Vantaan Vauhtikeskus

In Vantaa, on the edge of Helsinki, the Vantaan Vauhtikeskus is home to the outdoor track of the Kart in Club network. Floodlit, it lets you drive in the evening through the warm season, on Sodi petrol karts, including more powerful Powerkart models and Superkarts recently added for drivers after speed. It is one of the few outdoor circuits in the metropolitan area, in the sporting, organised style of the brand.

The site suits individual races as much as group events, birthdays and corporate outings, and hosts karting competitions. As everywhere in the network, booking is done online, and access is open without a licence or experience. A local touch: a traditional Finnish wood-fired sauna rounds off the visit, true to the country's culture. The track runs in summer and closes in winter, like most Finnish outdoor circuits.

Vantaa borders Helsinki and is home to the international airport and the Heureka science centre. Easy to reach from the capital, the city combines residential areas, forests and green spaces. The Vauhtikeskus outdoor circuit complements the region's indoor offering and lets you drive in the open air a few minutes from Helsinki, in an open setting made for speed. In summer, the long, light northern evenings let you drive late under the floodlights, which pleasantly stretches the sessions. For people in the region, it is the open-air option that complements the covered tracks nearby.