Podium Raceway Hawaii Electric Indoor Go-Kart Racing

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The line-up

If it’s not the beach or a hike, it’s the water park. If it’s not the water park, it’s the mall. If it’s not the mall, it’s likely at home sleeping, but if you’re not in the mood for sleep, you can try out the newest attraction to hit the Oahu — Podium Raceway Hawaii, just minutes from the heart of Kapolei in Kalaeloa.

The island’s first indoor electric go-kart racing facility, Podium Raceway Hawaii offers thrill-seekers a chance to go head-to-head against the clock at speeds worthy of H1 freeway.

With the potential to reach speeds in excess of 45 mph, these top-of-the-line, Italian made electric go-karts are built for speed and performance. With a price tag of about $15,000 a pop, Podium Raceway Co-Owner Mark Jeffries opted for the best.

“People come out here for the speed,” Jeffries said. “They want to race in quality go-karts and they won’t be satisfied if they don’t get that.”

A Southern California native, Jeffries moved to the islands four years ago and couldn’t see living without the in-door go-kart craze.

A year-and-a-half in the making, Jeffries along with his partners, secured the lease on the 44,000-square-foot building and gave it a complete makeover with refinished floors, freshly painted walls and a new air conditioning system to keep things cool.

The family-friendly Podium Raceway Hawaii offers pizza by the slice, arcade games for the kids and will soon be building an adjoining restaurant for patrons to past the time and grab a bite while waiting for their race.

Adults pay $25 for a 14 lap race and $20 for a Juniors 9 lap race. Racing times are logged electronically and can be sent directly to your Facebook wall or sent directly to your registered e-mail account.

The most fun I’ve had in a while, Podium Raceway Hawaii is a great attraction for Hawaii. Here’s a look at the facility and interview with Jeffries along with some sweet on-board video footage:

On-board video was shot with a suction-cup mounted GoPro HD Hero Motorsports rig rented from Josh at Hawaii Photo Rental. Additional video was shot with the Canon 5DMKII in 1080p HD.

The song used in the video is called “Stolen Car” courtesy of The Throwdowns. They’re a talented bunch of musicians from Maui, and they were kind enough to give us permission to use their awesome track in our video. Show them some love at www.TheThrowdowns.com and follow them on twitter @TheThrowdowns.