A boy who was once denied participation in a beloved hobby has many years later started a similar business himself.
Go Karts Fiji recently opened its tracks to the public thanks to the mind behind the idea, Elvin Pillay and the man who made it all happen, Kamal Singh.
The idea of starting an outdoor go karting track was birthed at a family gettogether in New Zealand when Mr Pillay suggested getting into business together to his retired father-in-law Mr Singh.
Jumping at the opportunity to keep busy in the autumn of his life, Mr Singh immediately reached out to an old friend who was already a veteran of the industry for advice.
“It’s all about acting on an idea,” said Mr Pillay, “We had an idea and we’ve acted on it so that’s how we got here.”
Go Karts Fiji, located in Sawani, Nausori, currently has 10 gokarts with five being on the track at a time. Child-sized karts have also been ordered and the business is awaiting their delivery.
With hand controls instead of foot pedals, the karts can also be used by those with some forms of loco-motor disability and aren’t as stringent on height rules.
Speaking at the launch Mr Pillay’s brother Edwin said, “We were born revheads, my brother and I. We always liked cars and we always liked things with engines. And Johnny (Elvin Pillay) and I, we always used to go to places like such in Fiji and find carts to race and drive. But one thing that impacted Johnny at some of the locations was his height. We went go-karting in New Zealand, we were very young; I was 14, I think Johnny was 12, but he was vertically challenged. So he didn’t meet the height requirement and he was very disappointed. And he was a very enthusiastic racer himself. So that day I got to drive the kart and he didn’t. So with setting this up, I noticed one thing; that he made sure that no kid will go away disappointed like him, he made sure the controls are on the hands.”
Mr Edwin Pillay currently holds the record for the fastest completion of a lap around their approximately 400 metre track at 49 seconds, and the business invites the public to beat his record and get their name placed on the track’s leader-board.
When speaking of choosing and importing the appropriate type of karts for their track Elvin Pillay said, “It’s not as easy as it seems because this is not a flat surface. And that’s the main thing; because we wanted people to experience a little bit of offroading.
Flat surface, it’s like riding in a car, right? This, it’s a different experience. It may not be for everyone but you don’t know unless and until you try it!”
With the full investment just over $100,000, and completely outof-pocket with no loans or grants involved, much of the construction and setup for the track was done by supportive friends and family.
Mr Singh said he was considering an additional investment for fencing and security measures and perhaps an extension to house a play area for children and small café in the long-term.
“We have something new here and I think that we are the first to be running at this scale. And, well, this is just the beginning,” said Mr Singh.
“There is the professional level, and this is at a fun and recreational level. And, well, maybe later on if we get the right piece of land somewhere; it’s not easy to secure land in Suva. You need about 2 acres of land, and 2 acres is about $2 million. But this is fun for young people, rather than roaming the streets.”
Mr Pillay added, “We looked at the current market, the local market and decided to keep our prices low. Because the main aim for us was not more about making money but giving back to the community so people can experience this kind of recreational activities, because there’s hardly any in the Suva-Nausori corridor so that’s what we’re focusing on at the moment.”
Go-kart enthusiast Mr Pillay and community social worker Mr Singh make a team with the potential to run a business both successful and fulfilling.
