A driver enjoys the new Lakeside track.By Shaun Inguanzo
RON Kasputtis is proud of the lakeside view at his new $5 million go-karting track – but he had to fight for it.
Le Mans Go Karts, formerly located in Kirkham Road West, Keysborough, reopened on 16 December at its new location in Waterview Close, Dandenong South.
Owner Ron Kasputtis left school teaching to become a business partner in Le Mans in 1990, and has seen his business grow.
But going from a 2.43-hectare (6-acre) property off a dirt road, to a 9.3-hectare (23-acre) site with man-made lake in the heart of Dandenong South was no easy task.
Mr Kasputtis hit a few barriers on the path to opening his $5 million facility, which features three go-kart tracks, new go-karts imported from Europe, a two-storey entertainment and function building, and increased parking.
“It took three years of planning and two years through the council (to obtain the permit),” he said.
“There were objections … some said it would be too noisy, it would affect the environment, and so on.”
But objectors failed to stop Mr Kasputtis from building his dream, and this week Star toured what is now Victoria’s largest go-karting facility.
The new tracks are bigger, faster, and safer than the old Le Mans track, Mr Kasputtis said.
As a tribute to the business’ heritage, Mr Kasputtis has redesigned the old Le Mans track.
But the new feature, the Lakeside track, offers drivers the pleasure of zipping around a new go-kart track with a waterside view.
The smaller Daytona Track will cater for junior drivers aged between five and nine years – a market Mr Kasputtis couldn’t cater for at the old site.
The entertainment complex has video games, function rooms and barbecue facilities, with a large balcony overlooking the three tracks.
Mr Kasputtis said he had employed 10 extra staff, bringing the business’ total number to 35.
Le Mans hopes a large slice of its bookings will come from businesses looking for a team-building exercise, or just a bit of fun, Mr Kasputtis said.
He designed the entertainment complex with a corporate function room and commercial kitchen for catering, and said Le Mans would tailor driving packages to suit corporate clients’ needs.
The new location is more accessible than the old Keysborough location, just minutes from the Princes Highway end of the South Gippsland Highway.
Le Mans Go Karts will open seven days a week, from 10am to 11pm Sundays to Thursdays, and 10am to 11.30pm Fridays and Saturdays, with night-time racing brought to life by massive floodlights.
