Wallingford gets second go-kart track
Customer Wayne Harriman, of Wallingford, has a slight lead as he and Connecticut Motor Sports Park owner Bill Doucette get in a few laps Tuesday, June 26, 2012, at the newly-opened facility on Quinnipiac Street in Wallingford.
WALLINGFORD — There’s a new place in town for racing enthusiasts to test their top speed.
Connecticut Motor Sport Park, an outdoor go-kart racetrack, recently opened at 346 Quinnipiac St. Bill Doucette, owner of the business, is no stranger to go-kart racing; he previously operated Willy D’s Indoor Kart Racing at 25 N. Plains Highway before it closed in 2010.
“This was always the plan,” Doucette said. “It just finally came together within the last month or so.”
Doucette’s track has 10 high-performance karts that can reach a top speed of about 35 mph. The karts are designed for racing, and weigh just 200 pounds but feature 10 1/2-horsepower engines. The 1,800-foot track is located in a parking lot behind Silversmith Park.
“We wanted to give our customers something to do outside in a performance kart,” he said. “These aren’t bumper cars.”
Doucette, a former drag car racer who has been around the sport all his life, also ran Willy D’s Photo T’s and NASCAR Collectibles on South Colony Street for nearly 20 years until it closed in March.
Plans for the business were first submitted to the Planning and Zoning Commission in 2010, with some neighbors fearful of potential noise when the 10 karts get up and racing. The commission told Doucette the noise level had to be below 78 decibels, but through his own testing, he says levels haven’t approached that.
“I think the cars on the Wilbur Cross are louder than our karts,” he said. “You can’t hear them on one side of the track from the other. We’ve been testing and working down here and nobody has come by to complain.”
On a recent afternoon, Doucette and some staff hopped in the karts and took off for a short race. The track features a number of twists and turns and is entirely lined by hay bales — nearly 1,000 — which Doucette and volunteers wrapped in plastic to protect from the elements.
“It’s something different; it’s really a lot of fun,” said Barbara Doucette, Bill’s wife and co-owner of the track.
Connecticut Motor Sport Park is the second go-kart racetrack in town, joining On Track Karting, an indoor facility, at 984 N. Colony Road. Bill Doucette said he thinks the town can support both tracks, noting that On Track Karting opened just months after he started Willy D’s Indoor Kart Racing and both were successful.
“I think it’s good,” he said. “This is something totally different. It’s more than you can do indoors.”
Doreen DeSarro, the town’s business recruiter, said she was happy to see Doucette maintain a business in town.
“It’s nice to see him stay in Wallingford,” she said. “He must have a clientele to support this endeavor. We’re happy to see him open up and we wish him well.”
For more information on Connecticut Motor Sport Park, call (203) 269-6802 or visit ctmotorsportpark.weebly.com.
WALLINGFORD — There’s a new place in town for racing enthusiasts to test their top speed.
Connecticut Motor Sport Park, an outdoor go-kart racetrack, recently opened at 346 Quinnipiac St. Bill Doucette, owner of the business, is no stranger to go-kart racing; he previously operated Willy D’s Indoor Kart Racing at 25 N. Plains Highway before it closed in 2010.
“This was always the plan,” Doucette said. “It just finally came together within the last month or so.”
Doucette’s track has 10 high-performance karts that can reach a top speed of about 35 mph. The karts are designed for racing, and weigh just 200 pounds but feature 10 1/2-horsepower engines. The 1,800-foot track is located in a parking lot behind Silversmith Park.
“We wanted to give our customers something to do outside in a performance kart,” he said. “These aren’t bumper cars.”
Doucette, a former drag car racer who has been around the sport all his life, also ran Willy D’s Photo T’s and NASCAR Collectibles on South Colony Street for nearly 20 years until it closed in March.
Plans for the business were first submitted to the Planning and Zoning Commission in 2010, with some neighbors fearful of potential noise when the 10 karts get up and racing. The commission told Doucette the noise level had to be below 78 decibels, but through his own testing, he says levels haven’t approached that.
“I think the cars on the Wilbur Cross are louder than our karts,” he said. “You can’t hear them on one side of the track from the other. We’ve been testing and working down here and nobody has come by to complain.”
On a recent afternoon, Doucette and some staff hopped in the karts and took off for a short race. The track features a number of twists and turns and is entirely lined by hay bales — nearly 1,000 — which Doucette and volunteers wrapped in plastic to protect from the elements.
“It’s something different; it’s really a lot of fun,” said Barbara Doucette, Bill’s wife and co-owner of the track.
Connecticut Motor Sport Park is the second go-kart racetrack in town, joining On Track Karting, an indoor facility, at 984 N. Colony Road. Bill Doucette said he thinks the town can support both tracks, noting that On Track Karting opened just months after he started Willy D’s Indoor Kart Racing and both were successful.
“I think it’s good,” he said. “This is something totally different. It’s more than you can do indoors.”
Doreen DeSarro, the town’s business recruiter, said she was happy to see Doucette maintain a business in town.
“It’s nice to see him stay in Wallingford,” she said. “He must have a clientele to support this endeavor. We’re happy to see him open up and we wish him well.”
For more information on Connecticut Motor Sport Park, call (203) 269-6802 or visit ctmotorsportpark.weebly.com.