Where aspiring
race drivers should start. World Champions Mika Hakkinen, Nigel Mansell,
Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher were all successful kart
racers. This is the nearest you can get to motor racing on the cheap!
Although karts look much alike to the uninitiated,
there are many classes, from 60cc Cadets to 160mph Formula E. Some of the
smaller classes feature fixed-price equipment. Karts are divided into two
basic categories: those with direct drive (which race on short circuits),
and those with gearboxes (which race on both the long and short circuits).
Major UK
events
-
Annual - Five British Championships (Long
Circuit, Formula A, Junior, Cadet and Endurance)
Minimum requirements
Any kart complying with MSA regulations; a
crash helmet and overalls. You must be at least 8 years old and hold a
Competition
Licence. Except for Endurance races, you may also need a Medical Certificate.
Before you can even apply for a licence, you must do the following:
-
Obtain a "Starting
Karting" pack from the MSA. This costs £35 (including post and
packing) and contains a video, the MSA Kart Race Handbook, the MSA Motor
Sports Yearbook, a Fixture List, a list of organising clubs, and useful
advice on driving techniques.
Click
here to download order form.
-
If over 18 and if applying for a "normal"
(not Endurance) licence, you must obtain a medical certificate (the form
is in the "Starting
Karting" pack).
-
Complete
a half-day MSA assessment for novice
kart racers, run by members of the Association
of Racing Kart Schools (ARKS). It costs £53.28 per person (not
including hire of kart and / or racewear).
Kart associations
-
Association
of British Kart Clubs (ABkC). Mr G M Smith 01926 812177 (h).
-
Association
of Scottish Kart Clubs. Mrs Carol Blanchard.
-
British
Superkart Association. Mr Ian Rushforth, 6, Mansfield Avenue, Quron,
Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE12 8BD.
-
Kart
Officials Club. Mr R Sheffield, Tel: 0181 330 5810 (h); 0410 288074
(m)
-
National Four Stroke Karting Association,
Mr R Sheffield, as above.
-
National
Kart Racing Association. Mrs J Shone, Tel: 01305 774074 (h).
-
North of Ireland Karting, Keith Wilkinson,
6, Innis Free Park, Newtownards, BT23 4AY, Tel: (01247) 814987
-
Wessex Karting Association. Mrs J Jeffrey,
15, The Brendons, Sampford Peverill, Devon, EX16 7BQ, Tel: (01884) 821
109 (h).
- The following club exists specially for
pupils currently at school within the UK:
The following schools are ARKS
members:
-
Aintree
Racing Drivers' School (at Three Sisters Circuit, Wigan, Lancs).
John Hammersley. Tel 01942 270230.
-
Bill
Sisley Kart School (at Buckmore
Park, Kent). Dawn Wymark Tel 01634 201562.
-
Camberley
Kart Club (at Blackbushe Circuit). Ian Johnson, Tel
-
Combe
Karting (at Castle Combe Circuit, Wiltshire). Steven Roberts 01249
782101.
-
Deavinsons
Kart Centre (at Rye House Raceway). John Huff, Tel: 01992 460895.
-
Gatellie
TSR Racing School, (any circuit)
Nick Smith. Tel 01280 701514.
-
Lee
Rennison Kart Racing School (at Clay Pigeon Raceway, Dorset). Lee
Rennison, Tel: 01935-83713.
-
Playscape
Pro Racing (at Battersea Raceway, London). Tel 0171-801-0110.
-
Protrain
Karting (at Brackley, Northants).
Gary Chapman. Tel 01280 814774.
-
Raceland
(at Gladsmuir, East Lothian). Ewan Ogilvie. Tel 0131-665-6525.
-
Sandown
Park Kart Centre (at Esher, Surrey). Andrew Crighton, Tel
01372-471312.
-
Silverstone
Driving Centre (at Silverstone, Northants). Mark Bryan, 01327 320425.
-
SRS
Racing Kart School (at Huntingdon,
Cambs). Stuart Ziemelis, Tel 01480 860823.
-
Tom
Brown Racing Drivers' School (at Glasgow). Tom Brown 0141-641-2553.
- The following club exists specially for
pupils currently at school within the UK:
-
Bayford Meadow. Sittingbourne, Kent.
-
Belle Vue. St Brelade, Jersey, Channel
Islands.
-
Bishopscourt. 6 miles from Downpatrick,
Northern Ireland.
-
Blackbushe.
Off A30 at Blackbushe, Yateley, Hampshire
-
Boyndie. 3 miles west of Banff, Grampian.
-
Buckmore
Park. Chatham, Kent.
-
Castle Combe.
-
Chasewater. Approx 1 mile from Brownhills,
Staffordshire.
-
Clay Pigeon. Midway between Dorchester
and Yeovil on A37, Dorset.
-
Crail Raceway. Fife.
-
Daytona
Raceway. Milton Keynes, Bucks.
-
Dunkeswell. 5 miles from Honiton, Devon.
-
Fulbeck. 8 miles from Newark, off A17
at Brant-Broughton x-road, Lincs.
-
Jurby Aerodrome. Jurby, Isle of Man.
-
Kimbolton. 10 miles west-southwest
of Huntingdon.
-
Langbaurgh. Middlesborough, Teeside.
-
Larkhall. Hamilton, Stratchclyde.
-
Little Rissington. RAF Station south
of Stow on the Wold, Gloucestershire.
-
Lydd Raceway. Herons Park, Kent.
-
Nuthampstead. 1.5 miles east of Barkway,
Hertfordshire.
-
Nutts Corner. 4 miles from Crumlin,
NI.
-
Pembrey. 8 miles from Llanelli on A484,
Dyfed.
-
PF International. Stragglethorpe, near
Stubton, Lincolnshire.
-
Port Richborough. Sandwich, Kent.
-
Rowrah. 4 miles from Frizington, Cumbria.
-
Rye House. Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire.
-
Sandown Park. Esher, Surrey.
-
Shenington. 8 miles from Banbury, off
A422 Stratford Road, Oxfordshire.
-
St Sampsons. Guernsey, CI.
-
Three Sisters. Bryn Road, Ashton in
Makerfield, Wigan, Lancashire.
-
Warden Law. Off A690, near Houghton
le Spring, Co Durham.
-
Wombwell. Dorothy Hyman Stadium, 6
miles from Barnsley, Yorkshire.
Ages &
classes
Short Circuit Races
Long Circuit Races
-
Up to 210cc: after 16th birthday
-
(all classes): after 17th birthday
Four-stroke Classes
All classes follow the above age structure
for equivalent categories (Cadet, Junior, Senior). Further information
on four-stroke classes from Mr R Abbey - Taylor, Honda Challenge, Tel 01784
462624 (h) or Mr R Sheffield, Formula
Six Association, Tel 0208 330 5810 (h)
markup by webmaster@ukmotorsport.com