‘Super Karts’ a possibility in Horry County if state bill passes

Myrtle Beach, SC (WPDE) — A bill that would allow go karts that go over 50 mph has passed through the South Carolina Senate and is now being considered in the House.

“I felt like if you had consenting adults who were fully informed about what they were doing, they ought to be given the opportunity to have some fun. And this bill would make sure they could do that,” said Senator Victor Sheheen, who authored the bill.

Right now in South Carolina, Senator Vincent Sheheen says go kart tracks are limited in what they can do.

“Regulations in the state limited go-karts to basically the kiddie rides. You go to the amusement park, you’re on a little rail in the middle of the track, you put your go-karts on and you can’t go anymore than ten or 15 miles an hour,” said Sheheen.

“The fastest we run is 18 to 20 mph,”said Mark Lazarus, who is the managing partner of Broadway Grand Prix.

Broadway Grand Prix is looking to get faster karts, but not at the super kart level.

The bill Senator Sheheen authored would regulate places with super karts more strictly than regular go-karts are regulated.

“Number one, folks need to be fully disclosed that this is an unregulated activity. And some businesses will have to tell people this isn’t an amusement park ride: This is real racing. Number two, we support, people need to wear helmets when racing go-karts. It can go very fast,” said Sheheen.

Drivers would also have to have a license and the tracks would have to have special insurance.

“I’m sure on the beach, where there’s a lot of opportunity to attract tourists, that there will be some excitement there,” Sheheen said.

“Everybody likes to race,” said Lazarus. “I mean, when you’re a little kid you think about driving a car for the first time. I think it’s just everybody enjoys it and enjoys racing.”

The bill is being discussed in the house and possibly voted on this week.

This year, Horry County council rezoned the old Black Bear Golf Course to be able to be used as a go-kart facility.

ABC 15 spoke with Steve Powell, a business partner who is hoping to build Apex Carting Complex and Black Bear RV Resort where the golf course used to be.

Apex Carting Complex would have three go-kart tracks and one of them would have super karts.

Powell said drivers of the super karts would have to be members at the track and would have to prove they could handle slower go-karts before being able to drive super karts.

Powell says he is still working on the funding for the resort and tracks.