For a pair of self-professed motorsport enthusiasts, it was the perfect partnership.
It was 2010 and Ryan Fischer had just moved back to the Lower Mainland from North Carolina, where he raced cars professionally.
With his racing days in the rearview mirror, he was looking towards his next venture.
“I wasn’t really sure what I was going to do after I moved back,” he said.
Soon after, Fischer met Dave Hik.
Hik’s love of motorsports began with dirt bikes when he was younger and only grew from there.
“We had mutual friends who brought us together through motorsports,” Hik explained.
“That is how it started. And from there, pretty much everything we liked, was the same.
“The need for speed, or the adrenalin rush, whatever you want to call it.”
Even before he met Hik, Fischer had been brainstorming ideas revolving around an outdoor go-kart track, so he approached Hik who had a synthetic turf business at the time.
And while that idea failed to gain momentum, the pair eventually came up with a plan to open an indoor karting facility.
This weekend, Langley’s Fast Track Indoor Karting celebrates their two year anniversary.
“One of the biggest hurdles we had at the beginning— and this was really surprising to us — was how difficult it was to find a building,” Hik said.
The pair figure they found five or six buildings they made offers on to lease for their new business, but were rejected.
“But nobody wanted us. It was shocking. A year and a half of trying to find a business and getting turned down,” Hik said.
The main problem was that the potential landlords weren’t sold on renting to an indoor go-kart facility.
“Anybody that has it in their blood, (they) like to experience the adrenalin rush,” Hik explained.
“They don’t have to have a hot rod at home.”
They finally found their current location, in Langley at 5760 Production Way.
The first batch of go-karts they used when they opened back in 2014 were ones they picked up at a local auction, but those were replaced last year.
“They had outrun their shelf life long before we got them but they were something that got us going,” Fischer said.
They currently use Sodi RT8 karts which can reach top speeds of 75 kilometres per hour.
Another way of keeping things fresh is changing the track.
Earlier this week, they shut down the business for a few days — normally it is open every day except for Christmas — to redesign the track completely.
They are scheduled to relaunch June 17 and will celebrate with prizes and giveaways this weekend.
“We will probably do this every two years, just to freshen it up and keep the excitement,” Fischer said.
They are also beautifying pit row and just giving everything a fresh new look.
The facility has two racing ovals: a junior/kids track for those 48 inches and taller and then the adult track, where riders must be 56 inches or taller.
All racers 18 and under are required to have a valid driver’s licence or have a parent or guardian signature on their waiver form.
The facility is open daily from 10 a.m. to midnight and they employ about 30 staff, full and part-time.
And in addition to drop-in, they also host parties, team building events, community groups, and more.
They also host 10-week racing leagues as well, with the next one slated to begin in October.
