Karting for kids: how to start racing go karts

The lights go green. You press the pedal, the engine buzzes behind you, and the first corner rushes up fast. That is karting, and you can try it long before you are old enough to drive a car.

This guide to karting for kids is for you to read with a grown-up. There is a part at the end just for them.

What is a kart?

A kart is a small racing car with no roof and no doors. You sit very low, close to the track, so it feels even faster than it is.

Karting is the first step for drivers who want to race cars one day. It teaches you how to find the fast way round a corner, how to pass, and how to stay calm when another kart is right next to you.

How old do you need to be?

Karts are split into classes. A class is a group of drivers of about the same age, in the same kind of kart. In the UK, the ages are set by Motorsport UK, the group in charge of the sport. This is what its Start Karting leaflet and website say.

A time trial is when you drive on your own and try to set your best lap time. Bambino drivers do those before they race.

Some race series add their own rules. Club100 lets cadets race from the year they turn 8 until the year they turn 13, and they must be at least 125cm tall.

Have a go first

You do not need your own kart to start. Motorsport UK's advice is to begin at a track where you rent a kart. There are more than 150 kart tracks in the UK, and it says a 15-minute session will give you some idea if you like it.

Some tracks are indoors and some are outdoors. Many run sessions just for young drivers, such as the Bambino and Cadet sessions at Whilton Mill and a 20-minute session at Three Sisters for ages 8 to 15, both listed by AllKart.

Try a few tracks. If you still want to go back, and your lap times keep dropping, you are ready to think about racing.

What you wear, and why

Every piece of kart kit has a job. To race at a Motorsport UK track, the rules say what you must wear, and Demon Tweeks explains the kit for beginners.

• A racing helmet, to keep your head safe.
• A race suit that has passed official tests. It is tough, so it guards your skin if you slide.
• Gloves that cover your whole hand, with no open backs, so you can grip the wheel.
• Boots that come up over your ankles and hold them firm.

Demon Tweeks also talks about extra kit, like a rib protector, which is a hard vest under your suit that guards your ribs from bumps. It calls a neck brace a key bit of kit too. Ask at your track which extra kit your class needs.

What a race day is like

A club race day is long. A Demon Tweeks guide to a first race meeting sets out the steps.

1. Sign on. Your grown-up takes your licence to the office. If you are new, they keep it for the day.
2. Scrutineering. This is a check of your kart, helmet, suit, gloves and boots, to make sure they are safe and follow the rules.
3. Drivers' briefing. Every driver must go. New drivers get their own briefing, so you can ask questions.
4. Practice. It is often 3 laps or 5 minutes, to learn the track.
5. Heats. These are short races, and there are at least three. New drivers always start at the back, so you will not be alone there.
6. The final. This is the big race. It is longer than the heats, and where you start depends on how you did in them.

After a clean day, you get a signature on your licence. Keep them safe, because you need them to move up later.

Flags: how the track talks to you

You cannot hear anyone shout over the engines, so marshals wave flags. Marshals are the helpers who stand round the track. Flags can change a little between tracks, so listen at the briefing. These are the ones in the rules at Buckmore Park.

New drivers must know the flags for their test. Ask a grown-up to hold up coloured paper and see how fast you can name each one.

Be safe, and be a good sport

Good racing is fast and fair. Pass when there is space, and leave room for the driver next to you. Never pass under a yellow flag. At Buckmore Park, passing under yellow, hitting someone on purpose and dangerous driving can all get you the black flag.

Off the track, shake hands after the race and say well done to the drivers who beat you. Thank the marshals. Everyone has bad days, and the drivers who get better are the ones who stay calm and keep trying.

How drivers move up in junior karting

As you grow, you move up the classes, from Bambino to Cadet, then Mini, Junior and Senior. There are two main ways to race.

In arrive-and-drive racing, the people who run the races bring the karts. You turn up in your kit and drive. Club100 works like this, and so does the British Indoor Karting Championship, which has a Cadet class for ages 8 and up.

The other way is to race your own kart at a local club. For that you need a licence, which is like a passport for racing. To get one, you pass the ARKS test. It has a written part on rules and flags, and a driving part.

Later, some drivers move up to national races. For the licence you need there, you collect ten signatures from club races at at least three tracks. If you dream of racing cars, read how to become a racing driver.

For grown-ups

These are 2026 figures, so check them before you pay. AllKart lists Whilton Mill's Bambino and Cadet sessions at £30 and the Three Sisters junior session at £25.99. Club100 rounds cost £265 to £285 with the kart included, and its K-X licence is free. My Racing Path's 2026 cost guide puts a Club100 arrive-and-drive season at £1,800 to £3,500 all-in and an owner-driver club season at £3,000 to £8,000. The indoor championship needs a K-I licence, which Motorsport UK lists at £34.99.

To race your own kart, you buy the Motorsport UK karting starter pack, which costs £75 and includes your first licence, and book the ARKS test. Motorsport UK says the test usually costs around £120, while AllKart quotes up to £100, plus kart hire. Under the National Competition Rules, under-18s cannot enter themselves: a parent or guardian signs the entry, comes to the event and holds a PG Entrant's licence.

Start with a few rental sessions at different tracks, then watch a club race day as a spectator. How to get into karting sets out the licence steps in full, and how much karting costs breaks down a season. If your child asks how drivers pay for it, what is a sponsor is written for them.