I’m trying to make my way to open wheel racing, and want to try and get my own kart, but my dad isnt familiar with kart racing, and we both dont know what to do exactly.
Ive talked to a few people on reddit and also a guy i know who does karting, but i still need to cover some more bases.
Where can i buy some gear, parts, and used karts?
Where can i find races going on near me, and when the races are?
What can i do to get a custom helmet for when i wish to have one with my own design?
What do i have to get ready for/expect physically when i do start karting. (I am a girl so i would assume it would be a little different for me than it is guys.)
Are there any tracks on the east coast that anyone knows that I’m able to race at without an ID, since i havent done my driving test yet.
And last, What do i do to sign up for races, or to get started in competitive racing?
Tell us exactly where you live so we can tell you where your nearest track is. Then go to that track and get an experienced racer or mechanic to explain the different engine classes to you and decide which you want. Then buy a lighly used chassis (no more than 3 years old) and a new or less than 20 hours engine (if 2 stroke) or less than 40 hours engine (if 4 stroke).
Alternatively, we could just explain the classes to you here once we know where your home track is.
Nearest track to me is a few hours away in Morrisville North Carolina and also a track in Charlotte NC but im pretty sure they are indoor tracks.
The only outdoor track im able to race at without having to have an ID is in South Carolina.
And yes please, do explain the classes for me, im unfamiliar with it all and it would be super helpful
My dads ok with driving the way to a track if i can prove that im dedicated. I checked around NC on google maps and asked my cousin who used to kart and he said that my options around are a few hours away either in the middle of NC, in SC, or in VA since the only oval tracks (that we know of) are dirt racing or im unable to race karts on it
Yeah dirt oval is also an option and is raced in karts and cars. In many parts of the country it’s much more prevalent than sprint racing.
The gist of how to get started is not to put the kart before horse… it’s really important to know where you will race before you get anything. There’s a wide variety of engines being used in kart racing but not all places use the same package.
On a basic level there are 2 stroke and 4 stroke kart engines. 4 stroke tends to be more affordable.
What you need to do first is identify where you can race, find out what goes on there, and then find out who to talk to to guide you through the process of buying a kart and engine. Every race series has folks that service the series for support and equipment. Sometimes these are called “teams” and sometimes it might be the shop at the facility.
It’s kind of a pita to get started and I went through the same thing as you. Don’t rush.
NC is a bit of a kart desert but Trackhouse in SC is one of the finest facilities in the US and hosts many travel series as well as has club racing of their own (I think).
Yeah I’ve heard of Trackhouse from some guys on reddit too. I’ll get my dad to take me there so we can check it out at some point, thank you!
If there’s any other info you might be able to give me that you haven’t already, i would appreciate it very much, im trying to get as much info as i can so i dont have to go in completely blind
Buy whatever brand of chassis is most popular at your track and/or is sold by the parts counter if your track has one. That way, it will be easy to get replacement parts when you break something.
For example, I bought OTK for my first 2 karts because I usually race in Orlando Kart Center and Orlando Kart Center is an OTK dealer.
Don’t listen to people who say that one brand of chassis is faster than another. It will make absolutely no difference at your level.
Trackhouse is in Mooresville near Charlotte. Morrisville is near Raleigh.
Victory Lanes in Charlotte has a super competitive rental league with no restrictions against minors. It would be perfect for doing the rentals first to build a skills base and then trying out the league once you get good. There’s no buy-in hurdle either, so I’d strongly recommend that over shelling out a few grand.
Trackhouse requires a license for rentals, but owners don’t have an age restriction. I’ll be there on Saturday with my 6yo and my 4yo daughters. Being around 16, you’ll be looking at a “senior” class. The cheapest to get started is the Briggs 206. The MGM chassis is made in Kannapolis, NC and is really popular. I’d start there. I run a CRG/Maranello because they were supported by a local team that has since moved to BestKart.
CMP in Kershaw, SC occasionally has rental sessions but their site says 18+. Same as with Trackhouse, there isn’t an age/license restriction for owners.
Charlotte Motor Speedway has a kart track, but I think that is exclusively for races and not general open practice.
For dirt karts, you have some options like Millbridge which is not far from Trackhouse. Dirt is outside of my wheelhouse though.
Karting is very regional in how it’s set up, so the popular classes and kart brands may vary a bit depending where you are.
Proper race karting is broken up by weight/age/engine classes. Typically it’s 8-12 for Cadet, 12-15 for Junior, and 15+ for Senior. You don’t need a driver’s license to compete in actual race karting. From there, most series/tracks will offer something like a Briggs LO206 engine which is a 4-stroke engine that is a slower, lower maintenance package that is great for someone just starting out and doesn’t have the biggest budget, but if you have more money to spend, most places will also offer a 2-stroke class like the IAME KA100 that is faster, but requires more maintenance and more money to stay competitive.
A great first step is to figure out what your most local track is, check their schedule and try and head over one weekend just to walk around, check out the scene, talk to people, and learn how everything kind of works. Karting people are generally pretty friendly and helpful and happy to answer questions on how to get into the sport. They can also point you to your nearest local kart shop or team who would be able to provide karts, parts, service, and advice too.
Everyone has given you some good information. I will add a few more…
What age are you? While you have a goal of open-wheel racing, the path to that goal can vary. Some will start with sim racing like iRacing, some will start with karts, some will start with SCCA racing and I suppose if you have enough money you could jump into open wheel driver schools that have a path to competitive racing. Regardless of the path, expect the progress to take time. Like Lightning McQueen says, 1 winner, 42 losers, get used to being one of the 42 and be realistic about goals. I think the older you are the harder karting can be as it is usually by age not experience level. As TJ pointed out if you are over 15, for senior class, you could be racing with anyone from 15 to 60 - 70 or even older.
As for your other question on gear, more than likely you are still growing so spending on helmets and suits the priority should be on fit and function more than style. Some tracks have a lot of young people racing and you might find second hand equipment, but you will likely want your own helmet. Again, you want a proper fit, which should be snug to your head, you don’t want the helmet moving around while you’re on track.
The best advice is go to the track, talk to other drivers, see what other people are racing, make connections. If the track has rentals, try that. If not, some karters may be willing to let you try their kart, usually after racing is done for the day.
Lastly, it needs to be fun, so keep it fun no matter what you do.
Oh yeah, don’t Pooh-pooh rental racing if you are brand new to all this. If there’s a good league, you will learn a lot and also get a sense if it’s for you. There’s also a lot of folks who are quite skilled doing it and a good league will be quite competitive.
It will also allow you to make pals and the fast guys and gals probably know what’s around for you to try. I’m forever pointing interested new racers to other leagues/travel series/tent programs, etc.
AFAIK every outdoor track in the country that has rentals requires you to be 16 or 18 years old or older and/or have a drivers license. They do this because insurance companies make them. If you own a kart, they will let kids as young as 4 to race.
Keep in mind getting started with your own kart will be $5k to $10k minimum on a kart, trailer, parts, tools, tires, helmet, suit, shoes, etc. Plus either tons of hours working on the kart or paying someone to do it. It’s a major time and money commitment in the beginning but then gets better with experience. That’s why I’d highly recommend starting in rentals to see if you truly want to go to owner karts. You can spend less money learning the basics on a rental and there is no risk of paying for damaged parts and less risk of getting seriously hurt while you learn.
