How to get started go karting

Getting started in go karting can be really hard. There is so much to learn and it can be really expensive. I started karting last year. Here are my top tips for how to get started and what I wish I knew.

Tip 1: Sign up for your local Kart Club come and try day.

Many of the local kart clubs have a come and try day. It is a great chance to get in a seat, get the feel and see if this karting thing really is for you. If your local club does not have a come and try day contact them for getting started advice. Go and watch a local club day and start to meet the other members. From our experience the karting community is an amazing group of people who are all really passionate about motorsport and getting newbies up and running.

Tip 2: Buying a kart

This is a really hard one. There are plenty of second hand karts available on Facebook marketplace etc. If you don't have enough knowledge you can make really costly mistakes going this way. Speak to your local kart club even use their social media platforms to get a leads or some help.

To all new go karter's, you will crash. Others will crash into you. You will skid off, you will start race's at the back where it is messy. You will make mistakes and you will lose parts from the kart while driving.

Buying a new kart if you can afford it is so great. A new kart is only a new kart for a millisecond. Buying a second hand kart can be wise but costly if you don't know what you are doing. It can be done, just make sure you get some advice and help.

Try speaking to some of the racing teams, they may have 2nd hand almost new karts to sell you. You can often try these kart's and get support. Many of the kart shops can help you as well.

No matter what kart you get each race weekend will cost you money as stuff happens in motorsport :).

Tip 3: Understand the costs

There are many ways you can get involved and enjoy karting. In Australia some people race 4 stroke engines as they are easier to run and much cheaper to maintain. They don't go as fast as 2. stroke however, they are still fun.

You can spend as little or as much as you want. We started out using my mum's horse trailer and a second hand kart. Luckily the kart was awesome and the engine pretty competitive. We upgraded to a newer kart from the Birel Art racing team for a much reduced cost. The kart had only done 2 race meets.

You need to factor in travel, fuel for towing, overnight stay (we camp), entry fee's, food, new tyres most meets just to name a few.

For those with dreams of being a future F1 driver, hold onto your dreams but here is the reality check. To be competitive you will need to spend quite a bit of money each weekend at race events. An average weekend can cost us at least $600 if nothing goes wrong!

The best money we have spent is on training with my coach. Jess Golding has been able to teach me how to fine tune my kart, get the most out of every corner.

Tip 4: Have a great support crew

This is a really important tip on several levels. You will need to lift your kart on and off the trolley, have someone help you fix and adjust things. If you go with your parents, someone will be running back and forth all day with fuel, parts and checking tyre pressure. Some of the. race teams offer a mini team support for a cost on race days. The first time we used this service with Jess Golding Motorsport her mechanics basically rebuilt my kart after an accident. The mini team is usually money well spent.

One of the best parts about karting has been that I get to spend lots of time with my family doing two things that I love driving and camping.

Luckily, my mum is happy to camp out with me. She drives me Wednesday nights to training (1hr 40 minute drive). Weekends, she drives me all over to race. Karting is a big commitment from the driver and the support crew/family.

Final note.

Karting is expensive like all motorsports. Things go wrong and it seems like you are always spending money. However, it has brought me so much. I have made great friends, gone everywhere and got to do the thing I love.

Don't be afraid to ask for help. Go to your local kart club, contact your local kart shop and start watching all the free YouTube video's out there.

Find a coach or team that can help you get started. Our coach was a bit of an outlay to start with however, she has saved us so much money in mistakes we did not make.

If you are serious think about getting help from a team. It costs a lot to go to race events. If your kart is not set up properly you will not be competitive.

Most importantly have fun, don't give up and always thank you support crew for their help.