Indoor go-kart track K1 Speed has opened in North Myrtle Beach
Start your engines — or engage your batteries, in this case — it’s time for racing at the K1 Speed indoor go-kart track in North Myrtle Beach.
The track, which has been built in a former Bi-Lo grocery store on Main Street, held a soft opening over the weekend and a grand opening on Monday.
A decommissioned NASCAR race car at the front entrance sets the tone for customers. K1 is meant to be fun, but it is also competitive racing.
The carts are capable of going 30 mph but most are set at 25 mph, which franchise owner AJ Nardslico said is more than enough for the track’s configuration. “I race for a living pretty much both competitively and leisurely, and I promise you no one needs more than 25 miles per hour,” he said.
The track and racing at North Myrtle Beach’s newest attraction
The concrete track is more than 900 feet, which is more than one-eighth of a mile and has been bead-blasted to provide grit for traction.
It is lined with safety barriers that are supported by springs, and will be flat this year. “If we do well after our first year the goal is to add some elevation changes, which will extend the track length,” Nardslico said.
Each race is 12 laps and approximately 8-10 minutes, and typically costs $26. Packages and periodic specials are offered.
New drivers must pay an annual membership of $7.95 that covers a license, head sock and helmet rental. That price can decrease as part of a package.
Up to 14 people can race at a time. Drivers will congregate before every race in a meeting room, where they will be assigned a locker, choose their helmet and watch a safety video.
Race leagues are being established for groups such as juniors, teens and adults, and there will be leagues for experienced drivers.
K1 is running early-week specials and special events. Locals can race for $20 cash all day Mondays, including tax, throughout the month of May, and Tuesday nights feature Glow Karting from 7-10 p.m., which entails glowing blacklights along the track.
K1s other offerings
The building also has a billiards table, a mixture of old-school and new-school arcade games, and there will soon be dart boards for additional activities. There are also a couple party rooms for larger groups, and the entire business can be rented for outings.
K1 has a cafe that is being operated by the owners of Cafe Gelato of Myrtle Beach, who happen to be Nardslico’s uncle and father, Al.
The track menu includes pizzas, burgers, hot dogs, nachos, wings, pretzels, fried mushroooms, snacks, desserts, and several options of gelato. “You don’t want to overcomplicate food,” Nardslico said. “We’re here for racing.”
Nardslico is awaiting approval of a liquor license that will allow him to serve beer and wine, with the caveat that there is no drinking before driving.
Business hours are currently 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11-11 Friday, 10-11 Saturday and 10-10 Sunday.
Competitive racing at K1
Nardslico got the idea to bring an indoor go-kart track to the Grand Strand in 2019, when he and friends attended Victory Lane Indoor Karting in Charlotte as part of his birthday celebration.
“It was my first time there and on our way back we’re all kind of like, ‘Man, Myrtle Beach really needs one of these,’ ” Nardslico said. “We know Myrtle Beach has the outdoor go-karting, but the indoor is faster and it’s really more race-oriented than a family-fun kind of thing.”
Nardslico, a Syracuse native and recent owner of the GigaTECH smart home technology automation and integration business in Myrtle Beach, has been racing competitively for 13 years, in both drag racing and drifting. He was drifting at Myrtle Beach Speedway prior to the track’s closing in 2020, and he’s plans to race in 2022.
“They sounded like they knew what they were doing when it came to racing and that was my goal from the beginning,” Nardslico said. “. . . They got rid of Myrtle Beach Speedway, and that’s kind of sad for me, but I think this place is going to bring that culture back.”
Nardslico would like to host car shows in its large parking lot. Unlike outdoor tracks, K1 will be open year-round and on rainy days.
Nardslico signed a franchise agreement with K1 in February 2020, just prior to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, which pushed back his construction plans.
K1Speed opened its first location in 2003 and now has more than 50 locations worldwide. North Myrtle Beach will be the second K1 location in South Carolina. One opened in Bluffton last September. The only one in North Carolina is outside Charlotte in Concord.
“With what we’re going to be doing here we can kind of give people the tools and the know-how to become a good racer,” Nardslico said. “That’s the culture I want to put out there. I definitely want people to come enjoy themselves but I really want people to kind of challenge themselves to see how well they can do. Everything is fun nowadays but not a lot of things are challenging, and I think if someone wants to come in here and take this stuff serious and get competitive with it, there’s some really cool stuff we’ll be able to do with those people with race leagues and things like that.”
This story was originally published May 9, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
