POCATELLO — Over 1,200 days have passed since local residents were teased with a new family fun center that would bring go-kart racing to the Gate City.

Finally, that wait is over.

Extreme Rush — complete with a multi-level go-kart track, a laser tag arena that not only pits you against other competitors but fights back itself, a laser maze, a pixel floor and, among other special offerings, state-of-the-art arcade games — is officially open.

Much like the name of Pocatello’s newest attraction-filled business, the road to get here has been nothing short of extreme considering all the hurdles co-founders Jason Hebdon and Sidney Davis had to overcome to get to this point.

A dream that refused to die

The origin story of Extreme Rush is, at its core, a story about two guys from Pocatello who got tired of leaving town to have fun.

Hebdon and Davis had spent years doing what most families in Southeast Idaho do — driving to Idaho Falls, Boise or Salt Lake City whenever they wanted a night out that felt like something. They loved escape rooms. They loved experiences. And eventually, the thought crystallized into something neither of them could shake.

Why not just build one themselves?

What started as a conversation about escape rooms grew quickly into something far bigger. They attended an entertainment industry expo in Orlando, toured facilities, made contacts and came home with a vision that had expanded well beyond what they first imagined. They raised roughly $725,000 from private investors, selected a location and began the slow, complicated work of turning an idea into a reality.

That work proved harder than either of them anticipated.The project’s original home near Chubbuck City Hall on Linden Avenue was scrapped after timeline issues threatened to push the opening as far out as 2029. The duo regrouped, relocated to the building at 1000 Pocatello Creek Road that had been the previous home of WinCo, Ridley’s and Big Lots and started over.

Appraisal delays, building permits and foundation issues followed. The go-kart track itself had to be built in Italy, loaded onto a barge, shipped across the Atlantic, hauled across the country by rail and then assembled piece by piece inside the building.

Through all of it, Hebdon said, the community never stopped believing in them — even when the timeline kept stretching.

“We went through all sorts of different hurdles and hiccups,” Hebdon said. “It’s been a lot of patience. There have been a lot of different processes that we’ve run into that we didn’t really know, didn’t understand, and worked through them.”

He continued, “Everybody’s been really patient with us. The community has been very good to us. Pocatello seems to get a bad rap all the time — like there’s all these bad things that people always say about Pocatello. But from everything we’ve seen and the experience we’ve had, they’re not true. Pocatello is amazing, and we’re so excited to be able to open here.”

The kartsThe centerpiece of Extreme Rush is the go-kart track, and it is not the kind of go-kart experience most people in Southeast Idaho have ever encountered.

The karts are high-tech electric vehicles, Italian-designed and built for speed, running on a dual-level track engineered with sharp corners, technical chicanes and a straightaway designed to give drivers that full rush of acceleration.

Nick Williams, a karting industry veteran with a decade of experience who came in from Las Vegas to help launch the track, says the sport is growing nationally at a pace that has surprised even those inside it.

He credits the rise of Formula 1 — driven in no small part by the popularity of the Netflix series “Formula 1: Drive to Survive” — with bringing an entirely new wave of speed-hungry fans to the sport.

“Karting is a growing sport,” Williams said. “It’s exploding exponentially. Everybody’s just wanting that need for speed and the adrenaline rush. Everybody wants to be an F1 driver.”

He continued, “You can go as fast or as slow as you want to go. It’s safe, it’s fun and to me, there’s nothing quite like the rush of it.”

The track operates on a tiered speed system. New drivers begin at a beginner or intermediate level and can earn their way up to the pro setting based on lap times. All races are time-based — drivers compete against the clock, chasing their single fastest lap. Drivers must be at least 12 years old and 54 inches tall to take the wheel.

Of the 16 karts on the track, 14 have already been claimed by local business sponsors, giving the facility a community feel before it has served its first customer. That’s why you’ll see Gold’s Gym, ServPro or other local decals on the karts upon entering the track’s staging and kart-charging station. Two sponsorship slots remain for businesses interested in getting involved.

Something for everyone

While the karts are sure to attract many local teenagers and adults, Hebdon was deliberate when asked who Extreme Rush was built for. The answer, he says, is everyone.

Toddlers can spend hours in the children’s digital play area. Families can work through the laser maze together — a setup flexible enough for a three-year-old breaking lasers alongside grandma.

The laser tag arena features more than 150 programmable game modes and a twist that sets it apart from anything in the region — the arena itself is programmed to fight back, so players are going up against each other and the room at the same time.

The redemption store is stocked with Pokémon and Magic the Gathering cards, WWE merchandise and possibly apparel from Nike and Under Armour. Hebdon said it’s designed to feel less like a ticket counter and more like a genuine shopping experience.

Threading through all of it is Rush — a thrill-seeking sloth who serves as the facility’s mascot and, eventually, its storyteller. Hebdon hinted at an expanding universe of backstories, characters and lore that families will be able to follow as the business grows.

“There’s a whole entire story with Rush,” Hebdon said, “and you’re going to be able to live and grow with that character story as we continue to build and build.”

A full-scale restaurant called the Nosh Pit — a nod to the go-kart pit lane — is expected to come online later this summer, featuring shareables, pizza, wings, Belgian waffles from Le Waf and Dippin’ Dots ice cream. The menu is curated in part by a professional chef out of Salt Lake City that Davis met during the years he spent in the Gate City’s service industry, including managing the Buffalo Wild Wings. Eventually the Nosh Pit’s offerings will also be integrated with DoorDash and Grubhub for delivery.

From now until summer when the Nosh Pit opens, Hebdon said there will be concession-style offerings alongside a longtime colorful Pocatello staple.

“So right now we’ve got the Popcorn Shop in here and we’re also working with different vendors here locally in Pocatello to get more local products available until the kitchen is completed,” Hebdon said. “Until then we’ll have popcorn, nachos, hot dogs and those concession stand style offerings if you will.”

For those who want the full experience

Not everyone who walks through the doors of Extreme Rush on April 20 will be looking for the same thing — and Hebdon has planned for that, too.

The facility features five dedicated party rooms available for private events, designed to give families some separation from the noise of the main floor. Three are tucked toward the back of the building. The other two are something different altogether.

The VIP rooms sit center stage on the main floor, soundproofed and built for those who want the upgraded experience. Rush himself will make an appearance at birthday parties booked in one of the VIP rooms — a detail Hebdon expects will be a draw for families with young children.

“If you’re really wanting that upgraded experience, you can,” Hebdon said. “But if you just want to come and enjoy things, we’ve got party rooms for you where we can isolate that and let you enjoy that experience with your family.”

Giving back

Hebdon does not take credit for any of this quietly.

More than 50 people are now employed at Extreme Rush. By the time the kitchen is fully operational, the number of local jobs the new family fun center is adding to the local economy will grow to around 75. In the days leading up to the grand opening, Hebdon was direct when specifically naming the electricians, plumbers, general contractors, investors and the local bank that made the financing possible.

A sweepstakes held ahead of the opening drew more than 800 entries. Winners will be invited to a VIP night on Friday alongside the mayors of Pocatello and Chubbuck as well as Pocatello police officers, with a portion of the proceeds going directly to Pocatello-Chubbuck School District 25. Hebdon says that kind of community collaboration is not a one-time gesture — it is the model.

“We’re not just here to collect income,” he said. “We want people to know that we’re local boys. We live here. We breathe Pocatello.”

He continued, “As we’re functioning and getting things rolling, we want to be able to give back to our community and let them know that Extreme Rush isn’t just here to collect income. We’re here to stay, and we’re here to be part of your lives and part of your community.”

Extreme Rush opens to the public April 20. More information, including hours and pricing, can be found at extremerushidaho.com.