The chassis, sans suspension, bucks with sharp jolts over what appears to be a mirror-smooth surface. As I near the end of the front straight, I turn in to clip the apex, apply full throttle, then stab the brake with my left foot to haul the kart down to speed for the hairpin right up ahead. The back end steps out to the left sharply, reminding me that I should save my braking for those brief moments when my kart is actually pointing straight. My forearms, already tired, countersteer quickly to catch the slide and I turn the kart sharply to the right and mash the gas pedal once more. No, I'm not driving a 125-cc shifter kart at Grange Motor Circuit in San Bernardino County or hurling down the straight at Silverstone in a 250-cc superkart. I'm at Dromo One in Orange, California, an indoor karting facility that offers loads of thrills and 40,000 square feet of space to satiate the racing appetite of experienced enthusiasts and novices alike.

Indoor karting is a growing phenomenon, especially in the urban centers of Southern California. Ironic, since this is one part of the country that could actually have outdoor tracks all year around. Dromo One, now in its eighth year at its sole location near Anaheim, has earned a reputation with car clubs in the greater L.A. area. Peruse online car forums, and you'll find lots of meets scheduled there. And though Dromo has not yet expanded its business, the indoor karting scene in Southern California is growing. Just four years ago, a company named K1 Speed opened up its first location in the quiet, oceanside town of Carlsbad. Now K1 has five locations, including tracks in Seattle and Los Angeles, with five more planned. In response to the sudden success of K1 Speed, an entrepreneur in the area started a rival company named Pole Position, and opened up his own indoor karting facility. Pole Position now has four locations as far away as Las Vegas and Okalahoma City.

Having visited these facilities in the past, and coming away with the sense that they offered a far superior go-kart experience than you would find at your local miniature-golf and bumper-boats range, I wanted to learn more about what they offered the motorsport enthusiast. When I revisited K1 and Dromo, I saw that they differ from traditional go-kart joints by encouraging competition and fostering driving skill. And yet, the stakes are low enough — and the karts easy enough to drive — that the novice driver won't be turned off. Ryan King, general manager at K1 Speed in Carlsbad, said simply, "Once customers come to our facility and try our karts, they're hooked. They never go back [to the old tracks]."

The karts are vertiginously fast for something designed to be accessible by as diverse an audience as possible, and they're genuinely fun. I found quickly that modulating my driving style — playing around with braking points and throttle delivery, for example — was necessary to get the most out of the kart. The machines are good enough to demand your best; keeping your foot to the floor and simply puttering around the track is no longer an option. For individuals who aren't quite ready or able to commit $4000 to that 125-cc shifter kart they've been lusting after, these karts are gutsy and pure enough to provide a worthy alternative.

The level of racing experience at indoor venues is varied and customers have plenty of options to suit their style. Both K1 Speed and Dromo One have Grand Prix races available, in which drivers qualify for a set amount of laps before gridding for a standing-start, winner-take-all dash to the finish. And many indoor karting facilities even offer junior programs as an introduction into competitive racing for young children. It's a good option for that period where your boy is driving like Danica rather than Schumacher. You can buy him his own kart and gear when he's earned it.

The most popular and accessible racing programs offered at indoor facilities, however, are the so-called arrive-and-drives. Much like autocross events, drivers compete against the clock, not each other. Thus, drivers focus less on passing and more on running consistently fast laps. Many tracks will update lap times live and display them on a big screen during these races so that drivers can check their times at the end of each lap. Such real-time telemetry lends the racing experience an authenticity that is sorely lacking at older venues. The feature's especially cool when you're at the front of the pack, but when you're dead last? Total ego deflator. Another tool that helps push drivers to faster times is the scoring system. Dromo and K1 both keep track of their stats for returning customers to show how they rank against others. Every new driver starts out with a standard amount of points. Depending on how well a new driver performs, he or she can either gain or lose rank. If you beat someone who has a higher overall points total than you, you gain more than if that person had a lower or equal amount of points as you. Live telemetry and records on your racing history are wonderful aids for the novice enthusiast looking to improve, but this scoring system can be annoying for those top players looking to maintain their dominance. I've found that it can create a conflict of interest between simply going to have fun and going to be competitive. Let's just say that citing your overall points total won't get you a second date with that girl you just devastated on the track.

Indoor karting fills a niche, and the explosion of venues over the last couple of years is an indication that the market is growing. Entertaining enough that their regular customers include Formula Atlantic, Formula BMW, and Formula D drivers, K1 Speed and Dromo One offer the masses an authentic racing atmosphere at an affordable price. (A standard arrive-and-drive race at K1 Speed is $20 and lasts 14 laps. K1 also offers a package of three races for $50. Dromo One has very similar pricing.) Novice drivers can go for a nice adrenaline boost and some friendly competition with family and friends; more experienced drivers can practice finding the line, shortening braking zones, and developing consistency without having to haul their shifter kart to an outdoor track. Check around the internet and you're likely to find an indoor-karting venue near you.

Indoor tracks offer one of two types of karts — gas or electric — and both have their benefits. The electric karts at K1 Speed are manufactured by O.T.L. Italia, and are powered by DC motors (essentially four car batteries) that offer the driver instant access to full power and speeds approaching 45 mph. Ryan King at K1 explained that though the electric karts aren't necessarily less maintenance-intensive than gas-powered karts, they are cleaner, quieter, and have faster acceleration than their internal-combustion cousins because of the on/off nature of electric motors. When you put your right foot down, a linear thrust propels you relentlessly forward. Though both karts have similar top speeds, the electric karts feel faster than the gas versions.

Raul Serna, the operations manager at Dromo One, recognizes the benefits of electric karts but explains that Dromo chooses to use gas models because of the unmistakable feel that only a gas-powered kart can provide. They are more visceral and raw; the vibration, noise, and smell of fuel making its way through your helmet provide a wholly different level of involvement. The karts at Dromo One draw their motivation not from batteries but from a 9-hp, 270-cc, 4-stroke Honda engine. This output figure may seem low on paper, but not when racing on a 1300-foot indoor track and approaching a 90-degree turn at 40 mph. When you weigh as much as or more than the machine under you, nine horses isn't such a runty number. The gas-powered karts offer something more than just speed, however. The Stratos karts at Dromo One feel as if they are coming to life as soon as the engine turns over. The chassis vibrates at idle, and as you make your way up the pit lane to the track, you appreciate that your foot is directly connected to the throttle. The first half-inch of pedal travel is unresponsive; then the engine revs up and you lurch forward before having to quickly stab at the brake pedal to avoid hitting the kart in front. The electric karts, by contrast, are controlled by a central location; the first lap is done in a "safe" mode with limited power regardless of how much throttle is fed in. In the end though, both karts are worth trying to see which you prefer.