Getting started in Karting for my son.
Discussion
Afternoon All,
My little lad is 9yrs old and he REALLY wants to get into Karting. He's pretty slightly built and I think he'd make a pretty good little racer.
I have VERY little experience of engineering of any sort and I wondered if it would be possible to get into Kart racing at an entry level.
What costs are involved and where do I start?
I realise these are pretty general questions but if anyone has any pointers/links/contacts they would be most appreciated.
Thanks
BB
My little lad is 9yrs old and he REALLY wants to get into Karting. He's pretty slightly built and I think he'd make a pretty good little racer.
I have VERY little experience of engineering of any sort and I wondered if it would be possible to get into Kart racing at an entry level.
What costs are involved and where do I start?
I realise these are pretty general questions but if anyone has any pointers/links/contacts they would be most appreciated.
Thanks
BB
At that age he'd be racing in one of the cadet classes. The 2 main ones being honda cadet and comer cadet, same chassis's, different engines but don't worry about that for now. First thing I would say is get him to have a go in some arrive and drive karts at your local outdoor circuit just to make sure he fancies it and knows roughly whats involved driving wise. Then find your local circuit and go along to a race meeting find somebody who looks friendly and ask lots of questions. May be worth ringing your local circuit explaining your interested in starting and they can probably give you contact deatils for somebody who can help in your area, i know my local circuit are only too willing to help people like you!
Once hes passed the Arks exam then you can start racing, its going to be cheaper to buy and run your own kart but if you've got little mechanical knowledge thats not always feasable. I don't know much about comer cadets but honda cadets are generally pretty simple and could be run by anybody with basic mechanical knowledge. Problem will come with setting up the kart and teaching your son to drive which will take far more time if you run yourself rather than run with a big team.
I ran with a team when i started karting and although it allowed me to learn a lot quicker and become a front runner more quickly it costs a great deal more. I'm not totally sure of cadet costs but I'd imagine to run with a team your going to be looking at at least £500 quid a weekend maybe more, whereas you can probably do it for half that running yourself on a budget.
Best bet though is to just go along to a race meeting at your local circuit and ask lots of questions.
Don't buy anything though until you've been to your local circuit and got plenty of information and opinions of a number of people because its very easy to buy dodgy or old equipment that either can't be raced at your local circuit or will be obsolete soon!
Sorry thats long but hopefully it will help!
Once hes passed the Arks exam then you can start racing, its going to be cheaper to buy and run your own kart but if you've got little mechanical knowledge thats not always feasable. I don't know much about comer cadets but honda cadets are generally pretty simple and could be run by anybody with basic mechanical knowledge. Problem will come with setting up the kart and teaching your son to drive which will take far more time if you run yourself rather than run with a big team.
I ran with a team when i started karting and although it allowed me to learn a lot quicker and become a front runner more quickly it costs a great deal more. I'm not totally sure of cadet costs but I'd imagine to run with a team your going to be looking at at least £500 quid a weekend maybe more, whereas you can probably do it for half that running yourself on a budget.
Best bet though is to just go along to a race meeting at your local circuit and ask lots of questions.
Don't buy anything though until you've been to your local circuit and got plenty of information and opinions of a number of people because its very easy to buy dodgy or old equipment that either can't be raced at your local circuit or will be obsolete soon!
Sorry thats long but hopefully it will help!
By the way noticed from your profiles your in Lanc's, I may be wrong but the main circuit I can think of that way is Rowrah in Cumbria, http://www.cumbriakrc.co.uk/
Are you any good at fighting and hurling abuse. Don't want to put you off, but when my sons were karting, that seemed to be a pre-requisite (especially at National level) for dads (and mums) that were living their lives for as there sons.
Always seemed a bit strange really.
Anyway, if you can handle that, then its a great sport, both for you and your son.
Andy
Always seemed a bit strange really.
Anyway, if you can handle that, then its a great sport, both for you and your son.
Andy
Damon Hill started Josh off in the most unsalubrious of places - thrashing a kart round the track at Tilbury out of the back of an old Transit - arrive and drive for £20 the whole day but you daren't leave your kart anywhere not chained down....it didn't seem to do him any harm (the Ginetta juniors are perhaps the most entertaning class on the BTCC package).
It's a fiercely competitive world!
It's a fiercely competitive world!
andygo shhhh don't put him off! Nah seriously I've found that doesn't happen too much at our local club ( has happened but very rare) and i was under the impression it was pretty rare at club level in most places. Now national level I agree is a totally different kettle of fish, I marshalled a stars of tommorow meeting the other week and the parents were awful. Had a load stood behind my marshall post shouting abuse at drivers, other parents, me when I made a call about their son etc. they were even at it in friday practice! Had to laugh though when the father of one well known up and coming driver was shouting during friday testing only for a bloke I know to walk past and jokingly say chill out mate its only practice. gets a mouth of abuse from the father, the look on the fathers face about 10 seconds later when the bloke I know flashed his msa stewards badge at him was classic!
Just bought my 8 year old a Wright chassis with 4 stroke 160 Honda, Wright brakes, the lot, all up and running, it's adult size but I can adjust the seat and pedals, came with spare slicks, chains and sprockets, all for £125 from a work colleague whose son ahd lost interest.Just to get my son to have a go and see if he likes it.
I told him it won't be as fast as the cadets but he's raring to go!!
Went to the track at Blackbushe on Saturday to watch and he's really keen now!
I told him it won't be as fast as the cadets but he's raring to go!!
Went to the track at Blackbushe on Saturday to watch and he's really keen now!
i would say that your best bet is to spend as little money as possible in the first year as he may not be very goosd or get bored of it, possibly i might consider making him wait a year - in order to really harden the resolve to go karting. your best bet is going to your local in door track, they generally have junior days on sat mornings, with lappping sessions and some racing. its low key, purely fun, he can still learn a lot and if you do this regularly for a year or so you'll be able to see if he is any good.
then after that you can do proper karting, or maybe the under 17 cc, which will allow him to drive cars from a young age, after that there's possibly grass track racing or autocross which are infinitely cheaper than any national level karting.
equally you have to wonder about all these teens in the junior car racing formulas who run out of money after fbmw or something, and yet they've spent 100's of K in karting over the previous 10 years. remember no f1 team managers gives a toss about what you did in karting, they barely care about what you did in f3, so.... spend your money wisely.
then after that you can do proper karting, or maybe the under 17 cc, which will allow him to drive cars from a young age, after that there's possibly grass track racing or autocross which are infinitely cheaper than any national level karting.
equally you have to wonder about all these teens in the junior car racing formulas who run out of money after fbmw or something, and yet they've spent 100's of K in karting over the previous 10 years. remember no f1 team managers gives a toss about what you did in karting, they barely care about what you did in f3, so.... spend your money wisely.
rubystone said:
Damon Hill started Josh off in the most unsalubrious of places - thrashing a kart round the track at Tilbury out of the back of an old Transit - arrive and drive for £20 the whole day but you daren't leave your kart anywhere not chained down....it didn't seem to do him any harm (the Ginetta juniors are perhaps the most entertaning class on the BTCC package).
It's a fiercely competitive world!
Ah memories. It's a fiercely competitive world!
Started in exactly the same way.
Could have been such a great track.
The MSA run a Lets GO karting scheme now, google it as spelt with capital GO and it will come up ,run at a lot of tracks. Turn up get kitted out and then a bit of tuition, round the track ,either walk around or buggy ride, then 5 or 6 laps in a Honda Cadet with an off track electronic restrictor fitted just in case,all for a Fiver !
You wouldn't even get him a pair of used gloves off flea bay for that. it gives you and your kid a chance to see how he likes it before commiting shed loads of money for something he may not like.
As for the racing itself,we do a weekend at a LOCAL club for about 100quid (sorry i only get $ signs,and yes it is set to English 102 keys)that gets him 3x 6 lap heats ,one final plus Saturday practise of about 30 laps. No intention of going national, at club level it's fun, at national the abuse starts LOL.
Good luck. Brian
You wouldn't even get him a pair of used gloves off flea bay for that. it gives you and your kid a chance to see how he likes it before commiting shed loads of money for something he may not like.
As for the racing itself,we do a weekend at a LOCAL club for about 100quid (sorry i only get $ signs,and yes it is set to English 102 keys)that gets him 3x 6 lap heats ,one final plus Saturday practise of about 30 laps. No intention of going national, at club level it's fun, at national the abuse starts LOL.
Good luck. Brian
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