Ashton Rakoske, 12, of Wilbraham, left, is instructed by Annika Fett of Hadley, front, while Nick Damon of Northampton instructs Brandon Cote, 12, of South Hadley Jan. 7, 2017 at Autobahn Indoor Speedway in Hadley.
Ashton Rakoske, 12, of Wilbraham, left, is instructed by Annika Fett of Hadley, front, while Nick Damon of Northampton instructs Brandon Cote, 12, of South Hadley Jan. 7, 2017 at Autobahn Indoor Speedway in Hadley. Credit: —GAZETTE STAFF/SARAH CROSBY

Photos and text by Sarah Crosby

While motorists cleared snow off their cars Sunday afternoon in the frigid cold, visitors to a new indoor speedway were already buzzing around the track.

Autobahn Indoor Speedway at the Hampshire Mall in Hadley features electric go-karts that reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour. Junior karts with slower speeds offer children 8 years and older a chance to get behind the wheel.

Eddie Martinez of Greenfield brought his son Eddie, 12, to try it out.

“These karts are really fast,” Martinez said. “It helps teach kids coordination and stuff like that.”

Annika Fett of Hadley, who works at the speedway, said the job is a blast. Fett says she loved racing in similar karts as a child and jumped on the opportunity to share that fun with children and adults alike.

“How can you not have fun working with go-karts all the time?”