Charity boost as Inverness kartway reopens
An Inverness kart racing track that funds crucial charity work for vulnerable children reopened today.
Inverness Kart Raceway (IKR) at Fairways Business Park was given the Scottish Government green light to open its doors to the public after more than five months in lockdown.
The popular social enterprise channels income and rent into the award-winning Inverness-based mentoring charity Day 1 which, for the last 15 years, has helped youngsters on the cusp of adulthood make better career and educational choices.
The failure to reopen Scotland’s six indoor race tracks as lockdown eased – in contrast to those in England – had severed a crucial income stream for Day 1.
The Inverness Kart Raceway team has been working hard to change working practices to comply with guidance from the Scottish and UK governments and the National Karting Association.
New sanitation equipment has been bought and installed along with a one-way system and socially-distanced viewing.
New race timing software will also allow racers to sign in from the comfort of home, look at personal racing statistics and monitor the Inverness Kart Raceway leaderboard through use of an app.
The track’s general manager, Peter Doherty, said: “We are delighted to be back. I’m proud of our team and would like to publicly thank them for their effort and dedication in helping us to maintain our five-star service in these challenging times.
“I am happy to report that the UK national sector governing body are using Inverness Kart Raceway as the example of best practice in how an indoor track should respond to the coronavirus crisis.”
Day 1 chief executive Corrin Henderson said: “The business challenges that accompany this crisis have been extreme in nature and impossible to plan for.
“Yet our team has risen to the test by preparing for the new normal in a way that we are confident will provide 100 per cent customer satisfaction.
“As Inverness Kart Raceway is a social enterprise business where all profits go to the charity Day 1, the vulnerable young people who benefit from our mentoring services will be relieved IKR can continue to provide an income stream to allow for the award-winning programmes.”
