Few of us will ever experience the thrill of flying down the racetrack at 350 kilometers per hour in a V-10-equipped Formula-1 car. Almost no one knows the thrill of white-knuckling the steering wheel as you whip your way through hairpin curves and slide around the corners. But those of us lacking the fighter-pilot-like reflexes necessary to participate in Formula-1 racing can enjoy the scaled-down thrill of gasoline-powered go-cart racing.

There are a number of carting centers around town and they are fantastic places for ordinary slobs to live out their Formula-1 fantasies. The LifeStyle crew started at the indoor Karting-Tsentr, at 19 Leninskaya Sloboda Ul., metro Avtozavodskaya, but then, after a little in-depth research – check out www.kartingmania.ru – uncovered the Serebryani Dozhd track at Krylatskoye. It's outdoors, twice as big and more challenging. The little carts there have all the power necessary to give drivers the satisfaction of feeling like Michael Shumacher.

It turns out that Moscow is littered with carting centers, exciting enough to keep the most adventurous weekenders on their toes for quite a while. Both the prices and the standards vary. While the length of the track may not be too important – short tracks simply allow more laps and more competition – the standard of the car can be a big issue.

The best locations provide racing gear: overalls, gloves and helmets with balaclavas – which make things feel more competitive and no doubt increase safety. They also time sessions, providing lapping times and competitive racing data that are guaranteed to spark debate – especially if you get caught in a bad car.

Sessions seem expensive, with 10-minute periods at the best places costing 300 rubles. Ten minutes, though, is a good length of time for such an intense activity. At some tracks 400 rubles will get you a two-seater, ideal for impressing your girlfriend or boyfriend.

The sport is a little risque, as aggressive driving is openly accepted as part of the sport. Drivers are free to jostle and slam into each other at full speed and even get back on the track after a few drinks. Let's face it, you're never going to have the chance to drink and drive in a competitive manner anywhere other than Russia.

The larger tracks have bars offering drinks and snacks along with sports television shows. Enjoy watching a Grand Prix, then go out on the track and live out the thrill.

Potential customers should be warned that carting is an extremely addictive activity. After a few minutes of sitting in the bar, watching the races on TV and reviewing the time sheet from the previous race, it's very difficult not to drop another 300 rubles for a second round. And things tend to become more competitive after an in-depth analysis. By the time the LifeStyle crew made it back out onto the track, they were out for blood.

It is not clear whether or not children – who are given 10 minutes for 250 rubles – are allowed to compete with adults. Common sense would suggest not, since things can easily get out of hand.