Bambino
The Bambino class uses a very small kart with a MightE electric motor, superseding the petrol Comer C50. The tyres are all weather Le Cont, meaning that separate slick and wet rain tyres are not required. Top speed is about 38mph. New electric karts may be more expensive but there may be rentals available for the battery. Maintenance and running costs will be lower than petrol.
The class is for 6 – 8 year olds, who must take the ARKS test for racing.
For a Bambino Interclub race licence, after sufficient practice follow the page on getting a licence, buy the Start karting pack and book the ARKS test.
There is a Motorsport UK Championship for the class, visiting many clubs round the country. See Champions Kart Club details.
Rather than dive straight into governed racing it might be better to have some experience at an arrive and drive indoor or outdoor commercial circuit. Some have special Bambino training classes.
Formula Cadet & Intermediate
Ideal start for 8-12 years old in Cadet (8-11 for Rotax Micro) or Intermediate (10-13). Their are several engine options for Cadet and Intermediate, do go to your local club to see which is popular. Cadet may use a 900mm or 950mm chassis but only the 950mm chassis may be used in Intermediate. Engines are available IAME – Waterswift, Rotax – Micro & Mini, Honda200 and in Inters only TKM.
Note that Cadets, Intermediates and Juniors must be a minimum weight with their suit, boots and helmet, check the regulations for each class for the figure.
Junior Classes
12-16 years old. The exact regulations are found in the Karting Yearbook regulations. Engine options are from IAME X30 and Rotax, and TKM. Rotax engines are sealed, meaning that only authorised dealers can undertake full rebuilds. Top speeds are 70mph.
As always visit your chosen local club before deciding on a class.
Senior Classes
Year of 16th birthday and over. Same engine and chassis choice as for Juniors. Top speed about 75 – 80mph. New karts might be about £6000 but second hand prices drop quite rapidly.
OK International Classes
The OK Senior and OK Junior (OKJ) are expensive international raced karts. These aren’t currently raced in the UK but in 2026 it is proposed to have an arrive and drive championship for the slightly more economical OKN version.
Gearbox Classes
A range of classes for karts with gears and clutches from 125cc to 250cc. Speeds on tracks, for example Silverstone, up to 145mph and 90-100mph on the short circuits. Gearbox karts can be bought second hand quite reasonably. New 125’s (KZ2 – 6 gears) cost from £7000, up to a fully equipped 250 National or International at £10,000 plus depending on options. There are championships for both in the Super 4 Series, and for KZ2 in the British Championships. There is also a legacy class for the 210 National Villiers engine.
Libre & Prokart Classes
There are some very economical kart classes held at certain clubs, for instance the 4-stroke prokarts run by e.g. the RAFMSA, or the Formula Libre class run at Shenington Kart Racing Club near Banbury. This uses only second hand equipment and pre used tyres. Other economy classes are held by FP4K club, using the World Formula engine.
F100
F100 is a national kart racing series embracing what we believe to be the best eras of karting ever. Covering the periods known as Formula A and Formula ICA during the 1990s, you too can now drive these fantastic machines and emulate your karting heroes. The series appeals to those who wish to race this type of kart with the machines being presented for racing in the same condition they would have originally been used, back in the day. During 2021 classic Formula C & ICC 125cc gearbox karts of the nineties will also be able to race.
Our traditional air cooled 21,000 rpm screamers are used in Pre 2000 & Pre 95. They all have homologated two stroke, air cooled engines on period chassis. Rotary or Reed, the choice is yours. Open tuning within a few simple boundaries means all the engines can achieve near parity. Contact F100 if you would like to demonstrate a Pre 2000 kart and feel the raw speed and agility for yourself.
Look for the F100 Kart Club in the Club section.
Historic & Classic Karts
There is a thriving appetite for restoring and driving historic and classic karts catered for by the British Historic Kart Club ( look for their club in the Club section ). Many kart clubs hold regular demonstrations for the karts, the biggest of which is the Shenington Historic Revival held annually in July. The karts also attend many classic car races including Donington and Silverstone and can be seen on display at the Autosport International Racing Car Show (NEC in January) and Race Retro (Stoneleigh in February). Historic and classic Karts are accepted up to 1984 / 1997 respectively and the classes used are adopted from the CIK, which also recognises this growing movement and sponsors demonstrations at various international events.
Other options for starting karting
There are very affordable arrive and drive racing series including indoor racing at e.g. Teamsport owned facilities, which offer the British Indoor Kart Championships, and for faster outdoor racing at Club100 or the Daniel Ricciardo Series. These can be excellent starting points for the novice driver without much outlay. Indeed many former Motorsport UK licenced drivers continue to race at Club100. For electric arrive and drive look at F.A.T. Karting League.
Some kart circuits in the UK also hold unlicenced races often called IKR. These are not approved by the governing body and it is best to go to a club running under the Motorsport UK