K1 Speed

Want to see a Dan Wheldon Andretti Dallara Honda IndyCar and Verizon-​sponsored NASCAR up close? How about a soft drink, beer or something stiffer from the second level bar «skybox» overlooking two indoor tracks? This K1 Speed is unique in that has more of an evening ambiance and also has several very large sequestered themed rooms for corporate and private parties. Special treat for racing enthusiasts is on the second level near the bathrooms where a large mural of Wheldon’s IndyCar is depicted crashing in spectacular fashion as Dan’s future teammate Scott Dixon’s #9 flashes beneath… Look closely and you will see Dan personally wrote a special message to everyone racing at this location and signed accordingly. Both tracks on the first level are technical, challenging and fun regardless if you have racing experience or not. Great place to bring a date, or the kids (when tall enough) for the junior race carts.

I went to K1 for the first time today with two of my cousins. We had a blast (my 16 year-​old cousin and my 47 year-​old cousin agreed). I was worried because of some of the negative reviews about wait time and car speed, but that was not our experience at all. I’ve done hi-​speed go cart racing before (just not at K1) and thought this was a comparable and cool experience. We were all able to race three races within about an hour and a half… definitely worth the money. We raced our first race within 20 minutes of getting there, and about a 15 – 20 minute gap in between the other two races. The staff was excellent. They were courteous, helpful, and accommodating to requests even though they were very busy. We asked one of the staff if this was a light day in terms of number of customers and she said it was just the opposite. Apparently the reason why were able to get into races without much waiting time is because we only had 3 people and were therefore much easier to shuffle around to different races. Big groups that want to stick together obviously are harder to accommodate… makes sense. In terms of speed, we were told that first timers are usually capped at a lower speed until they get a few races under their belt. After that they can go full speed as long as they are consistently safe. My experience was that even at the capped speed (approx 30 – 35 mph), the carts were still a ton of fun. Looking forward to next time.
General Pros of the experience: Great staff, fun tracks, quality and fast cars, good seating in lobby, nice space, comprehensive stats of each race, low wait times for small group, good value.
Negatives: Bar/​restaurant and upper observatory were closed the day we were there. There were some video games in the lobby to keep you occupied while you are waiting for the next race, but it would be much better if they had a more expansive game room.
Overall recommendation: Definitely a fun afternoon or night out if part of a small group (3 or less)

Maintenance negligence is the plague for this K1. Multiple karts with mechanical issues to include warped chassis creating a teeter-​totter motion, poorly bled brake lines, stiff steering due to alignment, and bent driveshafts causing grinding noises.
There’s also a heavy bias towards local drivers. Experienced karters who are first timers at the track will not be given the privilege of the higher speed settings. Cornermen are somewhat fair, but still fail to recognize consistency in good drivers.

Great place! Perfect customer service from start to finish from the whole crew. Kali was the most helpful assistant during the whole time. She provided us all the information and answered all the questions.
We had a perfect and fast racing, no waiting, plus we were able to setup a race just for our group of people.

Zach from the bar was very nice to us and we had a great experience. I would definitely recommend this place

Nice sweet place to try it. Cars go up to 45 mph which is pretty sweet. I like they have a bar on the second floor

Great location, awesome staff, races are really fun and karts are fast. But don’t mess around and bump people on purpose because the guy with the remote that waves the flags can slow you down with the remote. Would go again, and again/​10.

Best k1 out there! Had a blast. Would go again! Employees are friendly and helpful. Track and bathrooms were clean. Everyone should go here

Slow karts… Like seriously slow… way too slow. Stupid remote control that slows down your karts too. This place is a rip off. If you like fast karts don’t even think about to come here. This place is turning into a family fun center not go kart racing

Came here few times later, it seems like personnel reduces the power of karts after 8 – 10 laps. Don’t know why, but it didn’t happen to me at their Addison location.
Its fun to race, but also fun to improve times, lines and skills. When power of the go-​karts can be adjusted and isn’t consistent, its just doesn’t make any sense.
The good thing Buffalo Grove is easier to get from North Suburbs than Addison.

This place is pricey but so worth it. I think we went back 3 times in as many weeks. The employees are fair and accommodating. Even my grandmother enjoyed watching the races the time we took her. Great for all ages.

This was a lot of fun! I highly recommend this! The carts were extremely stable and fast! Great view for those not riding from the upper level.

Was here for. Corporate team building session which included food and drinks. The bar tending was fast and awesome. The food was mediocre at best. Actually the slider and the cheese sticks were decent but the rest was pretty disappointing.
The Racing (the reason you come here) is a hell of a lot of fun even if you never feel like the motor is fully engaging or moving at top speed. I will say that the tracks are narrow and bumping is strongly discouraged making passing incredibly difficult.

I have been here a couple of times and I can’t get enough of it. The racing is always so much fun, defiantly try to go here in big groups, if not make sure to go when it’s busy. The more people you can get on the track the better! It can be a little pricey but sign up for their emails and you will always be getting deals.

I have a sports car– I drive fast.
Why was I dead last each time I raced?
1. Its BORING. Honestly around the track 4 time would have been enough for me, 14 – 16 X around was a snore. I tried to give away my second race and had no takers– why? cause its BORING.
2. The carts are weird. I’m 5 5 and I felt like I was sitting so low I could barely see over the steering wheel to see what was going on and the plastic on my helmet was so scratched up I couldn’t see that well in front. Yes, I should have asked for a different helmet but there wasn’t really a time. My legs were at such a odd angle holding my ankle up so I didn’t hit the brake on accident. Uncomfortable.
3. You have no idea whats going on behind you– no mirrors, just some guy waving a flag and staring deep into your eyes trying to communicate… what?
4. Food? Not so good. Cold fries, what looked and tasted some frozen patties and while there was a dessert platter, Several bar like things on it were unknown as to ID. no chocolate anything.
The best part was sitting upstairs and watched the employees go wacky with the flag twirling.

This place was pretty cool — I came for a bachelor party. The only thing that got me a little is after we went twice the guy offered to put the go-​karts on the fastest speed since we were driving responsibly (no bumping) and there were only 5 of us. I wished the fastest speed was an option earlier?! At any rate, the only reason it gets 4 stars is the price is pretty steep. It was $ 50 for 3 races, even after the $ 5 discount that cancelled out my one year membership. I’m never a fan of having to buy a membership just to do something. Plus this place changed names before, where I had bought a membership, which was apparently only a one month membership.
If you’re looking for a thrill, this is a fun one to go to with a group of friends. I recommend it!

Clean and spacious, engaged staff, new cars, solid tracks!

I came here for a really fun date. We both signed in and were told the wait would be about 20 minutes. We were told the rules and racing in probably 15 minutes. The concept was really cool, but they go over the rules and meanings of the flags really fast. Our first race was with all newbies who were going slow and wouldn’t move over for you to pass. I was sad after the first race because they didn’t put me on the list, so I didn’t get to see my time or ranking. The second race they included me… yay! I had fun racing, but in the future, I would only do one race. When I left my back hurt. The following day, I had three softball sized bruises on my back from how hard the seat is. Ouch. The owner messaged my saying I could use a booster seat next time, but I don’t think she realized that I am five foot ten…
Make sure you use the awesome Unilocal check in offer!

We had a corporate event here for 50+ folks. It turned out wonderful. The food was perfect with selections for all special diets. Great food quality.
Everyone was very friendly, polite and went out of their way to help.
Everyone had a blast racing, and it was clear that safety is a priority. I’d recommend the place to others.

Made my way to K1 for a work team building activity. The facility was hidden in an industrial park setting. There was nearly 30 of us. We had lunch provided and it was very delicious. They had nice pasta salad, potato salad, sandwhiches and homemade chips. They upper level has a large bar with two pool tables and eating area where you can watch the races below.
The facility was very clean and modern. The employees were very nice and helpful. I raced twice and it was fun. I did expect the go karts to go faster. But overall it was a good experience.