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. One such option includes the Club 100 series. 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 a K-X licence. This is a free licence which can be obtained on application to Club 100.

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. 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.

Once you have decided on a club to join, the next step is to obtain your Interclub licence. To do this, 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 contact your local registered ARKS school to arrange a test day.

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 send your application off to Motorsport UK for processing and begin the journey of sourcing the kart, driver safety equipment 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 for younger drivers is to is to join a series like DRS (Daniel Ricciardo Series) which keeps equipment tightly controlled, this also helps to keep the costs down.

For the first 6 events 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.

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.

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.