SPEEDERS Richmond — Attraction in Richmond

This is a tangent so I will provide a TLDR; For a first time with 2 people, it was fun but $73.50 is too much for 2 people

First time visiting this place. Had to set up accounts and it seemed like it required a lot of personal information such as your home address. Not really sure why they need to know where I live for a go karting place.

As other negative reviews have mentioned, the employees at the front did not seem to fully know what they were doing. Another customer had a question about setting up their account and the staff member was unable to answer.

We arrived right as they opened and were near the front of the line. There was originally only one employee but 2 more showed up a few minutes later. They seemed decently fast at serving people. Based on reading the google reviews, we were under the impression that it would be $27 a person, so $54 for both of us. It turned out to be $73.50 ($36.75 per person). This is absurd and way overpriced for 6 minutes of racing.

Given that we arrived when they opened and that there was quite a few people behind us in line, we figured that we would have many other people in our race. It turned out that we were put into a separate race on the other track. It was not clear that there was 2 tracks intertwined with one another, not that this is good or bad. It ended up being just the two of us racing on the blue track for 6 minutes. Good for putting down good lap times but kind of boring since there was not really anyone to race. At some point in our race the other people started their own race on the other track.

This may have been due to us being the first people to use the carts this day, but it was very easy to break traction in the corners. They seem to be very sharp for these carts. At the beginning we were sliding at nearly every corner but got used to it and started braking eventually and this helped. This is likely to improve at later times in the day. We did have one crash where we hit each other but the reverse button helped us recover from this.

The other people with us witnessed a crash between 3 cars on the other track. I didn't witness it personally but it seems like they cleared this up pretty quickly, whether it was the marshals or the drivers.

From reading the negative reviews prior to driving from Langley, it seemed that almost everyone was complaining about the speed of the carts.

When we first started driving we were unaware of the warm-up lap speed and it was really slow. When I was driving I was thinking that my electric scooter is way faster than this. It's basically running pace. There was one slope that the cart could barely make it up and that caused some real concern towards the speed of these things.

It switched to full speed at the end of the first lap and then it seemed more than fast enough. I had planned to measure it with my phone but did not get the opportunity to do so. They can feel a bit slow on the straights but they feel pretty fast in the corners. Although we never mentioned it to the staff, they may have given us the full speed option that is supposedly unlocked after 10 races since there was only the two of us. If we were going at the same speed that everyone says is slow then I don't know what kind of go karts they are driving that makes these seem slow.

During the safety video (which is as long as the race), they mentioned a blue flag that would require you to slow down and pull to the side so that the faster driver behind could pass you. I was originally very concerned about this as it could ruin your lap but they didn't use it on us.

The blue track was pretty good but had a lot of corners, some of which were very steep. The only straight is pretty much the start/finish straight which isn't very long.

I managed to get a lap time of 34.695 which seems decent. The group on the other track was averaging 44-45 seconds but obviously they were slower due to the increased number of people.

Overall a decent experience, brought down by the price. Would go more often if the price was...

TLDR: The karts are too slow as you don't need the brakes at all. There are cheaper options out there for a better racing experience.

Facility 5/5 Staff 5/5 Washrooms 5/5 Karts 1/5 (nice handling but heavily throttled) Tracks (x2) 5/5

It has potential to be the best but -

Their reboot absolutely knocks their competitors out of the water, especially when it comes to visual aesthetic, cleanliness, friendly staff and online booking. It is apparent that good thought went into the rebuild. BUT their karting experience is incredibly too novice. I walked in very excited but left needing so much more out of the racing experience - almost felt like I overpaid for it.

It took a lap to realize you can run both tracks without any need of the brakes at all. There is zero competitive nature to the driving due to the fact that the karts are being throttled heavily. I asked as to whether or not there was a different power level and it was mentioned that after 10 races logged in there is a "pro tier" speed. This turns into a 300 dollar buy in roughly to log the 10 before being eligible, which isn't great compared to other places offering higher speeds off the bat. Not to mention it would require multiple visits.

Waivers are signed and if safety is a concern, maybe its worth splitting the tracks weekly as a qualifier track and then the other track for those qualified into pro tier, then rotate the tracks. If the Driver can throw consistent times and safety is apparent then they can be bumped up. Or bump the karts power level up a bit more in order to force/require a driver to need the brakes. Another option to avoid high speeds in the downhill sections would be to offer a speed boost or DRS zone during the hill climb or flat sections, then back to a more controlled descending speed. Would be nice as well if staff had some free will to up racers under their best judgement/discretion, as a 300 dollar pay wall is not inviting at all.

I know the business just reopened so tons of other small nuances might be worth adjusting:

Safety video needs subtitles or better speakers The pit area is very dark, staff/people was tripping often Marshalls have no visibility on the track yellow lights for yellow flags would be great no anti fog on the helmets (once driving it clears) Side doors need a sign, blacked out building -member pricing in the future would be nice

Their system tends to glitch often. My kart including many wouldn't go up the hills at the start, causing the karts to roll back. We had to put everyone back in the pits to restart the system. I felt like most of my experience here was spent sitting in the pits than actual race track time. Compared to other tracks, I can get more seat time and leave home sooner than the time spent here for less races. The data logging also seems incorrect. 30 second laps on the TV but then the results via email say 34. I would lap people yet still come 6th somehow and first all at the same time.

This place has an opportunity to force their competitors to actually care about their own facilities, but as it stands the dingier tracks have more of that adrenaline buzz of solid racing experience over Speeders. Considering all these businesses are all kart rental experiences, then the pacing can definitely be picked up compared to the rest.

The above consensus was shared amongst a lot of staff and so I hope that management takes note of these. Their saving grace is that its new, but if things don't improve then retention could be of concern for those that enjoy racing from time to time.

We were a group of first time karters and casual racers and it wasn't hard for anyone to "max out" the experience on the track. If anyone feels comfortable behind the wheel, it would be hard to recommend Speeders at the moment over other places. If you have never driven a car or you are a minor then sure, would be a great place with great vibes but lots is still left out on the table here...

Skip Speeders—Go to TBC Indoor Racing Instead!

Don’t waste your time or money at Speeders. From the difficulty of booking to false promises and the company’s ability to control your electric kart’s speed (seriously, why?), it’s just not worth it.

Sure, the triple-decker track, lights, and atmosphere seem exciting, but that’s where the appeal ends. The laser tag and mini golf areas are tiny, and the $30 game cards barely cover three arcade games—total rip-off.

My friends and I (a group of nine) raced last night, 2 races-paying $69 each (using the initial deposit), and we won’t be spending another dime there. If you’re looking for real indoor racing fun, stick with TBC. Don’t get sucked in!

Here is the email to which speeders head quarters or a competent manager still has not responded.

Extremely Frustrating Experience with Speeders Richmond

I am writing to express my deep frustration with the service I have received from Speeders Richmond, particularly regarding the handling of my booking and deposit.

On January 15th, I spent several days trying to get in touch with your events team to book a birthday party for my boyfriend. After multiple calls and emails with no response, I sent a final message indicating I would leave a negative review. Shortly after, within minutes, I received a call back.

Unfortunately, due to a snowstorm on the day of the party, my boyfriend was stranded on the highway, and we couldn’t attend. At that time, I was assured by your team that my deposit would be credited to my account, and I would be able to rebook at a later date.

Fast forward to February 26th, when I attempted to rebook the party. I spent most of the day calling the Richmond location with no success. At one point, I was told there were “technical difficulties” and had my call abruptly disconnected. Later, I spoke to a staff member named Charon, who promised that a manager would return my call. Despite waiting all day, I never received a follow-up. At 5:45 PM, I called back and spoke to Charon again, who assured me that I would have answers by the end of her shift. Unfortunately, I did not receive any call back.

Frustrated by the lack of communication, I drove to Speeders in person. The staff there were very understanding and referred me to Samuel, the evening manager, who apologized for the poor service I had received. Samuel then assured me that my $623 deposit would cover four races for my group of 10 people this Saturday, and he promised to “compensate” the remaining balance. I was pleased with this resolution and left the location feeling optimistic, especially after being given an email confirmation of the booking.

However, at 9:45 PM that night, I received a call from Samuel stating that I owed an additional $500 and that he could only offer me a few rounds of mini-golf as compensation. This was not at all what we had agreed upon in person. Samuel’s actions were unprofessional, especially his late-night call and his use of the term “Black Santa” - referring to himself for making the situation better - during our conversation. I am deeply disappointed by the complete lack of follow-through and the reversal of the agreement that had been made in front of his colleagues.

I am now at a loss for how to proceed. This entire experience has been stressful, time-consuming, and completely disorganized. I am requesting immediate clarification and a resolution that honors the agreement made with Samuel, which included no additional charges and a fully booked event.

I expect a prompt response and a resolution that respects the commitment made by your staff, and I hope that future interactions with Speeders will reflect a higher standard of...