Wanna be karter

Hey, I have a passion for racing and wanna start karting seriously. ive been a sim racer for about a year and a half and have been to a few local karting places near me and have been at least a second faster than the random people who go and i wanna make this my hobby. I apologise if this isnt the right place to post but i would love some advice from more experienced driver or just a guide of where to start.

Thanks

Welcome!

Where are you located and how old are you? The answers to those two questions will get you pointed in the right direction, because then we can recommend local tracks, what classes are popular in your area, local kart shops etc.

Im 15, 16 in august. And Greater Manchester England.

You need to get over to Three Sisters for their next club meeting - https://mbkc.co.uk/

Have a wander about see what it’s all about.

What sort of budget do you have?

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Honestly not sure but i have about 500 from previous birthdays and a birthday not far away so maybe about 800+. And Ill defo look into that. Not sure how much im willing to spend tho.

Well, that’s not going to get you started. Once you’ve bought the kart, figured out transport and all the safety gear (as well as licence, though this doesn’t HAVE to happen as you can race outside of the Motorsport UK system - IKR Independent Kart Racing). Let alone running costs.

It maybe better looking at arrive and drive championships like Club100 - https://www.club100.co.uk/championship/lightweight-sprint-championship-2019-class-2/

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Ahh i see, How much would you say to get started?

you could maybe get everything for 1300-1500 (I wouldn’t skimp too much on the helmet budget so you might wanna push nearer 2k) which will get you off the ground not including transport and storage.

You could get lucky on eBay and pick up a kart super cheap, but then it’s a matter of where you can race and whether it’s the right spec etc…

but first go to a MBKC club meeting. Get a feel for everything. Speak to the club get some advice. See what classes are run

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Ah i see. I think id be willing to somehow get the funds. But realistically it’ll be better to just try the arrive and drive for now.

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Try a club100 mate. The competition is very high and it won’t break the bank.

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It seems like a step up from my previous times driving so id 100% Look into that. Dude i really really appreciate the help.

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Like Alan said, also wouldn’t hurt to make friends with some of the racers and learn to maybe help to wrench on a kart.

That knowledge will help you when you get your own, and also the connections might help for a homie hookup when it’s time to get your own.

Yeah yeah, all good points ill take into consideration
.

Having been down the road of buying the cheapest kart I could find twice, the best thing I can offer would be to buy the most expensive kart you can afford because that cheapie will double in price after you end up fixing all the deferred maintenance from the previous owner.

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That’s right, there’s a reason why it’s the cheapest kart you can find. That is unless they are getting out all together and needs everything gone quickly.

Sometimes it’s always worth checking just after supernats or with major teams just after national events, they will sell off their one event karts at a discounted price.