Residents looking to fulfill that urge to drive fast can now do so in a place where there is no fear of speeding tickets.

Chicago Indoor Racing is an adult-oriented go-kart track and gaming facility at 2381 W. Army Trail Road, Addison.

The 105,000-square-foot facility features a track, where cars feature a 200cc engine and can go up to 35 miles per hour.

The facility also has a number of other entertainment options, such as billiard tables, arcade games, a restaurant and bar, and CyberSport, a revised version of WhirlyBall.
CIR also has a facility in Buffalo Grove.

Mayor Larry Hartwig and the Addison Village Board have been excited about CIR, saying it will provide another unique entertainment option, like Dave & Buster’s, for residents and visitors in the community.

“We are very pleased to have them in village,” Hartwig said. “We have been building kind of an entertainment corridor in that area of the village with such businesses as Dave & Buster’s, The Golf Dome, Stardust Bowl and, now, Chicago Indoor Racing. They fit right in nicely.”

Anthony Stewart, chief executive officer of CIR, said the business is geared to adults, and caters to group settings such as corporate outings, parties and meetings.

“We do accept walk-in traffic, but the majority of our business comes from scheduled group events,” he said. “We want people to come here and have a wide variety of options.

“We provide meeting places, catering and restaurants and game rooms, as well as cart-racing.”

According to Stewart, more than 60 percent of his business is corporate and community group outings that use the facility for several hours.

While speed is part of the fun, all drivers must be 18 or older, wear protective gear and helmets, and have a valid driver’s license to race. All first-time drivers must also take a half-hour course on how to operate the cars.

CIR provides all drivers with the necessary equipment for racing, including abrasion-resistant suits, helmets and neck braces.

When a racer arrives at the facility, he or she signs in. Individuals who have raced before are given a spot in the next race and can compete with up to 25 other drivers. Most races are 75 laps.

New drivers first attend the safety course, then are assigned to a race.

Most drivers participate in a three-race circuit, which totals an hour of track time, Stewart said.

Drivers can keep track of their scores as they are automatically saved on car sensors. They can then go onto the CIR Web site and view them anytime.

Drivers also can participate in specialty races such as monthly run-offs, Ironman and team endurance races.  

The facility operates on a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to alcohol. Last year, when Addison granted the business a license to serve liquor, Police Chief Tim Hayden said it was one of the most extreme businesses he has ever seen when it comes to making sure patrons are not impaired.

CIR also has a junior program for racers ages 7 to 17, which runs drivers through a two-day school to teach them about safety, then lets them race with peers of their own skill levels.

“This isn’t like driving bumper cars at Chuck E. Cheese’s; it’s much more than that,” Stewart said. “The juniors use the same cars as the adults do.

“The idea is not to dumb-down the cars, but to teach (juniors) about how to race with those cars safely.”