Karting is where virtually every professional racing driver started – but it's also a brilliant sport in its own right. Whether you're 6 or 60, getting started has never been more straightforward. Here's everything you need to know.
1. Try Rental Karting First
The easiest way to find out if karting is for you is to visit your local indoor or outdoor rental track. A session costs around £25–50 and gives you a feel for the basics: steering, braking, racing lines, and the competitive buzz.
But here's the thing – rental karts and owner-driver race karts are completely different machines. Rental karts are built for durability and safety in open sessions. Owner karts are purpose-built racing machines with significantly more power, grip, and adjustability. The jump between the two can feel enormous, which is exactly where structured coaching comes in.
2. The Gap Between Rental and Owner Karting
This is the biggest hurdle most people face. You've done rental karting, you love it, you want more – but the jump to owning a race kart feels massive. There's the cost, the technical knowledge, the licence requirements, and the simple question of whether you're good enough.
The reality is that you don't need to buy a kart to try owner-level karting. Experience days and coaching programmes let you drive proper race karts with expert guidance before you commit to anything.
At Matrix Motorsport Group, we exist specifically to bridge this gap. Our experience days put you in a Birel ART chassis with IAME or Vortex engines – the same equipment used at national and international championship level – with coaching from British Championship winners.
3. Try an Owner Kart Experience Day
An experience day is the single best step you can take before committing to karting. A good one should include:
- Proper race karts – not rental machines, but the real thing
- Structured coaching – not just laps, but actual skill development
- Private track hire – no open-session chaos
- Qualified coaches – people who've actually competed at a high level
- Feedback – knowing what you're doing well and what to work on
A full-day experience typically runs 9am–4pm and costs from £250+VAT upwards, depending on the provider and what's included. This gives you a genuine understanding of what owner karting involves – far more useful than any amount of YouTube videos or forum reading.
4. Getting Your ARKS Licence
Before you can race in Motorsport UK-sanctioned events, you need a competition licence. The process is straightforward:
- Purchase the Motorsport UK Start Karting Pack (approximately £75, includes your first licence)
- Book your ARKS test at an approved school or club examiner
- Pass the written test (flags, safety procedures – you need 100% on flags)
- Pass the driving assessment (safe, controlled lapping at a reasonable pace)
- Submit your application to Motorsport UK
The ARKS test costs up to £98 (not including kart hire if needed). Most people find that 2–3 practice days before taking the test is enough to feel confident.
Our 3-day pathway programme is designed to take you from complete beginner to ARKS-ready, with structured preparation across Foundations, Race Pace, and Assessment stages.
5. Your First Race
Once you've passed your ARKS test, you can race at any Motorsport UK-affiliated kart club. You'll start as a Novice (black number plates) and need signatures from 5 races to move to full status.
Don't worry about results at first – finishing races cleanly and learning racecraft is far more valuable than chasing wins from day one.
How Much Does Karting Cost?
Age Requirements
One of the best things about karting is that the age range is huge:
Choosing a Circuit
The UK has over 150 kart circuits. When starting out, look for a track that's local, has a welcoming club atmosphere, and offers practice days as well as race meetings.
Matrix Motorsport Group runs experience days at Shenington (Oxfordshire), Whilton Mill (Northamptonshire), ELK (East London), and Rissington (Gloucestershire) – all excellent circuits with different characteristics that develop well-rounded drivers.