Step 2
Practice, Practice, Practice
Once you've decided that you want to start competition karting you need to gain experience. Practice and race in leagues at your local rental tracks to save money. Once you feel comfortable in a rental kart, try a few Touring Kart Championship races. They are a regional rental kart series where you can practice your racecraft in a highly competitive environment while not breaking the bank!
Step 3
Buying Your First Kart
Once you feel ready, it is time to buy your first go kart! When looking to buy a kart, you first must decide whether you want to buy new or used. The popular choice is to buy a used kart first and then upgrade to newer equipment later.
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New - Contact any of the teams below, or find an approved kart dealer
Used - Contact any of the teams below, search on facebook marketplace, or look through facebook groups
Need a better transition. Karting teams can also offer mechanic and trackside services, coaching, tuning and spare parts. They will make getting started in karting much easier but it will be more expensive than running solo.
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Buying a gokart can seem intimidating; there's a ton of different brands and classes. The first thing you need to figure out your budget. This will determine whether you buy a new or used kart, how many tires you can use and how many races you can do.is the age and engine class you want to race in. Below are the available age and engine classes
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Age Classes
Kid Kart (5-8 years old)
Mini Cadet (7-12 years old)
Junior (12-15 years old)
Senior (15+ years old)
Masters (40+ years old)
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Engine Classes
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Kid Kart
Comer C50
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Mini Cadet
125cc (IAME Mini Swift, ROTAX Micro Max, Vortex Micro Rok, Rotax Mini-Max)
4-stroke (Briggs Lo206, Tillotson 212cc, Predator Ghost 212cc)
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Junior
125cc (IAME X30, ROTAX Junior Max)
100cc (IAME Ka100, Vortex VLR)
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Senior
100cc (IAME Ka100, Vortex VLR)
125cc (IAME X30, ROTAX Max, Vortex Rok GP)
4-stroke (Briggs Lo206, Tillotson 212cc, Predator Ghost 212cc)
Shifter (IAME, ROK, ROTAX (2-speed only))
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Step 4
How to Prep a Go Kart for Dummies
Congratulations! If you made it this far it means you bought your first racing kart! The next step is to get your go kart prepped for some practice days.
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You can utilize any of the teams listed in Step 3 to put your gokart together or to maintain it.
If you're brave enough, you can prep your go kart yourself. You can message us at any time through the chatbox if you need help prepping your go kart. Read through our rules and technical sheets to get an idea of what you need to do to make sure your kart is up to spec.
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To find practice days at our tracks, please visit the following websites:
Step 5
Practice Makes Perfect
Learning how to drive a racing kart for the first time will be difficult. Driving fast requires high levels of mental focus, good reaction timing and the ability to think ahead like all competitive sports. Racing is different to other sports.
Racing is like chess; it is a complex, mental game between all the drivers on track. Racing requires strategical thinking, spatial awareness and bravery. The only way to get good at racing is to practice it. Pair up with other drivers on practice days, practice on the simulator and continue to race rental karts.
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Most of the teams listed in step 3 offer coaching services. You can also use the chatbox to learn more about coaching services. Lastly, you can get general coaching from youtube videos.
Step 6
Race Day
You've made it! You're gearing up for your first competition karting race! The first thing you need to decide is if you're running with a team or if you want to handle your kart yourself.
If you want to run with a team, please see the teams list in Step 3. Not all of the teams will be at each race so get in touch with them early to find out what races are on their calendar and what they can provide on race weekends.
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If you choose to run solo, please see the list of tools and parts you need to run a kart by yourself. This list is only an entry-level list and will not include some specific tools you may need. More often than not, the teams or other drivers will have these specialized tools and may let you borrow them. Make sure to return any borrowed tools to their respective owners!
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Kart Transportation (truck, trailer, van, etc.)
Go Kart
Spare parts for your Go Kart
Outdoor Extension Cords
Shop Towels and rags
Fuel funnel
Sneakers / racing shoes
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If you plan on running solo, please make sure to prep your kart and organize all your tools and parts before the race weekend.