Outdoor Karting

Taking your karting experience outside presents a new series of challenges, not least of which the Great British weather! Before jumping into the deep end and purchasing your own kart, it is recommended to try some of the Arrive and Drive opportunities available. Such options include Club 100, DRS (Daniel Ricciardo Series) and Global Karting League. Featuring different championships for Cadets, Juniors and Seniors with varying race lengths, there is something for everyone. As with the BIKC, you will need a specific licence, this time it is a K-X licence. This is a free licence for the arrive and drive classes which can be obtained here.

For younger drivers looking to make the move into the world of Outdoor karting, NatSKA (National Schools Karting Association) offers a cost effective and friendly way in to the world of karting for school aged pupils from 8 years and older.

For University students, there is the British University Karting Championship (BUKC). This enables students to compete on circuits around the country in an arrive and drive format. Drivers compete in teams representing their individual universities.

Club Championship

Once you have some arrive and drive experience under your belt, if you are looking to take your karting to the next level then the next step is to compete in a club championship. At this stage it is important to do some homework, as you will need to make some decisions including what class that you want to compete in, which club is right for you etc.

The best thing to do is to visit a couple of kart clubs local to you when they are holding a club level race meeting. You can find your local kart club using the club finder on the Motorsport UK website. From here you can obtain a good understanding of how the events are run, what the participation level is like for your class of choice and get a general feel for the running order of the day. It is also worth speaking with some of the competitors to obtain their thoughts on the club, as they will be able to provide a valuable insight. You will also find the club officials very helpful as well.

Once you have decided on a club to join, the next step is to decide whether to buy your own kart or hire one from a kart school or race team. Hiring a kart is a good first option as it helps with the decision on finding the best class for you.

Next, you will need to obtain a licence. Smaller clubs may be running Super K-X events, where you just need a free RS Clubman licence, then will be assessed for racing at a practice day. For bigger clubs, you will need to order your Motorsport UK Karting Starter Pack. This contains an application form for your licence as well as everything you need to know about getting started in Karting. Once you receive this, it is time to get some practice to prepare for the novice licence test, known as the ARKS test.

From here, you can either contact your local registered ARKS school to arrange a test day, or your local kart club may also be able to offer the licence test..

A licence test will consist of two parts, a multiple-choice theory paper and a practical assessment on track. Most schools will be able to provide a kart for you to use in your practical assessment, so don’t worry if you haven’t yet bought a kart of your own.

Following a successful assessment, you can then race that same week using your application form in lieu of the licence, or send your application off to Motorsport UK for processing and begin your racing journey. By now you will have sourced personal protective equipment like a kart suit, helmet, boots, gloves, and other supplies that you will need for your first race meeting.

It is worth bearing in mind that there may well be opportunities to still race on an arrive and drive basis by having a team run a kart for you at an event. They will provide the kart and everything you need as well as coaching and other support throughout the day. This is an easier experience than trying to do everything yourself, though it does mean you will need to have a higher budget available.

A good starting point is to is to join a series like Tyro Karting or Tillotson T4 which keeps equipment tightly controlled, this also helps to keep the costs down.

For the first 6 events (five if you did the ARKS test) since obtaining your Kart licence, you will be racing with Novice number plates. This means that you will be starting from the back in each of your heat races and will require a signature on your licence from one of the stewards after each event to state that you have competed in a safe and controlled manner on track.

After you have obtained the required 6 signatures on your licence, you can then remove your novice plates and replace them with the standard class number plates. You can then focus on achieving the best results you can at each event. Some events, like Super K-X, will have timed qualifying where your will start each of the heats on merit.

National Championship

Once you have competed within a club level championship and have seen some success in your results, you may want to further your karting career by competing in the National Championship for your class.

There are many different championships which provide the opportunity to race all across the country including the Ultimate Karting Championship and Champions Kart Club.

Alongside these the British Kart Championship offer the best drivers in the country the opportunity to compete to become the British Champion. Within the British Kart Championship there are 4 different categories, Rotax, IAME, Honda and KZ2. With the exception of KZ2, each of these categories have their own classes, split by either age or engine type. These classes will match those used in club championships around the country.

Each championship features rounds at various circuits around the country to really test the skills of the driver. The level of competition is extremely high, with previous British champions including the likes of George Russell, Anthony Davidson, Paul di Resta and many more.

It is worth bearing in mind that the costs to enter and compete in the British Kart Championships are significantly higher than those of a club championship, so you will need to factor this in when making your decision.