Green go-kart complex hosting toy drive

Bring in a new toy, book or gift card to donate to the poor this holiday season at the new go-kart raceway in Costa Mesa and you’ll not only get a discount, you’ll also have the satisfaction of knowing you did your part for global warming.

Global warming? That’s right. Extreme Indoor Karting, which opened its quarter-mile track last month at 1670 Sunflower Ave., has a fleet of 30 electric-powered racers.

“Global Warming is a big reason [for our choice],” spokeswoman Heather Lykins said. “But also for the comfort of our guests. Since it’s an indoor facility, it would be like turning your car on in the garage. You wouldn’t want your customers or employees breathing in those fumes.”

The high-adrenaline sports complex is presenting a holiday toy and book drive this month, encouraging local speed fanatics to donate an unwrapped toy, book or gift card in exchange for a $5 discount.

Proceeds are earmarked for Children’s Hospital of Orange County, Lykins said.

“One of our owner’s children was sick over at CHOC, and another one of our owners had a nephew there,” she said. “We just thought it’d fit to give something back, since they were so helpful.”

The karts may not be as fast as a Prius or a Civic, but kart enthusiasts will find the electric batteries give a kick that’s lacking in conventional models — in fact, the wheels spin up to 45 mph and have far better acceleration than fuel-based engines. Races include up to eight models on the course at any time, which allows the remaining cars to charge up in a high-powered outlet that can give them a full “tank” in mere minutes.

With some go-karts registering as low as 25 mph in fuel consumption — as bad as many SUVs on the market — Extreme Indoor Karting provides an eco-friendly alternative to motorized sporting.

Fresh off the track of his third race recently, customer Steven Warren said that the cars, despite the lack of a combustion engine, still provided the “kick” he was looking for.

“I just came over just to see what they’ve got,” he said. “Turns out, I enjoy it.”

CHRIS CAESAR may be reached at (714) 966-4626 or at [email protected].