NO! Bad K1, bad! When you walk in, you'll be forced to register, which means forking over your name, address, phone number, and all manner of personal info. You'll get no help from the unfriendly staff. They've clearly explained this a million times to everyone but you, so they'll be extra frustrated by your perfectly reasonable questions. Prices are insane, the rules are insane, and no one is there to be helpful. Safety gear is ridiculous. Be prepared to wear a sock on your head and a full-on racing helmet. What? Am I going to roll my kart over the side of the track at a thousand miles per hour? Come on, strap a bike helmet on me and tell me to have fun like the old days. The Karts were fun for a while, but people get way too competitive. Still, I started enjoying myself as I took turns at full speed, Tokyo drifting like a real action movie star. Yeah! Until they held up a sign that said "No Drifting". And thus the fun ended. All in all, a stressful racing experience. Afterwards we checked out the arcade. One overpriced videogame, one overpriced air hockey table, a basketball game (what's the point?), and one out-of-order prize machine that kept putting out a steady, high-pitched siren noise. Why not just unplugg the machine if it's not working? We decided to go to the bar to de-stress from the whole experience. When we asked if we could pay with gift cards, the bartender said no because he would have to walk all the way (100 feet) to the other register to ring us up. Laziest, most unhelpful, unfriendly staff I've ever experienced at a facility that, for the most part, caters to families and children. Boo, K1. Shame on you. read more

I received gift cards for K1 Speed around Christmas, so I was hoping to have a great time racing against my boyfriend at this location since we've been waiting a while to do so (built up anticipation, I LOVE racing and cars, and we finally BOTH had the time and energy to go!) Here are the main things that stuck out in my brain the most... and they're not positive: - Non-helpful front desk staff - I felt rushed by the track staff, which frustrated me right before racing (they also spoke very quickly and too quietly) - OVER PRICED!!! - The actual racing was WAYYYY TOO COMPETITIVE!!! (adult race) - The "game room" had broken machines, they only took cash/coins, and there are no ATMs (at least that I could find) - The Whirly Ball courts were completely empty... this made me sad - And last but not least, neither of the on-duty bartenders were willing to walk to the counter on the other side of the building to cash out my gift cards for drinks. We didn't want a LAZY bar tender... and if neither of them weren't willing to do something that simple, then I for sure wasn't willing to cash out my gift cards myself for their lazy service, either! I guess there are some good things about this place, but man, I was NOT expecting such a low quality staff. The best part is that the actual go-karts handled like a dream, and they were fun to drive. However, another thing I mentioned above that I didn't expect before coming here was that all of the other (adult) racers which I raced with were far too competitive! I had to move over to the right side of the track about every other lap - AND SLOW DOWN for other racers! (K1 Speed's rules, not mine.) Any ways, this just stressed me out and sucked the fun right out of it. If I could race here again, I'd ask if I could only race with my friends so it wasn't as competitive/stressful... or the children... they're usually slower than adults. I'm not sure how to rate this place. And I'm not sure if I want to return. ...Now I have to figure out what to do with the rest of these gift cards. I wasn't expecting this much disappointment :( read more

Rude staff. Incredibly unprofessional. NOTHING like the old place. The track staff was clearly very frustrated and seem to take it out on the customers. read more

Before I comment on the racing my son and waited 90 minutes to race even though it was not crowded. Many people who arrived after us raced before us. Apparently out race time was moved twice without anyone telling us. Customer service seriously lacking. For the racing, it was fine. Carts are fast but we had two slow people in our group that slowed everyone else down. For $50 for one race for two people and a 90 minute wait, just not worth it at all. read more

Came here to celebrate a buddy's birthday. Thought it was going to be as awesome as it was when it was still Chicago Indoor Racing. It was mostly, but they switched from gas powered carts to electric, meaning they can throttle your speed electronically if you get too fast. Granted it does smell cleaner on the track, but still... I guess if you're too young to have a license, this is a great place to have a birthday celebration. It's a huge floor space with plenty of pool tables and televisions, so there's that. But if you remember Chicago Indoor Racing, it doesn't quite compare. read more

This was a great experience. I had never been before, and I was not sure how it worked. After signing up, (or signing in if you have been before) on handy computers, I went to the desk to get a cloth ski-mask like thing to keep things clean. The fact that they provided this was great, and it is hygienic even though you borrow helmets. The helmets for borrowing were clean and came in different sizes. The cars are very responsive, and once I got used to it I felt very comfortable on the track. The races were decently long, (about 8 minutes) and fun. I think there is hardly any risk of tipping over because of the way the cars are designed. Especially for those with a "need for speed," this is a fantastic place to go go-karting. It is very safe and I would not hesitate to go again. read more

K1 Speed Addison - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Addison, Illinois

my siblings and my dad and I had a very fun and good time here. what I especially loved was the safety check. when getting ready to drive the carts the workers come and check every to make sure our seat belts are fasted and our helmets too. I even heard a person start to get worried that they were going to get injured. then I heard one of the workers cheer the kid up and remind them of how their number one care of the riders is safety. they even have special flags to tell someone to move to the side for a rider to pass. they also have two tracks for the younger people and the ones for the older people. my one complaint is that the arcade is rigged the claw in the claw machines didn't go deep enough. and that you have some fishy are suspicious things in there to win. they literally have a actual fire tablet and a literal teapot that you can win! witch is really suspicious as if you think about it.Tip: the arcade in very rigged but the carts and food is fine read more

I came here for a birthday party. I have very mixed reviews about the place. 1. Registration. The staff said "go register." Being there as a group it would have been nice if someone just walked us over and said here are the computer's, each of you needs to register and choose your group name. This last part is important because 8 out of 10 of us had to re-register because we were not told this last part. 2. The concept is great. I love that they have two tracks. However, both are quite difficult to maneuver for newbies. The staff got upset with a group of 12 year olds for having too many collisions. For many people this was their first time. Rather than being understanding, they were pretty short with us. Obviously, they are used to expert drivers, but that was not us. 3. Making a reservation does not matter. We had one as a group, we waited nearly an hour. 4. Short people matter. I barely fit in the adult car with the booster seat and pedal extenders. They would not let me ride in the junior cars. No weight was explained, just my height. However, I really did not fit in the adult cars. 5. The actual experience. Fantastic. The cars are FAST. There is a board so you can look at your time. The cars can be controlled by remote in case of accident, I appreciate that safety standard. The tables and couches make the time in between races really fun. The place is clean, the bathrooms are clean and there is a great arcade room. 6. It does not smell!!! These are electric cars! It is clean and they keep the place cool, which is nice when you are wearing a sock and a helmet. read more

1st visit, overall a very nice afternoon and experience. Hint when arriving walk past front registers and log-in/register an account, then go to front registers to pay. Some signs explaining the previous would have been nice. Without a party of 8 or more there are no reservations and it can be a 2-3 hour wait to race. The prices are decent and there are places to hang while you wait(no alcohol prior to racing). The racing was fun! Some signs about where to go for pool table rental or where the bathrooms are would have been nice especially since the place is humongous. read more

Miguel and D'ante are amazing. Ill make the 35 mile trip every weekend. Seriously amazing service with how busy it was. When it comes to 5 star service they have it done. read more

My cousin's and I came here for our monthly family outting and had a gang of fun. Its a very big place, they have games, pool, whirlyball and of course, racing and a bar. Once you register and pay, you get a wristband and you wait for them to call your party to go race, BUT you cannot drink any alcohol while you have on the wristband, I get it, I understand, drinking and driving is bad and dangerous, blah, blah, blah, but I just wanted ONE beer. We arrived at 7 pm and could not race until 10 pm, wtf were we suppose to? We did go to the bar to eat and I had a Sprite. You have to wear these awful, heavy, smelly helmets. It was a great experience and I love hanging with my family. I wouldn't mind going again, but I want my drink FIRST. read more

I went with some friends there for the first time. They are all incredibly rude kids that work there aside from one single employee! After waiting a while for no reason I could see, a kid called us over to review the rules. A friend was in the restroom and came over about 1 minute into his training and he told him to wait somewhere else and he can be trained in the next group which means he would not be able to run with us. I said to the guy that he hadnt taught us anything yet, why does he have to wait. So he let him stay with us. We got in and the first race was great! My car was fast and gripped the track real nice. It was my first time there, so it took me a few laps to figure out the track. I was ready for the second race which was to determine first, second, and third place. First thing I noticed immediately is that my cart had little grip, so I started drifting around all the corners until they put a sign out that said no drifting! It was like learning to drive on the track all over again because it never gripped!!! I figure it out and 6 laps into the race (14 laps total I think) our cars slowed down to half speed, so for the final 6 or 8 laps no one was fast enough to pass anyone else!!! I started in 9th place and moved up to 4th place when they shut the power down. So basically more than half of the last race that I paid $50 for was like riding a bike in the park!!! I asked when it was over why they shut us down. He said there was too much bumping. So instead of throwing out the single individual that was bumping into everyone, they instead ended the experience for all 9 racers on the track. The kid who bumped into everyone bumped into the 3rd place guy, spun him out and rolled past 1st and 2nd when they slowed everything down, so he wound up in 1st and since we were all too slow to pass, the one that was bumping into everyone received the first place trophy as a reward!!! Total ripoff!!! If you end up running with more than half a dozen people, just ask for a refund and leave instead of wasting your time and money driving 10 mph on a race track for 10 minutes!!! Cant imagine ever going back unless it was free and all I was wasting was my time and no money!!! read more

This was a great, fun, family outing! I have older kids now and it's challenging to find something we can all do together without hearing them crab about it. We will return here in the future. We went in the afternoon so we didn't have to wait too long. They helped us out right away, explained the money part to us and helped us register. Then we had an orientation about what to watch for (the flags) and operating the vehicle. Next came the helmets and we had to put that sock thing on our faces first. We all got a really good laugh out of that. We all (6 of us) got to race together the first time which was fun, although I got the blue flag (you're too slow, hang on the right) a little too much. I sat out of the next race and there were a few non-family members with my kids. One was a total asshole and rammed 2 of my kids and the other 2 people were even slower than me! You just never know who you are going to have to deal with, but an asshole on a race track? Really? read more

When you're with friends and bored on a weeknight, go to K1! A group of us walked in and had what I can only label an epic time. We did a Grand Prix. The track and cars seemed very well cared for. The bar has a great view and drinks. I could even see me and the girls gathering there while the guys beat their chests over manly racing. But as a lady, I didn't feel out of place as K1 seems to have considered that not just men would walk through the door. We even ordered food... It being a go kart place, I wasn't sure what to expect, so when the food came and was correct AND tasty, well, that's a win in and of itself. I can't say enough good things. The staff were nowhere near as negative as some past reviews said, so I'd recommended going back and trying K1 again. Tom, the manager, was really nice and I didn't feel like he was trying to rush away as I chatted with him - though I'm sure he is really busy running a place like K1 . From our experience, the staff were attentive and friendly. Gotta give a shout out to Brittany and Max, who were awesome. See you guys again, soon! read more

I have been coming here for a good while now to race, and as always the cashiers at the front counter are very friendly, and always eager to help you with any needs you may have. Out on the track, the track staff are very professional and helpful, and they keep the races flowing in a timely manner even on very busy days. I am very happy with my experiences here at K1 Speed in Addison, IL and will continue to come back for my racing crave. read more

So much fun! The employee are friendly and very helpful with picking out a helmet size and getting the helmet on and off. Mario Kart Vibez

Our boys love this place. Carts are usually working great. They've got a good system in regards to getting the next race ready etc. So why the bad grade? This place is absolutely filthy on the outside. It's littered with cigarette butts, beer cans and alcohol bottles. I understand that there's only so much you can do to watch the parking lot, but how about have someone clean up a little bit. Not a welcoming way to walk up. Next. When it's busy you have to wait upwards of an hour. I totally get it. I'm also relatively ok with the fact that their video games will be expensive. I think its crappy but I get it. But today the token machines were broken and almost all of the games were broken. I mean c'mon! Next. The place is hooked up to a sports bar/restaurant. They've got foosball, shuffleboard, pool, bags and plenty of tvs. Thoughts be nice to order some food and watch ESPN while we wait. The problem is that no one works there so everything's closed. They'd get a 0 star rating if the carts weren't so fun. We're gonna try a different place next time. Amendment.... We've been here for an hour and a half. They are running 30 minutes behind on schedule. This place stinks. read more

I am very happy to have stopped here before my flight back to Virginia. I just raced in the 1st ever American electric kart championship at Accelerate indoor speedway of Mokena. A nice facility with OTL karts with a slippery track and inconsistent karts. Here at K1 it was the total opposite with karts, man these karts handle and stick to the track like glue with great electric power. All the employees were great to chat with, Ben the manager really answered all of my questions great and I wish I lived closer to race here more. As a league racer I highly recommend K1 for your karting speed needs. read more

Best ever indoor karting,a lot of fun and is very addictive,everyone from the staff is ready to help and are very helpful,sometimes it's get really busy but everyone will get their adrenaline rush.Girls from the front desk are always positive with nice sense of humor especially Clarice,Analy and Ceci. read more

Just know that this place is extremely expensive. Most go-karting places you can do a foursome for around $30. We did a three some for $80. Once we got on the track it was alright, the go-karts are fast and all, but boy did our time go fast for $80. read more

I wish there was an option for 0 stars. We were waiting for 2hrs and we were told it should take 10 mins. When I tried to call they said reservations were not available. When we got there the people that had been there after us went and we were told that they had reserved the next 3 hours!?! So we left with a refund and pissed. Do not recommend this place. read more

Came here for a bachelor party, had a great time. The instruction was great, girl didn't mind a bunch of 40 years olds were here to screw off. Wait wasn't to bad especially since we had a few late arrivals. Racing was fun, it was my first time. I am the idiot who hit the gas and the brake at the same time, and caused my car to stall. After the first race I got a better handle on the controls and steering wheel. Second race was a lot of fun, someone got flagged for something a few times. I got flagged for not breaking on a turn...whatever. Third race was great, I got bumped and fell behind. everyone was laughing including me. the rest of the race I was trying to catch up and I got flagged to slow down on turns or something, I didn't care. Cant drink when you have a wristband on. I wanted to keep the mask but they wouldn't let me :( Lot of fun especially once I got used to the steering and the gas/brake situation. I would definitely go back. read more

Ahhh, go-karts. It's a rush of an experience and the perfect place to hang with your bros for special occasions - or any given Sunday. This is the first time I'd been to a "high-speed", indoor track. I have to say, it was a pretty awesome experience! Since I'm not a gear-head, I'm not into the overwhelming smell of fumes and oil. So, the fact that this facility uses clean electric cars was pretty amazing. Quiet acceleration? CHECK! No fire suits to make you sweat like crazy? CHECK! The only real down side is that they can throttle the cars anyway they want wirelessly. So when a noob like me is in your race and I spin out at full speed on a tight corner, or just generally seem to be driving crazy (years of Mario Kart training), they'll slow everyone down and ruin that record you were aiming for. I have to say that we had three races and had a hard time getting them to line us up on the second track after having been twice on the first. The process seemed a bit haphazard. Over all, it was a pretty decent experience. read more

terrible response when called in to ask for a reserved time- I was told to 'show up' at 8 pm when it's slower, we arrived at 8 pm and was then told the only open time slot is at 9;45 "but we close at 10 anyway. come back another time". Oddly enough, both the parking lot and waiting room areas were empty!!! I had a great time dealing with disappointed children, thank you K1 for the aggravation. read more

I sent my husband and dad racing for Father's Day. The place is very sleek and clean. The carts are electric so there is no smell or exhaust at all. They have a nice area for spectators so we could watch and cheer them on, which my young kids really enjoyed. Even the bathrooms were nice and clean. The guys had a great time racing. The staff did a nice job of crowd control, keeping them informed of when it was their turn and giving them choices as to who they raced with (letting them know if they were going to be paired up with younger guys, new racers, etc). They can control the carts remotely so they turned down the speed the first race to let them get the hang of it - the guys' only complaint was they didn't tell them that so on the second race they turned it up and it changed their technique for the turns. Races are a bit pricey but for a special occasion its worth it. They also had a separate track for younger racers and were advertising birthday parties - how awesome would that be for a preteen boy?? read more

We had a great time racing here! Everything seemed very organized and clean. They had a lot of great options for my son as well. Definitely will be back! read more

Tried to make a reservation for my son and 3 friends and they said "you shouldn't need one, besides we don't take reservations for parties that small." Apparently, the person I was speaking to didn't have a clue. When we went they told us, this is our busiest day of the week. It will be a 3.5 hr wait! Sharing that kind of helpful information would have allowed us to arrive at opening and make my sons day! Or maybe having a call ahead would be a good idea? Either way, it will be a long time and must be offered at a discount, to make me spend my money here. read more

Had a fun time, it's a little pricey. Our bar tender Lillian was really cool and nice. I enjoyed talking to her !

Another great visit to K1 Chicago! Staff is very friendly and even gave me some pointers to get a little quicker this time. I have a ways to go before I can catch some of the guys that were racing tonight though. They were seriously fast. Good times nonetheless! And nothing like a cold beer after a bunch of races. This is always one of my highlights of traveling to Chicago. read more

My friends love this place, and the facilities are really too knotch. The crowd is very diverse and we have seen wedding parties, groups of highschoolers, and the occasional office group here. Everybody likes driving fast. I will warn you though, that if your group isn't big enough, they will match you with others. This isn't bad, but man are some people bad at driving. They always try to be safe, but that often results in having to slow everybody down to deal with new drivers. Also, there is a it of waiting around while your group sorts through the queu. There is also an arcade and party room, and I think K1 is optimized for very large events. read more

Had a great experience at K1 during our recent trip to the Chicago area. Great deals, excellent service and very professional. Looking forward to a K1 opening near Indianapolis. read more

K1 Speed Addison - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Addison, Illinois

Pretty expensive. Don't always serve food, call first to see if their kitchen is open. My husband and I brought the grandkids, thinking that I'd eat with Kacey while Jake raced with papa... the boys had fun... Kacey and I didn't. The manager wouldn't let me bring in a sandwich from next door for kacey, which I didn't understand considering they had no food. read more

Fun, but a few drawbacks... This was my first time doing anything like this before. I went as a work outing for my job so we had a group of 11 of us. We asked to be split up each race (its more fun to have 5-6 people out there at a time instead of 11), which they did. I had a hard time hearing the workers often, speaking up would have helped immensely. But we managed. I really had a great time for the most part though. I think the biggest thing I was suprised/disappointed in was the way that after a race they would slow down the carts and speed them up with NO warning. This resulted in the person in front of mine's cart stopping out of nowhere so I slammed on my breaks. The person behind my cart was still at top speed and hit me at full speed. I now have two giant welts on my back from this crash. It really hurt :( I just think having some carts stopped and some going top speed is incredibly dangerous. Other than that, I enjoyed myself a lot here. read more

My fiance and I have been here a few times. Last time we were there there wasn't whirly ball and all the jazz going on. We came on a Sunday with a group to celebrate my fiance's birthday. We presented two very expired Groupons that we thought we could use the promotional value towards the bill. We were told we couldn't. I kindly pointed out the sentence on the physical Groupon that says the value NEVER expires- still told no. Okay, we paid and raced and had a good day. I work with costumer service so I understand things happen, people just aren't trained and respond with what they think is right. A few days later I sent an email about the situation explaining that we bought the groupons will full intent of using them promptly, but deaths in the family slowed down our lives. That same day Jason called me directly, explained what happened and what SHOULD have happened. Apologized. Gave us the groupon deal to use toward our next visit. We had a great time. Sure the wait can be long...but the facility is immaculate. The karts are maintained. Equipment is clean. Yes the prices are a little higher than some other places, but you leave without your hair smelling like gasoline and fumes. While watching other races I saw some people spin out and block the track...the guys are quick on their feet to slow down the race and get people organized to continue. I've been to other places where spinning out can be terrifying because the other karts AREN'T slowing down and plow right in to you. So if you're driving like a jerk don't be surprised if you get some attitude. Conclusion: This place is great for races. And costumer service is top notch. 10/10 would burn some rubber here again. read more

It was a fun time but the start of the day ruined the experience. I was with a group and one person from our group was unable to attend. We were forced to pay an extra $65 for that extra person. Our group still rode the track alone and K1 Speed was not out anything for this person not being able to attend. read more

Semi fast karts but don't expect to have a good competition with good competitive friends who have experience with Competitive Go Karting. if your being a defensive driver with not allowing them to get the inside and your bumper to bumper they'll slow you down sand let the person pass you. They base everything on time so if your mindset is on how race car driving or competitive Go Karting is with how you defend someone trying to pass you on the inside throw that out the window. But they also aren't consistent (meaning you could get right behind the person who were just allowed to pass you and they won't ask them to let you then pass. There also is no drifting which is hard not to do around corners when your going at top speed. It was a very frustrating experience! Had three laps in between two people one in front of me and one behind me, all of us bumper to bumper and I was made to slow down and let the person behind me pass even though I was behind someone. And then had to race the last three laps then right behind both of them. Any minor contact between two karts on turns they might stop. If you have young kids deff. Take them but for the experience drivers it's not worth it with the rules they have. read more

This was the worse FIRST EXPERIENCE I've ever had! I was so excited to bring my family here and it was a complete waste of time. The customer service reps at the front desk was very rude and impatient with us! She was not knowledgeable at all or at least wasn't willing to educate us on how the place was ran. I felt like my dollar wasn't appreciated here and might I add we spent $200 for just that one hour we were there. Hospitality was TERRIBLE! We will never return read more

this place is awesome, we only had time to race once, and at the price, that's enough. 5 of us spent over 125 dollars for 15 minutes of super fast racing. Wish there was some better package offers for kids! read more

K1 Speed Addison - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Addison, Illinois

Call ahead or come late at night. The wait can be pretty long during peak hours. Staff is friendly. Karts have a pretty large variance. Some work better than others. Make sure to point out problems to the staff so they can address them. Just frustrating to not have consistency. Make sure to pay attention to the briefing and to the flags while on course. Move aside for faster drivers and be aware of your surroundings. It can be pricey. But the facility is clean and organized. The electric karts are clean, torque, and quick. The bar and food here are decent. It's a fun place to hang out. There are comfy couches to sit around. There are pool tables. They even have whirly ball! read more

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Been Been to k1 Speed a few times at both addison and buffalo grove with friends and family, had fun, clean karts, clean well presented building, with plenty of lights, staff has been so so nothing to really complain about so I havnt written any reviews till now. So after a couple trips with family I decided to go try and run the adult league races. They run these on the first Sunday of every month, it's usually people who are into "real racing" with no limiters on, there is usually 10 of us that come out and run the league races and it's really competitive. They keep points, with two 14 lap qualifing races based on time and a 16 lap positon race for 50$ which is honestly the best form of low costs racing (try owning a race car or even a race kart it all adds up fast and even before you hit the race track with a very small percentage of a return and usually only if you win) . Pretty well organized, and trophies handed out to the top 3 finishers. So I make the 50 mile ride to addison (it's slightly closer then buffalo grove, but still a 100 mile round trip) from northwest indiana to addison, been racing the 2nd season this year, and tonight was race 4 of 6. Qualified fast time by only a tenth of a second. So I start on the pole for the race, everything's going along well 2nd place breathing down my neck for the lead. Then there was a yellow with about 4 laps left. They get everyone straightened out and we go back to racing, only my kart never really took off, almost like the limiter was still on I was now able to flat foot all around the track and 2nd place was now bumping me. I put up my arms to the race director named Max as the new leader was leaving me in the dust. Max flagged me the winner due to him thinking 2nd place passed me under yellow. So me and the other guy explained what happened to Max and we offered a 5 lap shootout race between us in new karts to determine the winner. Max was all for it as long as his boss was okay with it. We were given the ok and max was informed to give us the best karts they had that day and instead of a 5 lap shootout we were given 8 laps. So the other guy (Norbert I believe was his name) and I went out and raced side by side, bumper to bumper, with a few passes back and forth cleanly for 8 laps, and I got the win barely. It was the perfect way to handle the situation, both racers were happy to have the chance to settle it the right way without any mishaps or kart failure and really race for the win, was a lot of fun and can't wait till November 2 for the next one. I do have one small complaint and it's about the karts, just saw a couple karts where the tires were bad on them, the cords were showing. Other then that I always enjoy coming here with family and friends, and of course for the league races. read more