Kartway Rolling Toward 50 Years

For nearly half a century, Kartway off of Route 12 and Christy Hill Road has been a destination for groups that want to try their stuff on the track. Gales Ferry native Ben Majalian got the business started in 1963, and on summer days, you can still find him getting people into go-karts and sending them off around the track. He keeps the track open from noontime until dark. 

Recently, the business downsized. Two other fixtures in the parking lot, the batting cages and the snack stand are vacant. A couple of years ago, his wife, who had run the stand before, decided to retire. Majalian doesn’t see quite as many customers as he used to, and the face of business is changing as well.

“In the ’60s it used to be a lot of sailors,” said Majalian. “Right now, it’s phasing out to families with little kids.” He’s quick to add that he still sees teenagers and single young people.

When two vehicles pull up, however, sure enough, it’s a family.

Darryl and Julie Rough had had arrived with Alec and Adam, who all got their own go-karts, and young JP, who rode with Daryl. Family friend Danielle Pelletier took the fifth kart.

Majalian lets 2- to 3-year-olds sit in front of their parents in larger karts. “Usually by seven or eight they can go on themselves,” he said.

In the old days, a ride went for 50 cents, then went up to 75 cents when the amusement tax went up.

Today, $8 will get customers eight minutes on the track, and $10 gets an 11-minute ride.

For the riders who showed up Sunday, the enthusiasm was contagious.

“This is way different than the indoor race track, Dad!” declared Alec.

The riders negotiate a tenth-mile loop course in karts that average around 15 to 20 miles per-hour. But when they shoot around the tight curves, it looks a lot faster than that. 

Another visitor, Tony Valero, knows which machine drives the fastest, though he’d have to move fast before his son John grabbed it from him.

“I've got my strategy planned out,” he announced.

The two are frequent visitors at the track, and on Father’s Day, they both revved for some intergenerational competition.

Still out on the track at 53, Valero can recall going to Kartway when he was his son’s age. “With him, it’s the competition, anything on equal terms,” Valero said grinning.

The other riders pulled in with fresh grins pasted on their faces. Father and son began negotiating who would have the privilege of taking the fast vehicle this time.

“There’s not too many places like this any more,” said Valero.