I had the pleasure of being invited to an exclusive media day session for kartSTART, an exciting one day driving course involving go-karts. I heard about this place before, but it’s not that often I go-kart.

The invitation read that kids over eight-years-old are welcome, so I was excited to ask some family members who can share in this unique family experience. My nine-year-old cousin, Jacob was the perfect candidate, as I just heard he started go-karting just a month prior. It didn’t take long to get a response that he and his dad were in and we were all pumped to go!

What I was most enthusiastic about was for kartSTART to provide Jacob with essential driving tools to better his driving performances when he goes racing. Kids like to race in go-karts, but in most cases they don’t have the patience to learn what racing line to take, how to use the chicanes to their fullest and adopt an overall proper driving technique.

Not a big surprise, but we were one of the first groups to arrive that Sunday morning to the event held at Sunset Speedway in Innisfil, Ontario. The hosts led by director and owner of the program, Russ Bond and PR director and performance driving instructor, Juliana Chiovitti greeted us and brought us in to their lounge area for some much needed coffee and breakfast before the learning session. Waiting for us there were brand-new and shiny kartStart racing suits – a nice break from sweaty used ones!

Russ Bond took control from there and preached safety through education. The plan was to start with the go-karts in the morning learning the proper way to drive without anti-lock brakes (ABS) or traction control. “If you don’t spin, you’re not testing the go-Kart,” Bond said. 

After that the program shifts its focus to the adults in actual Toyota vehicles to learn about Toyota’s STAR safety systems. The kartSTART program is supported by Toyota, so it only made sense to bring out the Highlander and Avalon for their demonstrations.

Let’s get back to the go-karting…

We were separated into two groups and led out to the Sunset Speedway track for three different racing sessions. I was happy to hear we were all going to participate and test our skills out. 

Helmets were on, we were strapped in the go-karts and ready for some action. Jacob followed a lead instructor around showing him the correct racing lines, braking points and cornering positions on a slower first lap pace to get the feel of the track. With each session, Jacob had more freedom to have at it and that he did. For a nine-year-old he impressed the driving instructors and in particular Mr. Bond…I had to say it once. Jacob never spun out and turned those corners like a pro. Sometimes all you need is that little extra guidance along the way to better your driving techniques.

Like any kid, Jacob wanted to race more and wasn’t satisfied with just the three sessions, heck, I wasn’t either, but it was lunch time and soon time to get educated on Toyota’s safety features. 

Toyota has been a leader in safety, which is at the top-of-the-wish list for any family buying a vehicle. They have plenty of safety features such as vehicle stability control, traction control, electronic brake force, but for our demonstrations we would be focusing on ABS and Smart Stop Technology (SST) in the Toyota Highlander. 

After a brief talk by Bond – we all knew the key would be in the demonstrations, so we headed back to the track. The ABS was tested first at a speed of 65 km/h and they worked perfectly stopping in 1-2 seconds inside of the hand-made braking zone. You never know what can happen out there on the road and it’s nice to see that the ABS can save you some costly damages or worse.

The next step was a bit different and one I’ve never experienced before. That was Toyota’s advanced SST system that reduces engine power when both the accelerator and brake pedals are simultaneously pressed and if you press it long enough the vehicle will come to a quick and complete stop. Not that you really want to do this on the road, but it actually works even at 55 km/h and brakes at a much smoother pace than pounding the brakes on the ABS test. In real life terms, SST can be a useful tool for drivers that need to shift from braking to acceleration when climbing a steep hill to avoid any rollback. 

kartSTART provided a great experience for the whole family and at the end of the day, we all took some knowledge with us whether it was from the go-karts or Toyota’s STAR safety features. If you’re looking for some family fun and something unique – I would definitely recommend the kartSTART program. It has something for everyone and can provide your child or teenager with their first driving experience that they will always remember. You never know if you start them young, they could turn out to be the next James Hinchcliffe.

To try out the kartSTART program, go to kartstart.ca and register.

Here’s the 2013 program schedule that begins July 16th.

2013 Program Schedule