 A sprint race at a karting event | |
| Highestgoverning body | CIK-FIA |
|---|---|
| First played | 1950s |
| Characteristics | |
| Team members | Yes |
| Mixed-sex | Yes |
| Type | Motorsport |
| Equipment | Kart |
| Venue | Kart circuit |
| Presence | |
| Country or region | Worldwide |
| World Championships | FIAKarting World Championship |
Kart racing orkarting is amotorsport discipline usingopen-wheel, four-wheeled vehicles known asgo-karts or shifter karts. They are usually raced onscaled-down circuits, although some professional kart races are also held on full-size motorsport circuits. Karting is commonly perceived as the stepping stone to the higher ranks of motorsports. Most modernFormula One drivers, includingAyrton Senna,Michael Schumacher,Fernando Alonso,Kimi Räikkönen,Lewis Hamilton,Sebastian Vettel,Nico Rosberg, andMax Verstappen, have begun their racing careers in karting.NASCAR Cup driverConnor Zilisch also got his start in karting.
Karts vary widely in speed, and some (known assuperkarts) can reach speeds exceeding 160 kilometres per hour (100 mph), while recreational go-karts intended for the general public may be limited to lower speeds.
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AmericanArt Ingels is generally accepted to be the father of karting. A veteranhot rodder and a race car builder atKurtis Kraft, he built the first kart inSouthern California in 1956.[1] Early karting events were held in theRose Bowl Stadium car park.[2] Instantly popular, Karting rapidly spread to other countries,[3] and currently has a large following in Europe.
The first kart manufacturer was an American company, Go Kart Manufacturing Co. (1957). In 1959,McCulloch was the first company to produce engines for karts. Its first engine, the McCulloch MC-10,[4] was an adaptedchainsawtwo-stroke engine.[5] Later, in the 1960s,motorcycle engines were also adapted for kart use, before dedicated manufacturers, especially in Italy (IAME), started to build engines for the sport.
First everKarting World Championship was held in 1964. First everKarting European Championship was held in 1972.
Kart racing is generally accepted as the most economical form ofmotorsport available on four wheels. As a free-time activity, it can be performed by almost anybody, and as a motorsport in itself, it is one of the sports regulated byFIA (under the name ofCIK), permitting licensed racing for anyone from the age of 8 onward.
In the United States, there is not as much FIA involvement; instead, many organizations regulate racing, such as the IKF (International Kart Federation), WKA (World Karting Association), KART (Karters of America Racing Triad), USPKS (United States Pro Karting Series) SKUSA (SuperKartsUSA).
In the UK, theMotor Sports Association (MSA) regulates most "owner driver" Karting. Some associations, such asNatSKA (National Schools Karting Association), organize race meetings throughout the country under the authority of the MSA.Various four-stroke "hire kart" series such as EPEC (European Prokart Endurance Championship)[6] or BRKC (British Rental Kart Championship)[7] fall outside the governance of the MSA. Billed as the UK's first national kartingleague, the Elite Karting League also falls outside of MSA governance.
In Australia, kart racing is administered by one of the following Karting bodies:[8]
Racing classes start at age 7 or 8 (5 in the United States with "Kid Karts") and generally run in 3-year age groupings or weight divisions until "senior" status is reached at age 15 or 16, depending on the series.[citation needed]
Typically, race formats are one of the following:
Sprint racing takes place on dedicated kart circuits resembling small road courses, with left and right turns, hairpins, chicanes, and short and long straightaways. Tracks range from 1/4-mile (400 metres) to over 1 mile (1,600 metres) in length.
The sprint format is a series of short-duration races, normally for a small number of laps, that qualify for a final which last 20 minutes or more, with a variety of point scoring calculations to determine the event's overall winner. Typical duration does not normally exceed 25 minutes. Here, speed and successful passing is of the most importance. It normally occurs in the format of qualifying, one to three heats and a final race for trophy positions.
Sprint Racing in the United States and Canada are held at three primary levels, club racing (local races at purpose-built tracks), regional racing - like theCalifornia ProKart Challenge, theTexas Sprint Racing Series, the Florida-basedSunshine Karting Championship Series,Route 66 Sprint Series in the Midwest, and theF-Series Gearup Challenge in the Northeast. National level karting takes place across North America in dedicated national series like theSKUSA Pro TourArchived 22 July 2024 at theWayback Machine, theUSPKS Championship Series,WKA Manufacturers Cup and theROK Cup USA. The SKUSA Pro Tour championship is one of the most coveted, and theSKUSA SuperNats event held in Las Vegas annually is one of the largest kart races in the world, attracting drivers from every continent. The SKUSA SuperNats event has been run continuously for 25 years, and a SuperNats win is considered a legendary win in karting circles.[citation needed]
TheFIA championships, including theKarting World Championship, SKUSA SuperNats and all SKUSA Pro Tour, USPKS and ROK Cup USA Nationals take place in this format.
Sprint racing can be held at a dedicated purpose-built track (most of which also rent club karts for family fun), and sprint races are also held at kart tracks that exist at many major auto sports complexes likeDaytona International Speedway,Charlotte Motor Speedway,Pittsburgh International Race Complex,NOLA Motorsports Park in New Orleans,Homestead-Miami Speedway, andRoad America. Sprint races are also held at temporary kart circuits that can be built in parking areas at large stadiums and casinos throughout the United States. Additionally, there are street races where races take place on city streets on temporary circuits like some of theIndyCar races.
Endurance races last for an extended period, ranging from 30 minutes up to 24 hours or more, for one or more drivers. In general, consistency, reliability, and pit strategy is of greater importance than all out speed.
Called "enduro" racing in the United States, mostWKA andIKF sanctioned events typically last 30 minutes (sprint enduro) or 45 minutes (laydown enduro) and are run continuously without pit stops. Enduro events are held on full-size road racing circuits that are usually between 1.5 and 4 miles in length.
As well as the famous24 Hours of Le Mans race for automobiles there is also a 24-hours event for karts which takes place at the kart circuit Alain Prost atLe Mans, France.[10] This race has taken place since 1986 and its winners list include four-timeChamp Car championSébastien Bourdais (in 1996).
Endurance racing is also considered a more affordable way of getting into karting. In South Africa, the 24 Hours of Karting Festival race is held annually and lasts 24 hours with multiple classes participating. This event is hosted by the Prokart SSS Club[11] near Johannesburg. The most popular class runs the Honda GX390 four-stroke engine, which is both affordable and durable, keeping running costs to a minimum. The Prokart Super Single Series, also known as Prokart SSS, has been running for more than 20 years and has proven to be a very popular entry platform for drivers of all ages who want to get into karting. Many clubs worldwide have taken on four-stroke endurance karting for this reason, since two-stroke karting can be very expensive.
Street racing karting is a high-intensity motorsport category run on temporary urban circuits built from public roads. These courses are tight, fast, and unforgiving, bordered by concrete walls, curbs, and city infrastructure rather than runoff areas. Races emphasize precision, bravery, and adaptability, with rapid direction changes and heavy braking zones. Famous events include the Quincy Grand Prix in Illinois, known for its long straights and park sections, and the Rock Island Grand Prix, one of the world’s largest street kart races. Internationally, notable street circuits include Macau-style city layouts, Monaco-inspired harbor courses, and historic European town-center races.
Speedway racing takes place onasphalt or clayoval tracks which are normally between 1/10-mile and 1/4-mile long. Tracks primarily consist of two straights and four left-turn corners, few tracks are symmetric and often the shape parallels that of an egg or atri-oval.
"Offset" kart chassis have been developed for precise handling and adjustability in left-turn-only racing competition taking place on oval and tri-oval tracks. Depending on the track material, different tires are used on the kart.[12]
Speedway kart races range in length from 4 laps for a trophy dash, to 20 laps for a main event.
The two chief racing formats used in dirt speedway karting are heat races and timed laps qualification:
There are many different classes in kart. One of the fastest growing in the United States is Lo206. The general classes are 125cc Shifter, 100cc tag, 125cc tag and then the X30 equivalents of these karts.
TheCIK-FIA sanctions international championships inOK,OKJ,KZ1,KZ2 andSuperkart. These are regarded as the top-level classes of karting and are also raced in national championships worldwide. TheWorld Championship is decided here. In May 2019 it held the international under-15 championship. The driver who finished first overall was Vlad Sputzki (Russia) followed by Daniel Smith (England) and then followed by Maximilien Blank (Australia)CIK-FIA categories:
Non CIK-FIA categories:The Kart World Championship (or KWC)[14] as opposed to the FIA's "Karting World Championship" uses 4-stroke rental karts and travels to a different country each year.
In the UK, the most celebrated karting series is the National karting series, also known asSuper One. There are three types ofSuper One championships:
Other UK National Championships include:Birel BirelART series UK: Cadet 60cc, Junior 100cc, Senior Light 125cc, Senior Heavy 125cc, British Indoor Karting Championship (BIKC)
The BRKC is the UK's rental karting National championship, and the UK's official feeder series to the rental Kart World Championship.
NatSKA is a budget karting association set up for schools and youth groups in the UK, with 13 classes.
In the United States, Dirt oval classes[citation needed] (which often useBriggs & Stratton industrial engines) are prominent in the Southeast and Midwest.[citation needed] In the West, European style sprint racing is much more common.[citation needed] In particular, 125cc shifter karts using Honda CR125 power units have gained tremendous popularity in recent years.[15]
In Australia, classes include Cadet (previously called Midget),Junior KA4, Junior KA3, X30, KZ2, Senior KA3, Senior TAG (Restricted and Unrestricted). Most classes run a light and heavy category.
Many people race worldwide inSpec series such asX30 125cc (aTaG class).
As in other disciplines in motorsports, a license is required to drive a racing kart in competition.[16] The licenses, issued by governing bodies, are provided by clubs or associations. Basic insurance coverage is usually included in the licence annual fee. In some countries, such asFrance, regulations require the drivers to pass a medical exam each year.
License classes differ between countries according to age groups or levels. Most of the time a Practice License can be easily obtained, while a Racing License might require a capability assessment.[17]
For their safety, kart drivers are required to wear proper equipment:[18]
Rib protector,racing balaclava andneck brace, although highly recommended, are optional in most countries. None of the above need to be made of fire retardant material. Superkart drivers are required to wear leather overalls, similar to those used inmotorcycling.
Since its introduction as aWorld Championship discipline in 1964, the cost of competitive karting has spiralled; in 2023, Fabio Marangon ofVroomkart described the sport as "Formula 5".[19] UnderMohammed Ben Sulayem, theFIA introduced theOK-N andOKN-Junior categories to reduce costs for competitors.[20]Arrive-and-drive championships gained prevalence through the early 21st century, led byClub100 in theUnited Kingdom, and the format was givenWorld Cup–status in 2025.[21]
Drivers can start at the age of 6 in the Motorsport UK Bambino Championship,[22] and even from the age of 5 in the Bambino Kart Club Championship.[23] ManyFormula One drivers grew up racing karts, most prominent among them beingWorld Drivers' ChampionsAyrton Senna,Michael Schumacher,Alain Prost,Fernando Alonso,Kimi Räikkönen,Jenson Button,Lewis Hamilton,Sebastian Vettel,Max Verstappen, andLando Norris. ManyNASCAR drivers also got their start in racing from karts, such asDarrell Waltrip,Danica Patrick,Ricky Rudd,Juan Pablo Montoya,Tony Stewart, andJeff Gordon.
In August 2009, in anticipation to a possible return to F1 withFerrari,Formula One world championMichael Schumacher did some preparation driving a kart inLonato, Italy.[24] Schumacher also raced at theSKUSA SuperNationals, an event taking place each year inLas Vegas, along with F1 driversSébastien Buemi andNelson Piquet Jr.[25]Felipe Massa also used karting in September 2009 to test his condition in Brazil, two months after hisHungarian Grand Prix accident during qualifying.[26]
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