You can revisit your childhood need for speed 40 minutes north of Western. Sumas International Motorsports Academy is a nationally rated go-kart facility featuring karts for casual drivers and professional racers. It includes a three-fourth mile long track, which holds up to 20 go-karts. From birthday to bachelor parties, SIMA caters to a variety of events, Shipping Director Stan Crocker said. There’s a kart for every occasion. “Those concession go-karts go between 20 to 40 mph.”
“If you’re more interested in the racing karts, we’re one of the largest importers of go-karts and engines in the country.”
Stan Crocker
Concession karts are the base model for casual rentals. SIMA has several other classes of karts that can go from 40 to 80 mph. “If you’re more interested in the racing karts, we’re one of the largest importers of go-karts and engines in the country,” Crocker said. “We have our own go-kart that’s built for us in Europe. We have our own engine that’s built for us in Europe.” Crocker recommends calling ahead and watching the weather forecast to get an idea of when the track is going to be dry to ensure safety. If the track is too wet, it can become slippery and unsafe. “Give us a call, we’ll make sure everything is ready. Come and you can have a really good time,” he said. “A lot of people really like to come to do this and then they like to go to dinner somewhere in Sumas.” The facility in Sumas was founded by
Claudio Valiente in July 2010, Crocker said.
Outside of simple go-kart rentals, SIMA has karting clubs, programs for children and a racing team that competes nationally. There’s generally nine events per month, bringing in anywhere from 75 to 150 participants.
“We also have a couple of regional races as part of those nine events where people come from all over the Northwest to race at our track,” Crocker said. “We also have a professional racing team that goes all over the country to high-level kart races at various different racks around the country.”
SIMA plans to take teams to the East Coast this year to compete in larger competitions.
