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Go-kart operator keeps traffic flowing smoothly

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Contributed by: Erin Feese/YourHub.com on 5/14/2008

When Chris Wright sees a crowd of kids running across the black-and-white checkered raceway floor toward the go-karts, he knows he has to be on his toes.

"When eight or nine kids get in here that can barely reach the petals, it gets pretty insane," he says. "You never take your eyes of the track."

Wright has worked at Adventure Golf and Raceway, 9650 N. Sheridan Blvd., Westminster, for three years. A 2007 Westminster High School grad, he has worked in concessions and on the miniature golf courses and now works as a track operator for the facility's go-karts and dragway.

Wright is equipped with a remote that allows him to punch in the number of the go-kart and change the setting to slow, medium or fast, which he gauges depending on the driver. Younger kids are usually kept on the slow mode to minimize pileups, he says.

The most important part of his job is making sure no one gets hurt, Wright says. Once, a little girl got rear-ended and bit her lip.

"I ran over there and saw the blood, and I was freaking out, but she turned out to be fine," he says. "That's about the most serious thing that has happened."

On weekdays, the track is usually pretty quiet, and Wright will run solo, but things really get hopping on weekends, he says. When there's a crowd, he'll manage the track with the help of a couple attendants to keep traffic flowing.

He says his favorite parts of the job are working outside and meeting new people.

"A lot of different characters show up here," he says. "You get those crazy NASCAR fans. They'll really get into it. They wait an hour for their favorite car to become available."

The go-karts feature authentic NASCAR and sponsor logos. Although it's not quite the same thing -- the max speed is about 20 mph -- people still get a kick out of zooming around in the go-karts, Wright says.

Wright also operates the dragster, which rockets riders down a 324-foot strip from zero to 60 mph in about a second. This attraction draws almost as many spectators as drivers, he says.

"People would ride it all day if they could," he says.

The raceway and miniature golf is operated by Hyland Hills Parks and Recreation District. Wright got into working at the raceway because his sister worked there, and his mom also works for the district.

General manager Ken Ciancio said the employees of Hyland Hills treat each other like a big family -- he has been with the district for 21 years and at Adventure Golf and Raceway for 15.

"It's nice to be in the recreation business," he says. "I see people smile and being happy and it makes me happy. It makes my job easier."

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