SpeedZone Review

It happens virtually every weekend during the racing season -- we sit on the couch and watch as our heroes in (choose one: stock cars, Indy cars, dragsters) wheel their way to fame, fortune and glory. And truth be told, there's not one of us who hasn't thought that, given the chance, the smiling face staring back through the TV set from victory lane could be ours. If we only had the chance to prove it . . .

Well, maybe now you can. SpeedZone is an interactive motorsports attraction geared toward providing regular Joes (and Janes) like us the chance to get our speed thrills without risking life, limb or a weekend in jail.

Affiliated with the nationwide Malibu chain of driving attractions, SpeedZone is aimed squarely at the adult motorsports enthusiast. In fact, all participants must be legally licensed drivers before they're allowed to show their stuff on one of the four different tracks. Reinforcing the adult theme is SpeedZone's policy of closing the park to persons under the age of 18 after 9 pm.

Until then, though, the kids (and parents) have plenty to do off the tracks. An arcade outfitted with all the latest driving and racing video games provides young and old alike with plenty of cyber-excitement. A full-service restaurant and bar serves up hot food and cold drinks, while a well-stocked gift shop has all the cool souvenirs to remember your visit with.

But the real fun of SpeedZone is driving. Four different tracks and types of cars are provided. Those who have visited a Malibu park will recognize the Grand Prix track and Virage cars. These are single-seat scale open wheel cars that are driven on an extremely tight and twisty road course. Drivers compete against the clock on this track, and the cars offer enough performance to satisfy almost any would-be Mario Andretti. While the youngsters can't actually drive these cars, special two-seaters allow Mom or Dad to show off their driving skills with junior in the car.

The Turbo Track features scaled-down Ferrari F-40s that are raced wheel-to-wheel against other drivers on yet another road course. The Slick Track pits a group of drivers against one another on a special, polished-concrete surface that's very slippery. The fun here is slipping and sliding the cars around as you try to pass others on the track. Competition on the Slick Track can get heated since it's very easy to spin a competitor (or get spun out). Of course, SpeedZone personnel are strategically placed to help those who have spun out get headed back in the right direction, and to prevent the on-track shenanigans from getting out of hand.

By far the most unusual and exciting SpeedZone cars are the Top Eliminator Dragsters. Rail dragsters powered by 300-horse 350 Chevy crate engines burning propane are positioned on a specially built track, and the drivers drag race one another down the track. The cars reach 70 mph in about 3 seconds, providing a performance thrill unequaled by anything short of a real drag strip. For safety's sake, the cars are attached to rails made into the track, so no steering is necessary, and once the dragsters pass through the finish line they are stopped automatically by a computer-controlled braking system. The driver stages the car, nails the gas on the green, and shifts the automatic transmission via a button mounted on the steering wheel. These cars are great fun, and the satisfaction of "hole-shotting" your rivals and outrunning them to the finish line is fantastic. The Top Eliminator Dragsters are worth the visit themselves.

As of this writing, only three SpeedZones are currently open; one each in Los Angeles, Dallas and Atlanta. Many more are slated to open very soon, however, mostly in the warmer climate areas. (A 70-mph blast in an open cockpit racer wouldn't be much fun during a Chicago winter!) If you get the chance, though, you really should make it a point to visit a SpeedZone park. It's the closest thing to professional racing most of us will ever experience, short of our daydreams on the couch, there is satisfaction of "hole-shotting" your rivals and outrunning them to the finish line is fantastic. The Top Eliminator Dragsters are worth the visit themselves.

The Slick Trax has a highly polished concrete surface that allows the driver to slide the cars around safely. Car control is the name of the game on this track--that and spinning your buddy out.

The tight and twisty Grand Prix track is a blast to drive. Racing the clock, successful drivers must keep their momentum up without going too far and sliding the car or running over the curbs.


	It happens virtually every weekend during the racing season -- we sit on the couch and watch as our heroes in (choose one: stock cars, Indy cars, dragsters) wheel their way to fame, fortune and glory. And truth be told, there's not one of us who hasn't thought that, given the chance, the smiling face staring back through the TV set from victory lane could be ours. If we only had the chance to prove it . . . Well, maybe now you can. SpeedZone is an interactive motorsports attraction geared toward providing regular Joes (and Janes) like us the chance to get our speed thrills without risking life, limb or a weekend in jail. Affiliated with the nationwide Malibu chain of driving attractions, SpeedZone is aimed squarely at the adult motorsports enthusiast. In fact, all participants must be legally licensed drivers before they're allowed to show their stuff on one of the four different tracks. Reinforcing the adult theme is SpeedZone's policy of closing the park to persons under the age of 18 after 9 pm. Until then, though, the kids (and parents) have plenty to do off the tracks. An arcade outfitted with all the latest driving and racing video games provides young and old alike with plenty of cyber-excitement. A full-service restaurant and bar serves up hot food and cold drinks, while a well-stocked gift shop has all the cool souvenirs to remember your visit with. But the real fun of SpeedZone is driving. Four different tracks and types of cars are provided. Those who have visited a Malibu park will recognize the Grand Prix track and Virage cars. These are single-seat scale open wheel cars that are driven on an extremely tight and twisty road course. Drivers compete against the clock on this track, and the cars offer enough performance to satisfy almost any would-be Mario Andretti. While the youngsters can't actually drive these cars, special two-seaters allow Mom or Dad to show off their driving skills with junior in the car. The Turbo Track features scaled-down Ferrari F-40s that are raced wheel-to-wheel against other drivers on yet another road course. The Slick Track pits a group of drivers against one another on a special, polished-concrete surface that's very slippery. The fun here is slipping and sliding the cars around as you try to pass others on the track. Competition on the Slick Track can get heated since it's very easy to spin a competitor (or get spun out). Of course, SpeedZone personnel are strategically placed to help those who have spun out get headed back in the right direction, and to prevent the on-track shenanigans from getting out of hand. By far the most unusual and exciting SpeedZone cars are the Top Eliminator Dragsters. Rail dragsters powered by 300-horse 350 Chevy crate engines burning propane are positioned on a specially built track, and the drivers drag race one another down the track. The cars reach 70 mph in about 3 seconds, providing a performance thrill unequaled by anything short of a real drag strip. For safety's sake, the cars are attached to rails made into the track, so no steering is necessary, and once the dragsters pass through the finish line they are stopped automatically by a computer-controlled braking system. The driver stages the car, nails the gas on the green, and shifts the automatic transmission via a button mounted on the steering wheel. These cars are great fun, and the satisfaction of "hole-shotting" your rivals and outrunning them to the finish line is fantastic. The Top Eliminator Dragsters are worth the visit themselves. As of this writing, only three SpeedZones are currently open; one each in Los Angeles, Dallas and Atlanta. Many more are slated to open very soon, however, mostly in the warmer climate areas. (A 70-mph blast in an open cockpit racer wouldn't be much fun during a Chicago winter!) If you get the chance, though, you really should make it a point to visit a SpeedZone park. It's the closest thing to professional racing most of us will ever experience, short of our daydreams on the couch, there is satisfaction of "hole-shotting" your rivals and outrunning them to the finish line is fantastic. The Top Eliminator Dragsters are worth the visit themselves.
		The Slick Trax has a highly polished concrete surface that allows the driver to slide the cars around safely. Car control is the name of the game on this track--that and spinning your buddy out.

		The tight and twisty Grand Prix track is a blast to drive. Racing the clock, successful drivers must keep their momentum up without going too far and sliding the car or running over the curbs.