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Start your engines! My race-car-loving kid recently turned nine and had been begging to drive FAST. We made that happen one Sunday afternoon at the Central Arkansas Karting Complex in Vilonia. This outdoor high-performance go-kart track is designed to give motor sports enthusiasts and daredevils an adrenaline rush. It’s perfect for someone with a “need for speed” and offers an experience far beyond the typical family go-kart park.
Greg and Tammy Long, along with their son Peyton, were passionate racers who began dreaming of building a track following a trip to a high-speed karting track in Dallas. After several years of research and planning, they opened the 15-acre facility in August 2023.
Located at 49 Ricky Bobby Way in Vilonia, the track boasts a 3/4-mile asphalt road course with 14 thrilling turns. The 26-foot-wide road track is built to professional standards and is maintained with precision by track staff. The track features hairpin turns, sweepers and S-curves that are designed to test drivers’ skill and nerve at speed. (And make mama’s watching their 9-year-old babies fly around them, pinch their eyes shut!)
Vilonia has proven to be the perfect spot, centrally located to draw drivers from all over Arkansas, and on a typical Sunday afternoon, they are running 20 racers every 15-20 minutes. The adult karts can reach speeds in excess of 55mph, zipping around the track blisteringly fast. Paired with the track’s design, the speed provides an opportunity for drivers to show off both speed and skill during the 10-minute race to the finish. Spectators can watch as the cars fly around the track, hearing the squeal of the tires on the asphalt and the occasional ding of metal when two cars get too close on a corner.
Plan Your Visit
The Central Arkansas Karting Complex offers an experience unlike any you’ll get at a family-go-kart track, and it’s for everyone. Passenger riders must be a minimum of 48” tall and cadet (kid) drivers must be at least 52” tall. Adult drivers must have a valid driver’s license. All drivers must wear helmets, but the complex will provide one if you don’t have your own. Cadet races are run separately from adult races for the safety of all drivers.
Hours
Thursday: 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Friday: 2 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Saturday: 12 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Sunday: 1 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Monday – Wednesday: Closed
Pricing (current price at time of publishing, check with business to confirm)
All races last for 10 minutes. Racing packages are available for the RT-10 and cadet cars.
Two-seater – $30/race
RT-10 (Adult) – $25/race
Cadet (Kid) – $25/race
League Racing
Racing isn’t just recreational; it’s also competitive. A lot of drivers are drawn to the Central Arkansas Karting Complex because of their focus on organized racing. All races are timed and displayed on the board, so you know just how you stack up against other racers. The complex also hosts a Rental Kart League that turns casual drivers into racers. In league play, it’s not purely about who’s fastest on a single lap – drivers learn about consistency, race strategy and head-to-head competition over a series of races. Every race is an opportunity to sharpen your racecraft and fight for that top spot on the podium.
The Rental Kart League is open to drivers aged 14 and up, attracting both teenagers and adults. To keep things fair and fun, the league divides competitors into two weight classes: drivers up to 190 lbs and drivers over 190 lbs. League race days typically include an open track practice time, a qualifying session, a heat session and feature races that highlight the best of the best drivers. Points are tallied over an entire 8-week season. This structured format gives racers a taste of real competitive motorsport as they vie for bragging rights and a season championship. As the track website puts it, “Central Arkansas Karting’s League is where it all happens. Strap in, hit the track, and see if you’ve got what it takes to win it all.”
The Central Arkansas Karting Complex filled a void in the racing community, and you won’t find another track quite like it in all of Arkansas, but there are a few other racing locations in the state.
- Mountain View Go Karts – Mountain View
Recently remodeled and reopened, Mountain View Go Karts is fun for the whole family. Closed during the winter months. - K1 Speed – Rogers
K1 Speed is a popular national chain of indoor karting centers that offers electric go-karts capable of reaching about 45 mph. The professionally designed indoor track offers all-weather racing. - Funtrackers Family Fun Park – Hot Springs
A traditional family-style go-kart track. - Big Rock Fun Park – Little Rock
A traditional family-style go-kart track. - Jonesboro Karting Complex – Bono
A 1/8-mile clay oval in Bono, AR, mainly hosting dirt oval kart races - Arkansas Motor Sports Park – Warren
A 1/2-mile paved kart track for racers with their own karts.
With its state-of-the-art track, blazing-fast karts and robust community programs, the Central Arkansas Karting Complex offers a unique outlet for that inner Ricky Bobby in all of us.
Cover photo by Central Arkansas Karting Complex.
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