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10-15-2007, 12:58 AM
This past weekend while Shelly was visiting one of her friends, Colin & Alyssa were off to a pumpkin patch with their grandparents I had about 3 hours of "Mike Time". I decided to go to the Lehigh Valley Grand Prix. Not being from that area(thank goodness for navi) as this place was hard to find. It is located directly next to the Allentown Police Dept on South 10th St.
You can tell when you walk in that it is brand new, you go to the front desk to register and then off to the briefing room for an abreviated version of a drivers meeting at a DE event. Then you wait until your heat number is called. While waiting you can go out on the the race deck and watch to get a feel of how things go. When your heat is called you line up on the "on-deck line" for the current race to end. (Try to be in the front of the line so you are seated in one of the front karts) Then the race starts. At first it felt very wobbly in the steering until you get up to speed. Once you get a feel for the track things get real fun. The kart racing was quite competitive. Just like in DE, the longer you are out there the faster the laps become. There is a time keeper and you get a lap sheet at the end of your race. I was pleasantly surprised at how challenging it was. Momentum is definitely the key to getting quick laptimes.
They also have leagues that you can participate in. If we lived up there I would definitely be more involved in something like that. They have party rooms for groups to hang out while they are waiting for their heats. Really not a bad place to go for a few hours on a Sat/Sun afternoon when there you don't have anything to do. I would say bring your own helmet although they do have an abundant supply of helmets to use. From what I saw on Saturday, as this place gains popularity, it will really grow into a mainstay in the Lehigh Valley motorsports community. I will definitely go back when we are up there during Christmas week.
You can tell when you walk in that it is brand new, you go to the front desk to register and then off to the briefing room for an abreviated version of a drivers meeting at a DE event. Then you wait until your heat number is called. While waiting you can go out on the the race deck and watch to get a feel of how things go. When your heat is called you line up on the "on-deck line" for the current race to end. (Try to be in the front of the line so you are seated in one of the front karts) Then the race starts. At first it felt very wobbly in the steering until you get up to speed. Once you get a feel for the track things get real fun. The kart racing was quite competitive. Just like in DE, the longer you are out there the faster the laps become. There is a time keeper and you get a lap sheet at the end of your race. I was pleasantly surprised at how challenging it was. Momentum is definitely the key to getting quick laptimes.
They also have leagues that you can participate in. If we lived up there I would definitely be more involved in something like that. They have party rooms for groups to hang out while they are waiting for their heats. Really not a bad place to go for a few hours on a Sat/Sun afternoon when there you don't have anything to do. I would say bring your own helmet although they do have an abundant supply of helmets to use. From what I saw on Saturday, as this place gains popularity, it will really grow into a mainstay in the Lehigh Valley motorsports community. I will definitely go back when we are up there during Christmas week.
mike
89 Carrera
#402
89 Carrera
#402
