The cold winds of winter came early last October when fans of the area’s only indoor go-kart facility learned owners boarded up the doors to their Crossgates Commons location and disappeared.
The news that soon came to light thereafter was no less warm as Albany Country Sheriff’s changed the locks in accordance to a court-ordered eviction Pyramid Management filed against Fastrax for allegedly failing to pay rent. The new locks were just a harbinger for things to come. Employees claimed their paychecks bounced. Deposits towards future events were reportedly unreturned. Even the director of sales was left in the dark. To those directly involved, someone jacked the car up on cinder blocks and ran off with the wheels.
For Michael Renus, general manager to K1 Speed, the California-based go-kart racing company that has moved into the site, the first order of business was to mend relations with the community.
K1 Speed re-opened the facility last November and immediately started picking up the pieces. People who purchased memberships under the former company were offered both a free license and free race, a $26 value.
Doors opened to the public at a limited capacity on Nov. 17, and Renus said he’s seen business slowly pick-up since. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week, he and his employees played host to members of the community, including the area chamber of commerce and the spokesperson to the Albany County executive’s office. For Renus, who grew up in the area, he said being able to reopen the doors has been a good experience. “Everything has been great,” he said. “The community has been great.”
The small turn out to the mid-week event seemed to reflect a rift that may still remain between a scorned community and a company trying to clean-up something they had nothing to do with. Part of the problem is still slapped above the storefront.
As people drive past Crossgates Commons on Washington Avenue extension, the Fastrax logo stands prominently on the strip mall’s façade.
“People have told me they’d see the sign, and try to look us up on the web only to see that we’re closed,” said Renus. He said he anticipates that sign will be replaced within the next few weeks.
“It’s good that we were able to get someone in to fill this space and re-purpose it,” said Laura Dehmer, Vice President of the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber. “Hate to see an investment like this not flourish.”
K1 Speed has 40 locations countrywide, including Washington state, Florida, Arizona, Texas, Illinois, Georgia, as well as their home state of California. At roughly 30,000 square-feet, the Albany site is the smallest facility in the franchise. It employs 25 people, operating 40 go-kart racers.
The franchise as a whole caters to approximately 4.2 million customers, all of whom compete directly against one another.
“First-timers approach it as a festival, bumper-cars atmosphere,” said Renus. Each of the custom-built cars, valued at approximately $10,000 each, are equipped with 20-horse powered electric motors. The adult models are capable of speeds up to 45 mph. The junior models have a maximum speed of 20 mph. Racers are provided statistics based on their race results, matched against those they raced against, and peers across the country. A finished race immediately places a driver with a rank against the company’s vast database. By the time customers are done with their first race, Renus said, their competitive nature takes over. “Probably our best driver is a 90-year-old man who comes in.”
K1 Speed caters to private parties and corporate events. Races can be customized to include friends in a private grand prix of up to nine racers. There are no “hard-fast” age limits, said Renus, but there is a height requirement. All drivers go though a training experience before hitting the track. Adult cars drivers must be at least 4’10”.
Despite the lack of height, kids have earned a respect on the racetrack.
“The kids do better than the adults,” said Renus. “The adults are the ones who get in trouble. … The kids, they listen. Generally, the kids are the better drivers.”
