Which kart class is right for me?

Karting is clearly grouped into four main classes: Cadets (age 8-13), Juniors (age 11-16), Seniors (age 16 upwards), and Gearbox (age 16 upwards or Junior Gearbox age 13-16).

Cadets: for youngsters from 8-13. There are three cadet classes, all of which are permitted to race together. The top speed is about 55mph.

• Comer Cadet: a 60cc 2-stroke sealed engine kart, used for the premier championships and run by most clubs.
• Honda Cadet: a 4-stroke GX160 unsealed engined kart. Accepted by most (but not all) clubs
• WTP Cadet: a 60cc 2-stroke sealed engine kart with an electric start button (commonly known as TAG – touch and go). Check with your local club to see if they run them.

Juniors: from age 11, up to 16 (dependant on class) with top speeds from about 60 – 75mph.

• Junior TKM: (11 – 16), a 100cc traditional air-cooled 2-stroke engine with chassis made especially for the class. Very strong in the Midlands and some other areas but not raced universally any more. More details from Tal-Ko, www.tal-ko.com
• MiniMax: (11 – 16), a modern 125cc TAG class, raced almost everywhere. More details from JAG, www.jag-rotax.com
• Junior Max (13 – 16), a more powerful version of MiniMax, for older and heavier drivers.
• JICA, soon to be replaced by KF3 (13 – 16, and for experienced 12 year olds). The Junior British Championship class, not for beginners, with top speeds approaching 75mph.

Seniors: from age 16 (experienced juniors may move into these classes from their sixteenth year)

• TKM Extreme: a 115cc traditional air-cooled 2-stroke engine with chassis made especially for the class. Very strong in the Midlands and some other areas but not raced universally any more. Top speed about 70mph. More details from Tal-Ko, www.tal-ko.com
• Senior Rotax Max: a modern 125cc TAG class (electric self-starter), raced almost everywhere. More details from JAG, www.jag-rotax.com
• 100 National: a class for traditional 100cc highly tuned and high-revving mostly water-cooled 2-stroke engines, top speed 85mph on certain tracks. Usually only raced in certain championships and some clubs
• Formula A & ICA, being replaced by KF1 and KF2: The premier championship classes, not for beginners.

Gearbox: from age 16, (17 for 250’s on long-circuit), and 13 – 16 for Junior Gearbox.

• Junior Gearbox: (13 – 16), uses 85cc Honda or TM 2-stroke engines with six gears, but only a very few clubs cater for this class.
• ICC (renamed KZ2): 125cc 2-stroke engines with six gears, top speed 90mph on the short circuits, or 110mph on the long motor racing circuits.
• 250 National: 250cc ex motocross single cylinder engines with five gears, top speed 100mph on short circuit, or 140mph on long circuits.
• 210 National: a classic kart class using engines based on the Villiers 197, mostly raced in their own championship.
• Rotax Max DD2: a 125cc TAG class with two gears.
• Superkarts: 250cc single or twin cylinder engines that can reach speeds of 170mph at long motor racing tracks.

 

Some circuits will run different classes of karts in addition to this, including different versions of four-stroke karts. Some clubs are not able to run gearbox karts. It’s always worth visiting your local club to see what’s popular before making a decision. The regulations for the most popular classes are to be found in the MSA Kart Race Yearbook, commonly known as the ‘Gold Book’.

· Intro
· How do I get my karting licence?
· Which kart class is right for me?
· Where do I race?
· Do I buy a kart and run it myself, or hire?
· What karting equipment do I need?
· How do I get sponsorship for karting?
· How do I improve my karting skills?
· Where can I find out more?