Autobahn Country club opens Joliet go-kart track to public

The Autobahn Country Club opens to the general public for the first time Friday with a go-kart track the club considers “the best in the Midwest.”

The country club for racing enthusiasts celebrates its 15th anniversary this year as it opens the new half-mile go-kart track to nonmembers.

Autobahn has had a go-kart track for its own members for years. The new track was built to create a public attraction.

“We think the public aspect will introduce a whole new group of people to Autobahn,” club President Mark Basso said.

Public access is limited to the go-kart track, although a new kart membership was created at an annual price of $4,200 a family that also provides access to the clubhouse and Autobahn’s performance fleet, which includes makes such as Lotus, Aston Martin and Jaguar.

Autobahn also has two race tracks that combine to make another 3.56-mile track.

The go-kart track is available at a price of $30 for 10 minutes.

“Ten minutes on one of these is a workout,” Basso said. “It’s physical. You’re hanging on.”

The track has some special features that Basso highlights when calling it “the best in the Midwest.”

“It’s the longest kart track in the Midwest. It has the biggest elevation,” he said.

The track has a 12-foot elevation that feeds into an 8% break-away that Basso said creates “a little NASCAR” feel for the drivers. A 650-foot straightaway creates opportunities for speed.

If it is the best track in the Midwest as club members claim, that’s quite a feat.

Go-kart racing is a growing sport, and drivers travel around the Midwest to compete, said Jordan Missig of Channahon, an Autobahn member who races competitively. Missig has been to St. Louis, Iowa and Quincy, among other places with go-kart tracks for racing.

“This track is amazing,” Missig said at a ribbon-cutting ceremony this week for the Autobahn track.

“It has everything you need in a go-kart track,” he said.

Go-kart is growing in popularity, Missig said, noting that the number of go-karts at Autobahn has increased from five to 50 as more families take up the hobby.

The go-kart track was one of two projects recently completed at Autobahn.

The clubhouse was remodeled, creating a new barroom separate from the banquet facility, as well as an outdoor patio with pergola.

Windows were also added to the banquet area, which member Keith Conroy said is a nice addition.

“It’s wide open. You can see the track,” Conroy said.

A visit to the clubhouse was among the activities at the ribbon cutting, which included comments from Mayor Bob O’Dekirk.

“The Autobahn is definitely one of the gems of Joliet,” O’Dekirk said.

“I think a lot of us know what’s out here – how cool it is,” the mayor said. “Now it’s going to be open to the public.”