Your road to the grid starts here

Bambino racing starts from 6. Cadet novices can take their ARKS test from 7 years 9 months. After that you can start at any age, with classes right through Junior and Senior.

The six levels of UK karting: indoor and corporate karting, national rental karting, owner driver club racing, national championships, the British Kart Championships, and beyond. They are stages of experience, exposure and investment. You need an ARKS test and a Motorsport UK licence to move from rental karting into Level 3 and beyond.

Between Level 3 and Level 4. The Kart Championship is a national Motorsport UK championship that travels around the UK, with a mix of teams and privateers. Many drivers race club events first to build their race record, then step up to TKC.

It is a great start for racecraft and lines, but it is not enough on its own for the ARKS test. The test expects you to have had practice or tuition in a proper racing kart, not only four stroke indoor karts.

Yes at TKC. Practice at a TKC event is part of a Motorsport UK permitted event, so you need a valid Motorsport UK licence. You can practise and test at many other kart circuits without one.

No. You can learn at a kart school, run with a team, or start with arrive and drive karting. If you do buy, visit a local club first to see which classes are popular, and check the class rules before you spend anything.

Pick a class that suits the driver’s age and weight and is well supported where you want to race. Do not pick a class just because a friend races it. Speak to us at any TKC event and we will talk you through it.

Ask yourself three questions. Am I ready? Have I mastered where I am? Have I learned everything this level can teach me? Make sure you also meet the minimum age and weight requirements for the class. Climbing the ladder is about strategy, not speed.

Not at all. Plenty of drivers start as teenagers or adults. Our Rotax Junior Primo class is made for newer Junior drivers aged 12 to 13, including those turning 14 who are in their first year of Junior racing. It is a great place to build seat time and racecraft at your own pace.

Karting is a motorsport and carries risk, which is why it is tightly regulated. Every TKC race runs under Motorsport UK rules with officials, marshals, medical cover, approved safety kit and scrutineering, and every licensed driver has passed a test on safety, flags and track discipline.

The pack you buy before your ARKS test. It costs £78 and includes the licence application form, access to the digital Yearbook and educational films, and the fee for your first licence. It is available from Motorsport UK and from karting shops including our partner KKC Kart Components.

A Kart Interclub (Novice) licence. Bambino drivers get a Bambino Interclub licence, which is exchanged for a normal Interclub licence when they move up to Cadets. As you build your race record you can upgrade to a National licence, and later an International licence for international events. Motorsport UK sets the upgrade criteria in the National Competition Rules.

Not for short circuit karting. You complete a medical self declaration on the application form. If an answer raises a question, Motorsport UK may ask for more information before issuing a licence. Long circuit karting needs an eye test including colour vision, and a full medical if you are over 60.

Every driver under 18 must have a parent or guardian holding a Parent/Guardian Entrant licence. Apply for it at the same time as the driver’s licence on the same form. It must be shown at signing on at every race meeting.

The PG licence holder gives a signed letter of authority to the responsible adult attending. The letter and the PG Entrant licence are handed in at signing on. A template is on the Motorsport UK and ABKC websites.

Once you pass your ARKS test you send the signed application to Motorsport UK. In most cases you can race at your first meeting before the licence arrives by handing the signed application to the Competition Secretary, subject to the Steward’s approval.

The fixed costs are the Starter Pack (£78) and the ARKS test (£100 with Driven Kart Club, plus track fees, plus kart hire if you do not have your own kart). After that it depends on your class and whether you run yourself or with a team.

Race entry, club membership, tyres, fuel, engine servicing, repairs and travel. Costs vary a lot by class, so ask us for a realistic picture before you commit. Build your plan as if no sponsor puts in a penny.

Good results help, but most drivers fund their racing through family budgets, sponsorship and commercial partnerships. It is worth planning your season like a small business from day one. If you want to start building sponsorship, On Track Motorsport is a sponsorship software platform for drivers.

You need one for timing at race meetings. Check with your circuit to see which type they use. For The Kart Championship we use MyLaps.

Yes. Once licensed, you must be a member of a Motorsport UK affiliated kart club to enter a race meeting. We recommend our own club, Driven Kart Club. Members get priority entry, discounted entry to race weekends and test days (£15 off race entry and £5 off the practice day), and early registration for the Autumn and Winter Cup events and the following season. Join through Alpha Timing.

Entries are made online through the club or championship’s entry system, usually at least two weeks before the meeting. Tick the Novice box when you enter.

Black number plates with white numbers.

Novices start at the back of the grid for heats unless grid positions are set by timed qualifying.

Early. Signing on, scrutineering and the drivers’ briefing all happen before first practice. Check the timetable on our notice board.

By racing. Complete six clean race finishes, meaning no disqualifications or dangerous driving penalties, and you can apply to drop your novice status and race on standard plates. Ten signatures from at least three venues lets you apply for a National licence. Use your novice races to learn. Results matter far less than experience at this stage.

You are the entrant. You sign your child on, go with them to any briefings or meetings with the Clerk of the Course or Stewards, and support them in the paddock. Everyone at TKC is expected to follow the Motorsport UK Race with Respect code.

We follow Motorsport UK safeguarding policy. If you use a team or a mechanic, check they hold the right Entrant licence, insurance and DBS checks. Motorsport UK’s guidance for parents and carers is on their website under The Sport.

Often, yes. Take the test on the practice day, pass both sections, and your child can race using their signed application in place of a licence for their first meeting, subject to the Steward’s approval.