Perfect service quick and easy! Russell was extremely friendly and very knowledgeable about K1! If your looking for a fun date night come here. read more

This is a two-part review. First was the reservations. I wanted to throw a surprise party for my boyfriend so I called about two weeks ahead of time and a wonderful (and very patient) lady named Kelly didn't even make me go online to register, she did everything for me over the phone. She responded almost immediately to every email I sent her afterwards, and answered all of my incessant questions. She even helped me out the morning of the party when I called in a panic to let her know that not 9 but 12 people would be attending (ages 23-32). If you're having a party, just pay the extra fee for your own 'Mini-Grand Prix'. IT. IS. SO. WORTH. IT. It's an amazing experience to have with your loved ones and friends, and it helps fuel the competitive spirit. Second was the actual party. We walked through the double doors and saw a large, friendly sign that says 'Sign in here for First-time Racers.' Perfect and very self-explanatory. We all signed in, payed for our two races (individually) and had a nice man named Scott Russel give us a small safety brief, before putting on our helmets and sitting down for our race. Now I might sound biased, since I won first place, but this is the most fun I've had since my 16th birthday party at Disneyland. After the race, they gave us medals according to position and even took photos for us on the podiums, double checking if they could do anything else for us. YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME! We will be back very soon!! (A side note to those complaining about wait time. Much like ALL COMPANIES, it's first come/first serve. They only have one track so if you don't have the brains to call ahead, that's not their fault. They can't help those who won't help themselves.) read more

Such a fun place to go to. My husband and I love going here. The staff is always friendly especially Shelby! Will definitely be going back.

This place is THE BEST....best track, best karts, best staff....everyone is great and so helpful, this track is nice and W--I--D--E meaning there are no choke points and you can pretty much pass anywhere and everywhere. The shifter karts are so much faster and better handling than the other karts (I prefer to keep them in automatic, seems to work better for me) and it's well worth the drive. Call ahead, make sure there's no group or private party which adds a huge wait time to the experience but still.... A+A+A+A+A+A read more

Today was my first time here at k1 n it was amazing. Marilyn helped us at the counter n was very helpful for our first time. She did not rush us off but was very informative with everything. I will definitely be coming back read more

Adrenaline rush, this place will get you pumped and in the mood for racing. Came here with a friend, signing up and paying was very simple. We did have to wait 45 minutes but it was a Saturday afternoon. The staff was friendly and helpful, especially if you have little ones. They will teach and guide them how to work the kart. Price was $35 for 2 races which is 14 laps each, plus if it's your first time there is a $7 license fee. Overall very fun time and got a little competitive towards the end. read more

I had a great 11th birthday party at K-1 Speed for my son. Admittedly, it was an expensive party but karting is not a cheep hobby/sport. The employees were helpful and the party went off without a hitch. All the kids had a great time. Best part was that the "birthday boy" won far and square. :) read more

Love it! Took my son the last two weeks. We were prepared for the possible long waits from reading the yelp reviews so having a 3 hour 20 minute wait was not a huge surprise. We just left and came back later. The whole sign in and check in system could probably be improved a lot. One of those six sigma black belts could come in and have a field day with it. Hopefully they will tinker with the system to make things more efficient and maybe even add an online reservation system with an app, but we will still keep going back even without it. Take a peek at some of the celebrity race results on the wall. Pretty cool. I think one of them was from Juan Montoya who somehow didn't win his race (came in 3rd) read more

My son wanted to go to K1 for his birthday. We had plans later in the day and I know sometimes you have to wait a long time at K1 so we got there half an hour before they opened to make sure we would be first in line. We were the first ones to the counter when the doors opened. Expecting my kids could zip in for their race right away, I was hugely disappointed to be told there was a pre-booked group so we would have to wait an hour and a half for our first race. We were not able to wait that line and had to leave with my little one in tears. (You are not able to make reservations unless you have a group of 8 or more.) I feel strongly that if they are going to essentially close down the track for groups, that information should be available on their website so people who aren't part of a large group can plan their trip accordingly. The website said they opened at 11:00, but in reality, they were not open until 12:30 when their group was finished. The manager was extremely unapologetic and simply stated that "corporate" was responsible for what went on the website and corporate did not want to put this type of information on the website because they might lose business. I would not shop at a store that said store hours started at 11, but then once I had driven half an hour to get to the store and waited half an hour for the store to open, told me they wouldn't really be opening until 12:30 and I don't intend to go to K1 again for the same reason. read more

I do not recommend K1 to anyone who values their time or likes to drive fast. Another disappointing experience for what will be my last visit to K1 Speed. My continual complaint is that the wait is too long for the experience offered. The most recent visit had an ever increasing wait time that ended up being over two hours (and I still didn't have the opportunity to drive)but was going to be on-track for four hours by the time my second race would have finished. This wait is on top of the drive out to Carlsbad and after the ~10 minute check in process (with a K1 license). I cannot blame anyone for this problem other than the management of the facility. I lost count of the four cars per heat they released. Endless wait times aside, the carts are not the fastest you will find but racing around with friends and family can be fun. The track is basic and does offer a double apex turn but overall is not challenging. Designs are relatively stagnant unless you consider a reverse course different or challenging. I ended up getting a refund and turning in my K1 driver's license. I do not recommend K1 to anyone who values their time or likes to drive fast. read more

I LOVE this place. I haven't driven a go-cart since I was a kid and this track brought back so many good memories. I've been studying hard in school and needed a break and this was the perfect release. Brainless, innocent fun. I recommend this for EVERYONE. read more

I had a great time at the K1 speed location in carlsbad. The customer service was great and the wait wasn't long at all. My friends and I did two races and had a blast. We will all be coming back soon! read more

K1 Carlsbad is an awesome family fun destination in the San Diego area. With some of the most inviting personnel on staff. If you have questions...they are there for you. A lot of the regulars at this location are more than happy to help out anyone who would need a little racing Instruction. If you wanna see how good you are come out to a monthly GP and race against the best racers of any location. If you got it maybe racing is for you. read more

Great track!!! The staff are very knowledgeable and helpful. It's a great way to spend the weekend :) music is also great. I love all the different food and drinks as well, and all the games while you wait!!! read more

Amazing customer service and such a great experience! The staff went above and beyond to accommodate our big group and help us soak up every bit of the experience. This will definitely be the location we keep going back to. Fantastic track and new, fast cars! Highly recommend going to this location!! read more

I will never return to K1 Speed in Carlsbad. I bought a Groupon and took my grade school aged sons to K-1 on a week-end morning. The facility is run by irresponsible employees and the drivers are reckless and hostile to novice drivers. One employee ignored one of my son's request for help with his helmet. When my son was run off the course and hit a wall his helmet flew off. The three of us were targeted by regulars. We were rammed into, and cut-off. When I complained the staff acknowledged this happens, but did nothing. A father of one of the teen drivers who targeted one of my sons told me my son was a bad driver and deserved to be rammed. I pre=paid for multiple runs, so I tried a second run when I saw that the main perpetrators were not running the second race. The same thing happened, and to make matters worse one of the people who rear-ended me on purpose was a K-1 employee. On top of that, K-1 posts results of each race at the facility and emails them to all drivers and uses your actual name you provide when signing up and signing waiver forms. The drivers who targeted me and my sons now have my name. K-1 should ask for an alias or warn customers it will share your name with other drivers. I felt like I put me and my sons' life and well-being at risk and I strongly encourage anyone who is not an experienced driver to avoid K-1. Worst outing ever with my sons. read more

What a waste of money! The employees rigged the race with their remote control of the Karts at a birthday party I hosted. complaints to management just confirmed that they do not care about your after they get their money. Over $350 out of pocket and nothing but upset teenagers over a rigged race. I go to Pole position now and they know that people are there to race and not to have their egos stroked on their birthday. Or just stay at the tracks with gas Karts so no fools can rig the race! read more

I recently went to K1 for a day of cart racing and was pleasantly surprised. There are typically a couple large groups that you have to sift through to get to your race but at K1 they spread out the crowd in a very efficient way. The track and ambiance is much better than some of the smaller named outfits in San Diego and I was very happy with the performance of the carts too. The only downside was that the staff could have been a little more helpful in navigating the best line through the track. read more

I loved it. It's great for social gatherings and parties. Just 3 problems, the wait, customer service, and price. Always come on the weekdays or reserve your spots because from Friday-Sunday, it's always packed. Aside from that, the price is crazy high. However, I personally think it's worth it because you have a awesome time racing and create new memories. I would definitely recommend going here if you don't mind the price. read more

Went go karting for the second time and the first time gong 'twas fine. So I was racing and the brake stopped working and I crashed right into the wall. That made me angry. And top top it all off I herd the cash register person tell my cousin that I was retarded and I was holding onto the acceleration pedal! Terrible people if u ask me! read more

Had a blast, great service I would recommend this place to anyone to have a good time and meet new people!!!! Can't wait to go back

I've been coming to this place for years, sure the wait times for races can get a little long but the building is very accommodating. There's plenty of arcade games to play while you wait. The staff here are always happy friendly and eager to help. It's a great place to come with friends for friendly competition. read more

Instant torque makes the karts feel super fast! Making it super easy to achieve the thrill of wheel to wheel racing. 4 stars because everyone always seems so rushed working there. read more

Scott Black was awesome!! Super helpful. I came with a bunch of kids and he made the experience easy and fun!! The kids had a blast!!

I love this place. I brought my nephew here for a fun time, I absolutely loved this place it was beyond fun and very reasonably when it came to the price , the only issue I have had here was the second time I've been here. My first visit was on a Saturday and I was helped by 2 girls very nice and as my nephew kept wanting snacks from the snack bar I didn't want to frustrate her and I was wrong she was very very kind and helpful about how the race works and what not . Very sweet girls , but i went in today Sunday a week later and I was helped by a different girl dark brown hair with tattoos and she had a accent and she was rude from the beginning , she had a nasty tone so I ignored it. I am hanging around the gates to be called when the guy who announces the names calls me up and asks what my name is with a nasty tone as well as if he was bothered. I tell him my name and he responds and the kids? Very rude and seemed like he hated his job those two rude employees ruined my experience . I wish I would have gotten his name, no name tags ! They really need to train these employees so have a better attitude, it's a family place take your snobby attitude else where . read more

Spent a Saturday evening with friends of at K1 Speed for a birthday get together. We had reserved t time for that night becuase we had a large group of people. We got a package deal for a group of 12 people (12 carts max per race). It was 60 bucks per person which I thought was a bit steep but afterward I was ok with it becuase it was a lot of fun. So we got three races in the package, a warm up, a qualifying, and a final race. Each race last about 15 mins and the computer system they have keep record of your lap times and shows it on a big screen that you can see each time you come aroudn the track.which is very cool. At the end of each race you get a print out that shows you exactly how fast each lap was so we can strategize for the next race, I am pretty competitive so that what I used it for anyway. The carts were pretty damn fast and when you get them in the corners you can really feel the speed. I had a great time and the staff was great too. We actually had 13 people in our group but they left us switch out drives each race to that everyone got a turn. I would love to go back at some point, I think its a great event to plan with friends. read more

This is a very nice, clean place to take kids or friends to for a good time. The service is pretty good, but it seems a bit disorganized. It is also extremely expensive - we paid over $150 for 5 people to race once. I'm sure they have a high overhead because of the cost of the cars, insurance, facility, staff, etc. But when the race is only about 15 minutes (after waiting for over an hour for our race), it was more than we planned to spend. AFTER we paid, the gal informed us that our youngest daughter had to race by herself because of her age, which put her in tears. That should have been told to us up front!! So we had to pay for another race so our son could go with her in her group. Argh. It was a huge hassle and wasted time and money just because the cashier didn't think to say something to us and there was nothing posted. They require you to get a "driver's license" which is basically a plastic membership card, then charge you for it - and since we didn't plan to come back we all tossed them in the trash on our way out anyway. If you are just watching, there really isn't a good area to watch except a small section of railing before the first turn. A viewing platform like some of the other places would be a big improvement. We didn't eat or drink there, but the facilities were clean and well maintained. As I said, it is a lot of money for 15 minutes and we were there standing around for most of the time. Everyone enjoyed the racing part, once we got on the track. My suggestion is to do your research so you know what you will spend before you go. read more

K1 Speed is a great place, aside from the prices to race ($20.00 individually). You also have to purchase a $6.00 "license" that has no actual purpose, it's just to make more profit. Other than that my boyfriend and our 6 year old son had a blast here! My son is already asking if we can go back next weekend :) read more

I took a group of 8 on a business outing, pre set up pizza and Salad along with the races. We went midweek, crowds were not a problem. The staff was awesome and treated us super well attending to our every needs. Well done by all. read more

Got a great Groupon for 2 races for 2 people. Jeremy was awesome. carts are a lot better than the last time I came they even have turbo

Great fun for our team event, even though I didn't take 1st place! Seth and Preston were welcoming hosts who focused on safety, but also gave us detailed advice on how to get our fastest possible times! Thanks! read more

All K1's are not created equal. I usualy go to the one close to down town SD which is much more fun but since we were close to this one why not.......... There karts are garbage, seats are ridiculously small (no im not over weight) you are over 5 foot 10 forget about being comfortable in the karts. There were gas pedal issues and the harness will break your ballz. So besides the fact that karts are garbage good luck trying to carry any speed into any of the corners (yes i know what a race line is and have driven actual cars on a real track) the tires are clearly worn out and the track is beyond slippery clearly its not one of there high speed tracks but damn!! I thought I might have been being a bit critical untill i scrolled thru the other reviews and read about the crashes its not because of the drivers its the whole set up of this place. I do not recommend this K1 there are better K1's and other go kart places in SD TO SPEND YOUR MONEY. read more

People were rude except for the cashier. The guys on the track were kinda assholes. People who work there shouldn't be allowed to race because me and my friends felt like they slowed just our cars down the whole time when I was obeying the rules. Made me very mad. Never will I go to this location again. read more

The go carts have batteries with unequal capacities leading some carts to go faster than others. Consequently, there is no way to fairly gage your ability and have fair races. Someone always gets hosed with a slow cart. read more

The layout of the track is short and technical which offers great racing. Though, there are multiple issues regarding how the karts are maintained, and how the league races are monitored. There are a number of karts that have hydraulic brake issues. For the average enthusiast, kids, and one-timers this means you're in for a surprise when you put your foot down on the brakes and find yourself speeding toward the wall still (result: crash or spinout). For the racers who go there often, you'll know to double pump the brake if you know which kart is crap. But you should also know this should be a simple fix by bleeding the brakes. K1 has yet to fix the issue. I'm assuming their maintenance schedule is either off track or lack communication with other locations nearby to get assistance. Lastly, there is only a green and checkered flag at K1. And if you're a bump, spin, and pass kinda driver you'll love it. No rules, no worries. And good luck trying to beat that kid that's maybe 8 years old (power to weight ration inequality plus against K1 rules to run a kid underage). I had high expectations of k1 no doubt, but that's just me and this location lacked what I was looking for. K1 is a good place to experience karting for the first time, but there are better leagues and competition elsewhere. read more

Yesterday I took my 8th grader to drive go-carts at K1 Speed in Carlsbad with a few of his buddies for a 14th birthday celebration. The boys were very excited especially since a few had never visited. As usual, the staff was friendly and helpful. The facility is clean with plenty of space to watch or hang out in between races. The place was practically empty so my 5 drivers didn't wait long and two additional adult drivers, "Jeff" and "Justin" (who I was told were employees) were added to the race. The boys had a good first race but the second race was a bit rough for the kids as a few additional adults were added to the 2nd race. My birthday boy kept coming in 3rd so I asked 2 of the employees to please allow them to race without Jeff and Justin for the boys final race but my request was ignored. The 3rd race was kind of brutal as the men were bumping, impatient to pass, shaking their heads at the younger boys ... finally Jeff bumps my son's cart spinning him and hurting his arm and head. The birthday boy tried to shake it off but I am disgusted by these employees who must feel so big now at the expense of some really great 8th grade kids. read more

Horrible wait time, numerous people that came after went before our small group of 4 when they had same about of people or more. Worst customer service I have experienced in a very long time. read more

so fun. go there after the bar and its legal DUI!

This place is great for special events, but terrible for just showing up to race. Never come here without calling first to make sure your type of race is available. On their website are hours they are closed for special events, but they do not cover them all. For example if there is a kid's party going on, then there are no walk-in junior races until the party ends. Special events happen so often on weekend afternoons that all the races are frequently full in advance during the short hours they are open. read more

We went for Christmas night it was a Great time. Great staff! Jeremy, Amanda, Kirstie, Alexis & Kyle