How a basement hobby became an Idaho Falls go-kart raceway
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IDAHO FALLS – What started as a childhood passion for go-karting has turned into a business for Kyle Ray and his wife, Lindsay, who are bringing a new kind of racing thrill to Idaho Falls.
The couple opened Rad Ray’s Karts, an indoor mini go-kart raceway at 3891 American Way, Suite C, last year. As the business approaches its first anniversary, Ray says one thing never gets old: watching people leave with a smile after taking the karts for a spin.
“It is a lot of fun!” Kyle says.
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He says the fun factor is surprising for many people who try it. What initially looks like a track for little kids appeals to people of all ages and the go-karts are a little different than what you may have seen elsewhere. Unlike traditional go-karts, these are electric, battery-powered drift karts, chosen for their smaller size and ability to slide around corners. EastIdahoNews.com paid a visit to try them out, which you can watch in the video above.
Razor USA LLC created the crazy cart in 2013. It was initially marketed to kids but quickly became something adults enjoyed. A larger, more powerful version of the children’s toy was released the following year.
“I was in college during this time. Me and my roommate looked at each other and said, ‘We need to get one. That looks like a blast!'” Kyle recalls.
A job at the Idaho National Lab brought him to Idaho Falls in 2021. He bought a crazy kart for his kids, which they rode in their unfinished basement. It didn’t take long before he got one as well.
“I was hooked instantly,” he says. “It was more fun in the basement than it was outside because it forced you to take tight turns and that’s when we really started getting good at drifting.”
He eventually built a track out of PVC pipe.
Then, Kyle says friends and neighbors caught wind of his set up. Those who tried it out couldn’t get enough of it, and that became the catalyst for opening Rad Ray’s Karts.
The evolution of go-karting — and what’s next
Although Kyle’s interest in go-karts stems back to early childhood, it was two racecar builders who introduced them in America.
FIA Karting credits Art Ingels and Lou Borelli with building the first one in southern California in 1956. They assembled it in Ingels’ garage out of scrap metal and a two-stroke engine.
It’s not clear how they came up with the idea or the motivation behind it, but Kyle says it was much more primitive than the go-karts you see today.
“They created a little box frame with wheels and they put a two-and-a-half-horsepower lawnmower engine in it,” says Kyle. “It was crouched, uncomfortable and dangerous. The brake was just a clamp that held on to the axle to slow it down.”
Despite that, it quickly became a hit.
At some point, two U.S. military officers in Europe learned about the men’s creation and ordered some for their comrades. Kyle says that’s when they really took off.
By 1962, one of Idaho’s earliest go-kart raceways opened in Boise. Boise Go-Kart Club, known today as Snake River Karters, is a nonprofit kart-racing club at Foster Field near Star.
Kyle, who is originally from Boise, says he’s been to the venue many times. A similar indoor venue called Fast Lanes opened in Boise in 2002 and Kyle was a frequent customer.
“I loved that place!” Kyle says. “Pretty soon, I was the fastest in whatever group I was racing with. Eventually, I got the fastest lap of the day and became really good friends with the owner … (who became) my mentor in opening up the Idaho Falls business.”
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Decades after riding his first go-kart, Kyle says it’s now a thrill to introduce crazy karts to others and see their delight at discovering how much fun it is.
He and his wife are hoping to grow the go-kart community in Idaho Falls and eventually acquire a larger space with a track that can accommodate more people.
“The long goal … is to introduce mini electric carts that are more traditional, but not full-scale. I’d need at least 6,000 square feet just for the track,” says Kyle.
His ultimate goal is to one day have an outdoor asphalt circuit track near the Idaho Falls Raceway at Noise Park.
Rad Ray’s Karts is open Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. It can also be booked for private reservations on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings or before 3 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.