There is a common theme in almost all successful road racers’ resumes: they began their careers—and keep their skills honed—at the wheel of a racing kart. Not to be confused with the lethargic ‘go-karts’ puttering about neighborhoods and farms decades ago, today’s high performance machines are ferociously honed to rip 0-60 in the three to four second range, and can yank your body sideways with over 2g’s of lateral load in corners.

The highest paid athlete in the world, Formula 1’s recently retired Michael Schumacher, began his career in a kart, and those youngsters hell-bent on reaching his level of glory and success follow the same path. Nothing else is as good at honing lightning fast reflexes, or teaches all of the road racer’s arts—vehicle dynamics, the line, traffic management, out-braking, and passing—for such a moderate outlay.

Now Colorado is home to one of the finest karting facilities in the United States: the Track at Centennial. As in golf course design, the land and architect are key. Penned by renowned designer Alan Wilson, the Track swoops and banks over 8/10th’s of mile, and its devilishly clever cambers and an elevation change of seventeen feet mean it is one of the most intriguing and challenging karting venues in America.

This was all part of the plan for founder Jim Keesling, himself a karting national champion. “Superior track design means both fun for newbies, and an absorbing technical challenge for top racers,” he says about his two-year old endeavor. And because races can be run in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions, the options for learning and fun are doubled. The rest of the facility lives up to the course’s standard: clean and well kept, with a professional staff of knowledgeable enthusiasts who obviously enjoy their work.

Due to such careful design and upkeep, the Track has quickly engendered a top reputation, and in August hosted the championship of the Champ Car-Rotax Kart challenge, equivalent to being a U.S. Open venue. “You should see the standing starts with fields of 28-30 racers blasting into corner one, all at the same time, no one giving an inch!” Track manager Ed Dupont enthuses.

For those less focused—or talented—the Track offers the opportunity to experience first hand what these top racers deal with. Learning ‘the line’ is critical to dropping lap times, as is an understanding and application of such concepts as threshold braking and ‘late apexing.’

Yet, beyond the technical aspects of karting, which are shared with all types of motorsport, is the sheer, accessible thrill of the it. The physical challenge of pushing to the absolute limits of what kart and driver are capable of as you chase lower lap times. The testosteroned rush of a perfectly nailed sequence of sphincter-tightening corners, and the endorphin-releasing fizz as you outbrake—and then pass—competitors.

For those of us of an enthusiast bent, it’s enthralling. Having raced and taught racing in more expensive arenas since the age of twenty, I’m now at the place in my motoring life to appreciate the unique combination of affordable yet visceral thrills available via karting.

There are programs at Centennial that cater to both inexperienced individuals and corporate groups looking for an infusion of vitamin-g. Novices without any equipment can show up, strap into clean, top-tier driving suits and gear, and get the authentic feel. Climbing into Centennial’s well maintained, matched rental rides—which, while lacking the sheer accelerative capacity of six-speed shifter karts, nonetheless allow folk of all age and skill to demonstrate what kind of talent they’ve got behind the wheel.

So, when you’re ready to master something in addition to your swing, are looking to best your coworkers and mates and show ‘em whose really the man, or merely out for a great time and some laughs with the family, karting is a great genre to engage in. And unlike a corporate golf outing—where not everyone even plays the game—time at the Track leverages the commonality that we all drive on a daily basis. But remember: lap times don’t lie.

They also have disc brakes capable of retarding forward progress to the tune of 3g’s as well.

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