Getting Started

First Step

To get on your way to getting on track there a few things you need other than the obvious equipment (the kart!).

Before you can drive on a kart track you will need:

  • Club membership and,
  • Karting licence.

Before getting a licence, you must be a member of a Karting Australia Club. In the Perth area, there are two clubs; Hurricane Go Kart Club (located in Wundowie) and Tiger Kart Club (located in Wanneroo and Cockburn). Membership fees differ for each club, so it is best to contact the club for the details. For a full list of WA kart clubs and their contact details, please see here.

Once you have a club membership, you will need a licence. Karting Australia is the governing body for karting in Australia and are in charge of issuing licences. There are two types of licences available to beginners:

  • A KA Race Licence – Approx. $350
    • This will give you a D-grade licence and will allow you to race as soon as you pass an observed licence test. You will need to be endorsed at a minimum of four race meetings and volunteer for club duties at one race meeting before you can upgrade your licence to C-grade. Before you upgrade, you will have to display a P-plate on the back of your kart. Whilst on P-plates, you will start every race at the rear of the field unless there is qualifying.
  • A KA Practice Licence – Approx. $100.
    • This will give you an E-grade licence and will allow you only to practice. This licence is also popular for six-year old’s as you can practice at six years old but not race until the age of seven.

Categories

In karting, there are many different categories and it can be somewhat confusing to understand them all to begin with. The basic structure of the categories is based on age as follows:

Cadets (6 – 12 years old)

Children as young as six are allowed to practice on kart tracks in Australia however they are not allowed to race until they are seven. This gives the driver time to become accustomed to the kart and build up their skill before being put in a race environment. Once they turn seven, they are able to begin racing. In the cadet age group, there are two race categories:

Cadet 9 (7 – 9 years old)

Engine: Vortex Mini Rok (with restrictor)

Cadet 12 (9 – 12 years old)

Engine: Vortex Mini Rok (without restrictor)

The great thing about this age group is that you do not have to upgrade any equipment between the Cadet 9 and Cadet 12 categories – it is as simple as removing the restrictor from the engine and you are ready to go. This keeps equipment costs down and also means the driver doesn’t have to adapt to a new style of engine.

Juniors (12 – 15 years old)

The Junior age group is split into two categories, suitable for 12 – 15 year old’s:

KA3 Junior
Engine: Iame KA100 (with restrictor)

KA2 Junior
Engine: Vortex DVS Junior
KA2 is a performance category ran in the Australian Karting Championship (the national championship). This category has a minimum licence requirement of A-grade. You can upgrade to an A-grade licence after finishing in the top three or top five at a state or national championship respectively. This is the premier Junior category in Australian national competition.

Seniors (15 years and over)

In seniors, there are two entry-level categories, both of which are generally split into different weight categories to cater for the full range of different size drivers:

KA3
Engine: KA100 (without restrictor)
This category is a great option as the minimum licence requirement is D-grade and the category is run at both a state and national level. This means that with the one engine, you can race at any level in the country. Additionally, if you are moving from KA3 Juniors, you are not required to purchase a new engine.

TaG 125 Restricted
Engine: Iame X30, Rotax Max Evo (with restrictor)
This category is limited to drivers with a C-grade licence or lower. This allows entry-level drivers a shot at racing with other drivers of similar experience and skill level.

Performance Categories:

TaG 125
Engine: Iame X30, Rotax Max Evo (without restrictor)
TaG 125 is the natural progression from the TaG 125 Restricted category. This category has a minimum licence requirement of B-grade. You can upgrade to a B-grade licence after you are endorsed by a steward at a minimum of six race meetings as a C-grade driver.

Open Class
Engine: many different engines allowed
Open Class is a performance class with fewer engine restrictions and rules. It is a fun, fast category with everyone in different equipment from shifter karts to 175cc karts to twin engine karts. This category has a minimum licence requirement of B-grade. You can upgrade to a B-grade licence after you are endorsed by a steward at a minimum of six race meetings as a C-grade driver.

KZ2
Engine: TM, Iame Screamer, Modena or Vortex
KZ2 is the pinnacle of kart racing. The six-speed karts make around 50 horsepower and are the only category to do standing starts. KZ2 also races on a soft compound, high grip tyre making the overall lap times even quicker. This category has a minimum licence requirement of B-grade. You can upgrade to a B-grade licence after you are endorsed by a steward at a minimum of six race meetings as a C-grade driver.