Off to the races: Moses Lake hosts first Columbia Basin Kart Fest
MOSES LAKE — Racers who entered Saturday’s Columbia Basin Kart Fest could hear roaring engines from the Grant County Fairgrounds’ gravel lot.
They mazed through frantic crews preparing karts in the Ken Ardell Pavilion, hazy with exhaust smoke.
“It’s some fun, grassroots racing, you know?” said Jeremy Anders, general manager of the Wenatchee Valley Super Oval. “You can take your old school kart and toss a Predator motor on it and go have some fun.”
According to wsvo.com, East Wenatchee’s Super Oval is one of the fastest quarter-mile asphalt tracks in the world and has been in operation for more than 50 years.
Saturday’s Kart Fest was the first event in Moses Lake, Anders said. The town is event-friendly, as it’s right off of Interstate 90 and in the middle of racers from the west or east side of the state.
Plus, the Ken Ardell Pavilion makes for a perfect-sized track, Anders said. It’s indoors, too, which is ideal for events this time of the year.
One hundred sixty-seven racers registered, Anders said; quite a few more than expected. They raced in 10 different classes separated by age group. Ten to 12 karts hit the track at a time. Because of the high volume of racers, some of the classes had to be split up in A, B and C groups.
The youngest racers were 5 years old, Anders said. The oldest, in their 70s.
The little karts zipped in circles around the pavilion, kicking up dust and occasionally crashing into dirt bluffs. The safety crew and an ambulance were on standby.
It’s unfortunate the event is only for racers and crew, Anders said. It’s easier to social distance in karts than on the bleachers, he added.
They’ve had to get used to the changes, he said. The Super Oval was able to have events again in May 2020, but there haven’t been spectators since.
“It’s pretty fun to watch, especially with the kids and stuff out there,” he said. “Our goal is next year to do a few of these and hopefully we’ll have the spectators available.”
But one good thing about continuing the races, even restricted, is the economic impact, Anders said. Racers come from all over the state, and a lot of them stay in hotels.
This provides “a nice little booster for people,” he said.
The pavilion is competitive, Anders said, and he’s excited to hold more events there as soon as possible. He hopes to hold four more next season, October to February.
“The facility’s really nice, the track is really nice, the fairground is amazing,” he said. “We’re learning from our experience, it’s our first time we’ve been here, but I’d definitely say we’re going to do it again.”