After two rounds of registration and the signing of the indemnity form, I found myself settled in the cockpit of the Go Kart. The instructor cinched the seat belts, and with a dramatic countdown—three, two, one—the race was on! Admittedly, with zero car-driving experience, I cautiously nudged the accelerator, and the kart started its forward dance. In a flash, my new-found karting buddies whizzed by, leaving me in the dust. Undeterred, I decided to savour the moment, steering clear of the speedy competition, and enjoying the ride in my own rhythm.
The roaring engines, peppy Punjabi tracks, cheerleaders showing off their moves and the sheer joy of navigating those twists and turns created an exhilarating experience. Following the ten-minute race, we walked up the stairs to inspect the rankings, only to find that I finished in the seventh position out of the 12 drivers. This thrilling adventure unfolded during the recent two-day Drift & Drunch event at Snow World Entertainment’s Formula Karting, next to The Great India Place Mall, Noida.
The Drift & Drunch event brought go-karting, food, and drinks under one roof, creating a unique karting experience. It drew a massive crowd, with people travelling from Delhi and Gurugram. Rishabh Nanda, a Delhi-based influencer and participant, says: “It’s a win-win situation here because I can eat, go for a drive, and later grab a beer, enjoy with my friends. The track is amazing, and the quality of the karts is superb – I can see the difference because I have tried go karting in Bengaluru and Mumbai.”
Anmol Choudhary from Noida, a first-timer, says: “It felt intimidating at first, but then I got into the groove. Today’s experience has motivated me to learn to drive.” Although the Drift & Drunch was a two-day event, Formula Karting remains open year-round.
Karts, safety and more
Introduced in November 2022, Formula Karting covers a vast four-acre land, featuring a track with a running length of 770 metres and eight metres wide. Priyanka Jain, co-founder of Snow World Entertainment, a hospitality and entertainment firm, along with her brother Prasuk Jain, highlights the safety measures in place. “The red-and-white border lining the track is filled with sand. It ensures that even if a driver crashes into the sides, they won’t get hurt. If we notice a driver struggling to control the kart, we have a system to stop it. All the karts are connected to a central control system. But if someone disregards the rules explained during the briefing, we promptly disqualify them. This is why we have about 30 staff members on the ground, stationed at every junction and point,” she says.
The Sodi karts, made in France with aerodynamic design and 240cc Honda engines, are manufactured by Hyundai and are touted as “the first ones in India.” While these vehicles can reach a speed of up to 100 kph, they are currently restricted to 50 kmph for the kart drivers. For Jain, Formula Karting is a stepping stone to introducing motor racing. “It gives amateur racers the chance to experience the thrill of professional karting,” she says.
A new entertainment model
The brother-sister duo is determined to introduce fresh and exciting concepts to India. “I believe people are tired of the usual routine – lunch, dinner, parties, clubbing, malls, and so on. We aim to introduce concepts that offer a complete and enjoyable experience for everyone,” says Jain. Her brother, who travels a lot, brought it to her attention that such high-adrenalin games are quite popular abroad. “Go karting caught our attention in Dubai. People were driving, relishing good food, and having a good time with friends and family. We decided to bring it here,” she says. While both their go-karting facilities in Noida and Pune are in full bloom, future projects in Gurugram and Bombay are underway.
“We’re also introducing Game Palacio, a successful venture from Mumbai, to Noida’s Mall of India. It promises to be a top-notch luxury and entertainment experience.” Game Palacio will feature multiple restaurants, bowling, a trampoline, over 50 arcade games, and a pool. Topgolf, a golf driving range game with electronically tracked golf balls and automatically scored drives, is also in the pipeline.