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Pro Track Go-Kart Racing fills Ocean City's need for speed
By KristinJune 4, 20194 min read
Drive the car yourself, or watch a race on Pro Track's "speed screens," which show the current and fastest lap of each racer and ranks them as they race.
Pro Track karts can be driven by both novice and experienced racers, but all drivers must be at least 16 years old with valid ID. New racers are advised to take a practice lap around the track to get a feel for it before they really start racing.
Pro Track staff use flags to signal to slower drivers when faster drivers are coming up behind them, to let the faster races pass. Kramer's advice for slower racers is to copy the faster drivers, so long as they can keep up, and copy when the faster drivers slow down and speed up.
"You need to have the right speed to keep your momentum up for each of the turns," she said. "If you’re hopping through the turns, you’re losing your speed and momentum, so if you can be smooth through the turns, that’s where the skill also comes through. This track, you almost have to know when to go slower through the turns to be faster in the time."
2019 marks the third summer of business for Pro Track. Before the course became Pro Track in 2017, it served as a concession go-kart track aimed at families and part of Grand Prix Amusements. (Now, while the businesses are managed by the same people, Pro Track is not included in the Grand Prix wristband.)
Kramer said that it was when she and her team were on vacation and racing motorized Sodikarts at an amusement park that they decided they needed to bring the racing karts to Ocean City.
"We just had a lot of fun when we were racing them and we realized we wanted to bring that to Ocean City -- but where can we do that?" she said. "We looked at both of our parks and the design of the track that we already have [at Grand Prix] was sort of the best for it."
Now, Pro Track fills a niche for Ocean City vacationers who have a need for speed, while Baja Amusements just a half-mile down the street continues to offer concession go-kart tracks for the younger and less speed-minded drivers. Baja also has a 19-hole mini golf course, two climbing walls, bumper boats and three kiddie rides, while the equally-family-friendly Grand Prix features bumper boats, a 24-ft. climbing wall, a moon bounce, bumper cars and even batting cages.
For families with little kids and drivers who would rather ride than race, Baja Amusements offers eight go-kart tracks just down the street from Pro Track.
Either amusement park is a safe bet for parents who want to keep their kids entertained for hours, but where Baja and Grand Prix both offer an abundance of fun for the younger crowd, Grand Prix also has the benefit of Pro Track for the older, more adventurous crowd right on-site.
"It’s an experience that you just have to do," Kramer said. "I can tell you that it’s fast and fun, but you just have to get in the karts for yourself and see." About Kristin
Kristin is a writer and photographer in Ocean City, Maryland, and is the content manager for OceanCity.com and other State Ventures, LLC sites. She loves getting reader-submitted stories and photos, so send her an email anytime. She also works part-time at the Art League of Ocean City and the Ocean City Film Festival and lives just off the peninsula with her dog and fiancé. Her photos can be found on Instagram @oc_kristin.
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