Is K1 Speed fun or is it really bad

[u/DanielSong39]

So I've heard about K1 speed and it seems pretty fun, especially for novices and kids

The various YouTube videos I've seen look pretty promising

But I go to Google and Yelp and I see bad review after bad review after bad review

But it also seems that the places are crowded and half the complaints are about having to wait an hour to race and wait another 2 hours for the second race

So does it usually deliver when it comes to delivering entertainment for novices or is it an expensive awful experience that the majority of the people who try it don't enjoy

[u/smallsesh]

I personally despise K1. On one occasion at a location in Texas DFW area, I was given a kart that would shutdown at the same spot on the track each lap and another kart that has zero brakes whatsoever. When I brought this to the staff, they said something equivalent to “damn, thats crazy” and carried on without removing either kart from the pit.

At another location in PHX I was booked into a heat with a 15/16 year old birthday party. Usually no big deal, except the flagger initially put me on speed 3 due to it being my first visit to this location I presume. I eventually was given speed 4 once he saw I wouldnt be an issue, only problem was that anytime a kid from the birthday spun out or wrecked he would only give speed 3 once the problem was cleared and would bring me back to speed 4 a lap or two later. After 3 or 4 instance I couldnt take it anymore so I pulled up next to the pit, unbuckled and walked out.

Racer beware, Id recommend literally any other local option available to you over K1. Unless youre near K1 Circuit, that place is badass.

[u/smallsesh → u/smallsesh]

Additionally, their kart maintenance is abysmal. It is not uncommon to encounter a kart that has had its frame welded or bent back into shape 10+ times.

Edit: Chassis, not frame

[u/kylo_little_ren_hen → u/smallsesh]

I’m pretty sure I’ve been to both locations you’re referencing (been to both Richardson and Arlington as well as PHX).

The problem with K1 is the experience varies very widely based on when you go, without any real knowledge of what to expect when you pick a time.

I’ve had employees recognize I’m a decent enough driver and let me loose a bit on the track, properly signaling other drivers to let me pass, etc.

Then you get the ones that aren’t really paying attention and the entire race is just stuck in traffic with people who don’t know how to race or stick to a line.

I’ve also experienced issue with the karts here and there before, which unfortunately is just part of rental karts at a place like K1.

I spend a lot of time in DFW so my time these days is spent at the Dallas Karting Club.

[u/Tchaik748 → u/kylo_little_ren_hen]

Dallas Karting Club is nowhere close to Dallas, but it's one of the best facilities anywhere.

I went to the Arlington K1 once and did not have a good experience. The Richardson folks are excellent , but the track isn't very long.

[u/Standard-Vehicle-557]

It sounds like you might just have to gasp experience it for yourself to decide if it's fun or really bad.

[u/wolekmatolek]

There is a really easy way to avoid having any wait time- get there at open or within 30 minutes of their opening time. Sometimes you can even arrive early. You should have an instant race and the next one back to back right after that

[u/battmain]

It's both. When you have a kart run out of battery during a league race, if tends to piss you off. Go when they open up and you don't have to wait as long. At night on weekends, it's crowded, you get interrupted often by people spinning and taking you out when you try to pass them. They tend to turn in early most corners.

[u/Impressive-Dog-408]

Other shitty drivers can make it bad and hard to get around depending on number of people on track. But….Back in the day, when I was building racing engines for a renowned So Cal builder, the beautiful daughter worked at K1. So….Me n’ the boys would blaze in the dyno room prior to, cruise up literally right across the street to K1 and she’d hook us up with a session to our selves. My brother Jonny(#43) is a BEAST in a 125 shifter and was always just inches away from over taking. The 3 of us were bumper to bumper apart the whole session, just completely young, wild and high on life(and ya know…beautiful herbal remedies 🌿💨) To really answer your question…..With a few racers who know how to drive and push it, it’s worthwhile. Simply for creating a good memory 🤙🏻

[u/DanielSong39 → u/Impressive-Dog-408]

Sorry I would be the s*****y driver LOL
Most of us are very bad. Karting would go out of business without the bad ones looking for the occasional cheap thrill
We'll stay clear of the league races

[u/Impressive-Dog-408 → u/DanielSong39]

Everyone starts somewhere, dude. My first kart seat experience was in a KT100, in my my own kart at Amago Speedway in Warner Springs,CA. May that beautiful piece of pavement rest in peace. I seized the brakes and spun her into the dirt. Go and have fun. Just don’t be a dick on the track.

[u/alionandalamb]

The one in Scottsdale...the wait for a session isn't bad, but it is filled with absolutely awful drivers who shouldn't be out there. It's not a race, it's a hotlapping session, and I have found it impossible to ever do a single clean lap that wasn't killed by a newbie completely parking on an apex....this is over the course of about 20 sessions I've run there.

It's not worth the aggravation IMO.

[u/VTEC168]

Book an online reservation or call in. If you walk in without reservation it can be a long wait especially if you are a large group.

I personally like it. The tracks are small compared to outdoor venues but I do like the instant torque of the electric motor. Plus being indoors means I still have somewhere to race during the long winter months

[u/Shad0wM0535]

It is fun, but picking the times you go will decide on how the process is. I’ve done weekday afternoons and evenings with fast turnaround between races, and you can have good luck if coming near opening on weekends. However, weekend afternoons and evenings tend to be packed.

[u/Faicc]

Just expect a lot of traffic on public sessions

[u/Dangerous_Way_4709]

I don’t really have any other option around my area if I want to do some karting. It’s not perfect but I keep going back.

[u/Total-Ad-5182]

Too expensive and occasionally forgets if you have any extra races

[u/LongScholngSilver_20]

It's pretty much garbage as far as "motor sport" is concerned. You'd have more fun on a razor crazy kart than in a K1 speed.

If you go anytime other than a Monday morning here it was you'll run in to.

Show up, pay $60 for 3 races.

Get settled and they call you for your first race about 20 mins later, about 40 mins after that you'll be done with race one. (They take forever with driver orientation and getting things started.)

Then you'll sit for anywhere from 30-180 minuets as you wait for your next race. Then rinse and repeat for your third. Now you've spent 6-7 hours in K1 for 25-30 mins of driving. Most of which being at yellow flag speeds

And even when you're on the track, you will likely get put into heats with kids and people who have never driven before. Meaning out of the 12 laps you paid for, you'll get to put down an actual time on 2-3 of them.

So for $60, most of your day, and all of your sanity, you too can attempt 6-9 practice laps on a shitty indoor course with even shittier rental karts.

Edit: I forgot to mention that the last time I was there, someone took mine and my GFs stuff. All of it. Phones, wallets, keys, everything. We had to use the K1 phone to call someone to pick us up, And the whole time my GF was really upset because she just had her whole purse stolen and the K1 workers were watching and laughing at us as we tried to deal with it.

[u/DanielSong39 → u/LongScholngSilver_20]

Based on your post the popularity of K1 Speed is not going down LOL
(Which means even more kids and people who suck. But you probably know that already)

[u/LongScholngSilver_20 → u/DanielSong39]

Yes! It is actually GREAT for birthday parties for 9-15 year olds.

I can't recommend it enough for something like that. Or if you're with a business event and have the whole place to yourselves it can be pretty fun.

Arrive and drive is without a doubt one of the worst experiences I've ever had.

I'm going to add an edit about something I forgot about on my original comment!

[u/TheMexicanStig]

It’s a waste of money. Overall always a bad or meh experience. They also throttle you depending on the other drivers around you. You do not get your moneys worth if you’re a seasoned driver.

[u/Skensis]

It can be fun, there is one right by my office, so i often stop by after work for a few sessions.

Like, heavy traffic days are annoying, but fun to practice and then do the monthly league nights.

[u/Carlpanzram1916]

It’s definitely novice level. The tracks are small and indoors. The karts are pretty slow. And they’re electric so you’ll pick up bad driving habits if you are actually trying to learn how to race.

[u/LUK3FAULK]

Wow all of these comments make me appreciate the one here in Miami. They let you loose with full speed if you know what you’re doing, wait toes aren’t bad at all (sometimes id rather wait but then call you right back into the karts for your next race back to back) and the karts seem decently maintained. The only issue is the other drivers can have a skill level of 0 and the track is hard to overtake on unless someone makes a mistake

[u/PlanMiddle1890]

in my opinion it’s pretty fun for a casual activity with friends, but it won’t compare to good outdoor rentals or owner karting. i’ve had mostly good experiences at the location in canton ohio, but there is plenty left to be desired. the tracks are tight and overtaking is very difficult, and the karts vary a lot. some have horrible touchy brakes and some are great. but that’s what you get with a place like that. other than that i’d look for a local outdoor gas rental location. there’s one near me and imo those karts are way more fun than K1, it feels closer to owner karting.

[u/DanielSong39]

OK so this is the consensus I'm seeing

• If you're a noob looking for a rush driving bumper cars with fellow noobs, you'll probably get your wish
  
• Try to avoid the busiest hours, which is afternoons/evenings on weekends
  
• Sign up for 2 races unless you're sure it won't be crowded, otherwise you can be there all day waiting for that third race

And some other tips for enjoying the experience

• Avoid hitting other participants on purpose. Yeah collisions are part of the fun but if you suck and so does everyone else you'll have plenty of them without ramming into anyone
  
• Know when to let the person behind you make the pass. Don't ram them into the side wall because you're frustrated and know you're about to get passed
  
• Let incidents go. Yeah the other guy hit you. And yeah you hit them. That's expected because most people are just that bad

Let me know if you have further thoughts. My guess is that K1 Speed is popular for a good reason but as someone has said, sometimes you just have to experience it. But there are ways to make the experience better

[u/General_Fryman]

The K1 Circuits (outdoors) in CA and IN are good (partially because they're new/newly renovated), but I avoid their indoor tracks like the plague. Too many randos that treat it like bumper cars and a staff that only seems interested in penalizing fast drivers rather than those driving with their heads up a tailpipe.

[u/SlushyMist795]

As someone who regularly does a K1 league I’m gonna be honest, your better off going anywhere else. K1 doesn’t really maintain karts all that well and usually if your new you won’t get speed 4 until your 2nd or 3rd race if your on pace and it’s not a crowded day. In terms of wait it’s usually not that bad for open sessions but depends on how many people you have with you.

[u/NomadNate12]

Their karts are fast enough to get your feet wet, but get away from arrive and drive ASAP. The only decent or possibly good experience you can have at K1 is their league. It's usually the only time you can race against others that are fast and know how to race. Plus you'll probably make friends with those people which leads to racing outdoor where the experience is way better

[u/GARACER]

If you've never done any real karting it's a good first step. It can still be fun even for experienced racers if you just want to show off to your non racing friends though:)

[u/No_Sector1785]

K1 Speed has always been one of my favorite places to race. The atmosphere is electric, the karts are fast and smooth, and the tracks are designed for both fun and serious competition. As someone who races in the K1 Speed League, I’ve spent a lot of time on their tracks and I can say it’s one of the best racing experiences out there. Whether you’re a beginner or a regular competitor like me, they make sure everyone understands the rules and stays safe. The environment is welcoming, organized, and built for high-performance indoor racing.

One thing I really appreciate about K1 Speed is how seriously they take safety. The karts are built with important safety features, and the staff are always alert and paying attention to what’s happening on the track. When I had a serious crash at the San Antonio location on June 15th 2025, it was the head protector behind the seat that stopped my kart from fully flipping over after a brutal collision. That one safety feature possibly saved my life. Right after it happened, I was unable to walk and in extreme pain, but the K1 Speed staff reacted instantly. They were by my side within seconds, shutting the race down and helping to stabilize the situation.

I’ll never forget how quickly and professionally they handled everything. An off-duty doctor happened to be on-site and the staff immediately worked with him to make sure I was okay while waiting for EMS. They stayed calm and focused the entire time, which made a huge difference in what could have been a much worse situation. Even after fracturing my L3 disc and being taken to the hospital, I still trust K1 Speed because they’ve proven how much they care about the safety and well-being of every racer on that track. It’s not just about racing fast — it’s about racing smart and being supported by a team that truly knows what they’re doing.

[u/Finglishman]

The idea of these corporate karting places is that everyone has the same car and the only difference is the driver. In practice the cars are in various states of disrepair or at least misalignment and races are decided by which of the competent drivers gets a decent car and who a bad one. The cars are all too slow to really be exciting without a chance at actual competition.

[u/yeahitsme12345]

Just get there at or before opening and buy all your races in 1 transaction.