Kart Racing

Karting is often still seen in two distinct ways by the wider world, as either a progression step for young racers before they move into cars, or a stag-do style event for a bunch of mates. But, while these options are very definitely still open, Karting is also becoming one of the most accessible forms of motorsport, allowing anyone to get involved and have a go without very little cost. Karting is a broad church, and competition is definitely not just for youngsters, with a wide variety of different forms out there

Forms of Kart Racing
Standard Karts - The classic form of the sport. Think of a kart and this is what you will be thinking off!

Superkarts - These karts have gearboxes and usually a significant amount of body kit too. They are much faster than standard karts and racing is usually on circuits more commonly used for car or motorcycle racing.

Grass and off-road karting - Many clubs race karts on an off road surface. The karts used can range from fairly standard karts with off-road tyres through to karts designed specifically for off-road racing, with a cage.

Types of Kart Competition
So what is out there? Where you go for your karting will depend to an extent on how serious you want to get. The main types are summarised below.

 Arrive’n’drive karting  – It used to be that the corporate karting world offered races only to groups of friends (the stag-do phenomoena) - if you wanted to go have a go you just did timed sessions. Now, increasing numbers of local circuits are offering arrive and drive championships. These give you the chance to go along and compete against others. Championships range from single venue to regional and national championships. The top end of arrive and drive is offered by organisations like Club 100 and Daytona Max.

Owner-Driver Series - Many venues now offer championships aimed at people who own karts, but don't have a full MSA licence. The racing is often cheaper that MSA series with a wider variety of classes and race formats, but the competition can be just as fierce. Owner driver-series include clubs specialising in grass karting, or off-road / dirt course karts too.

MSA Karting - The 'traditional' form of kart competition. Often associated with being a feeder format for younger drivers, MSA karting is infact a competitive sports for all ages, with weight-restrictions enabling people of different ages to compete together. MSA regulations cover standard and Superkarts, and a race licence is needed. The regulations around safety clothing and race entry fees, plus the standard of competition means it isn't the cheapest form of kart racing, but the standard is high, and all the most prestigious clubs and championships are regulated by the MSA.

Internal Links
Arrive and Drive Championships