too.”

The briefing room and other parts of the centre are also being offered to businesses to use for meetings and conferences.

Phil said: “We can use the briefing room for business events, we do already have a few businesses coming in and we offer packages for those with food, drinks and anything else that they would like.”

The new track has provided people in Basildon with 40 new jobs. The successful candidates went through a rigorous training process to be a part of the team.

The marshalls who take care of racers at the track are also made up of people who have raced competitively in the past and drivers who have not had much experience on a track in the past.

They however have all received the training to ensure the safety of racers is guaranteed and they are quickly growing to know the track very well.

Phil said: “Our marshalls will take the karts on a run a minimum of four times a week, They are still getting to know it all.

“They will learn more about the racing lines and the track itself is still bedding in at the moment so it will get quicker with time.

“They have also been to other tracks with their training.

“Some of the guys do have previous racing experience, one of our marshalls, Mason, is a national racer himself.

“We also make sure that we test every kart every day the centre is open.

“We will do three lap tests to make sure that the karts are performing safely and ready for our visitors.”

The centre, near to Festival Leisure Park, has a fully stocked and licensed bar for spectators to sit and have a drink while children, friends and colleagues race the track.

Phil assured visitors that anyone who drinks any alcohol will not be allowed to race.

He said: “Every racer gets a wristband which means they are unable to buy alcohol from the bar.

“If they remove that wristband and they buy a drink, their day of racing is over and they cannot return to the track.”

The TeamSport go kart track is now taking bookings. To find out more, go to: www.team-sport.co.uk/go-karting-basildon/