I often wonder what racing car drivers do with their free time, especially at Christmas – yes I know I need to get out a little more.
Many, I feel, simply spend time with their families, relaxing and rejuvenating, some may fish or play golf, oh and maybe they have a drink or two, but as I found out, they do what comes naturally, they race.
With the new Game Over Auckland family entertainment centre opening up on my doorstep over the Xmas break, I headed over to see what it was all about. With state of the art electric go karts, indoor mini golf, laser tag and arcade games, Game Over offers an adrenaline release for the whole family. As luck would have it, I caught up with the manager and racing driver Daniel Gaunt and he invited my family and I to a pre-opening event on Boxing day, he also said there may be a few other friends along to join us.
We arrived a little early and things were already beginning to warm up. Nick Brown (from The Sound) was the first familiar face I was. After that, it became a bit of a who’s who of current NZ motor racing celebs.
Two of the Evans brothers, (Mitch and Simon), Shane Van Gisbergen and Scott Dixon to name but a few. They were all going to take to the track and were to be joined by little old me too.
Friendly banter ensued but I thought there was a hint of tension in the air – maybe that was just me.
The Karts were fast and the course was complex, slippery on one side and more grip down the other. Overtaking areas were limited – apart from when you are shunted out of the way (not sure which enthusiastic driver can claim doing that to me), so bragging rights were to be based around lap times.
We took to the track three times and each lap became a little more competitive and a lot faster, it’s safe to say that great fun was had by all – including the kids, as Game Over offers karts for children 7-12 years old too.
Best lap time honours fell to SVG I am reliably informed but I for one will be back to have a crack at beating it.
So if you want to know what NZ racing car drivers do on their Xmas break? T
