Beginners Karting - how much budget required?

[droptheclutch]

Hi All

I'm pondering a season of Karting and am wondering what sort of budget (and formula) I should be looking at. I've done club level motorsport (back in New Zealand) and a few track days here and there. The only Karting experience I have is with the usual low hp indoor 'arrive and drive' style. Oh, had a go at karting on ice a couple of weeks back -that was a right laugh!

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

DTC.

[belleair302]

Here is a site worth looking at before you become too engrossed in costs, tyres, trailers etc. Good luck.

www.abkc.org.uk/

[awracing]

You could always do a season of club 100, get a feel for 100cc racing and then take the plunge.

[droptheclutch]

Thanks chaps. AW, have you had a go @ club 100? If you have, what did it cost?

[mattrm]

www.club100.co.uk/

If you do the sprint championship you can do a season for 1.5k. Looks good to me. I think I'm going to give it a try.

[shelsleyf2]

I would think carefully about club 100, if you want arrive and drive with an intro to two stroke karting its ok however | dont actually think its cheap. You will be racing TKM BT82 on hard as nails tyres, its not representative of current two stroke karting, also compared to buying your own you will be restrcted in the hours you get behind the wheel. Since you will have to take an ARKS test before getting a licemce why not have a day with a kart training school and sample both TKM and Rotax Max, pass your ARKS test and then have a more informed choice?. You might also look at Formula Easy if you live near Buckmore. Either way I am sure you will have fun!!. I reckon it costs about £150 to enter and event plus consumables and if practicing on the Saturday add another £70 ( this covers chains,tyres,engine wear,fuel etc.Look also on Karting.co.uk and Protrain both good sources of info advice.

[superkartracer]

droptheclutch said:

Hi All

I'm pondering a season of Karting and am wondering what sort of budget (and formula) I should be looking at. I've done club level motorsport (back in New Zealand) and a few track days here and there. The only Karting experience I have is with the usual low hp indoor 'arrive and drive' style. Oh, had a go at karting on ice a couple of weeks back -that was a right laugh!

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

DTC.

Hi

Depends very much on what you race! are you after something very fast? or are you very new to karts?

Twin Pro Karts are a good choice as cheap to buy and run and not to fast for a novice or.... you can come and checkout ICC shifter karts that we run, these offer very high speeds and still offer good value for such pace. ICC will blow you away when you first drive them! I know people that drive F3/F3000 and club F1 and they say the ICC feel faster!

We are setting up a website soon covering ICC in the UK.

In case you don't know what ICC are

0-60 - 3 seconds
0 - 100 in 4.5 seconds
100-20 in under 2 seconds.... *dics all round*
140mph
3+ gs corner power
6 speed seq box
45 bhp in 85kgs - 550 bhp/ton *F3 is around 420/ton*

Good secondhand kit 2k

Magic :-)

Thanks

A

[EDLT]

0-60 in minus three seconds?!!

[superkartracer]

EDLT said:

0-60 in minus three seconds?!!

LOL, yes fast ;-)

[foggy]

droptheclutch said:

Thanks chaps. AW, have you had a go @ club 100? If you have, what did it cost?

I'm 4 races in to doing a season of sprint races with Club 100 in their heavyweight championship this year. It's good, close fairly clean racing in karts that are plenty quick enough for a novice once you get 20 or so other racers all tearing along with you! This year it costs £145 per race day, an hours practice session is £115. There are 11 race days this year and as few/many practice days as you want to do. Good club atmosphere too, very close competition all the way through the field.

I find the real bonus of it is you turn up, race, and have none of the additional hassles (kart transport, maintenance etc.) so still plenty of spare evenings/weekends to do other things! Overall quite good value for money too.

[silv]

droptheclutch said:

Hi All

I'm pondering a season of Karting and am wondering what sort of budget (and formula) I should be looking at. I've done club level motorsport (back in New Zealand) and a few track days here and there. The only Karting experience I have is with the usual low hp indoor 'arrive and drive' style. Oh, had a go at karting on ice a couple of weeks back -that was a right laugh!

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

DTC.

Have a look at www.f6karting.com Its good value 4 stroke only Kart racing based in the south. I raced in the F6 championship for a number of years and its v well organised.

[kiwisr]

foggy said:

droptheclutch said:

Thanks chaps. AW, have you had a go @ club 100? If you have, what did it cost?

I'm 4 races in to doing a season of sprint races with Club 100 in their heavyweight championship this year. It's good, close fairly clean racing in karts that are plenty quick enough for a novice once you get 20 or so other racers all tearing along with you! This year it costs £145 per race day, an hours practice session is £115. There are 11 race days this year and as few/many practice days as you want to do. Good club atmosphere too, very close competition all the way through the field.

I find the real bonus of it is you turn up, race, and have none of the additional hassles (kart transport, maintenance etc.) so still plenty of spare evenings/weekends to do other things! Overall quite good value for money too.

What sort of weights are the drivers?

[superkartracer]

Watch those karts tho! testing yesterday have done some rib damage just above heart :-( just from cornering.....

Great day tho!

[foggy]

kiwisr said:

What sort of weights are the drivers?

Weight classes are >75kg for lightweights, >85kg for heavyweights and >95kg for superheavyweights. That's weight when you're fully kitted up with race gear, helmet etc.

I come in at about 84.5kg ish fully kitted up and add a kilo of lead ballast to the kart to make sure I'm just over. Still can't get near the sharp end of the pack though, somewhat lacking in skill for that so far...

[awracing]

droptheclutch said:

Thanks chaps. AW, have you had a go @ club 100? If you have, what did it cost?

i actually won a test session and race with the club 100 so not sure of costs, i know its not a lot seeing as you dont have to pay for damage etc.