What is the best age to start Karting?

[mabs_nsx]

I gave up on my dream of becoming a race car driver last year because it was too expensive but when I get a job I want to buy my niece a Kart and get her into racing. She is only 17 mounths old and she loves cars. (Thanks to me) What age can she start?

[#15 tkm 4/]

well here (england) you can start racing when you are 8 years old! but Tony//Kart make a kart for 5 years olds to practise in, but you cant race it till shes 8. But saying all that this is England, Not austraila

[Rushy]

some countries you can race mini-karts at 5 and lots of makes make them.

[Karting_jenny]

probably have to contact a local or local-ish track to find that out.

[Alex Hodgkinson]

Get her a pedal car

It'll engrain that "I must have four wheels round me" feeling in her brain.. certainly did for me.

[JABWOA]

MABS, check out the superkart scene in Australia, low cost, high speed, clean racing (due to running on the big tracks like Oran Park, Phillip Island, Eastern Creek, Winton etc) and club friendly atmosphere. (check out www.superkartsaustralia.com)

[johnny yuma]

CHECK WITH EASTERN CREEK KARTS[public hire] near the Raceway but not part of it. The 6 horsepower parent with child is base model,goes up by increments based on age. ph.02 96727530. The 13hp are not bad,if you get within 2 seconds of fastest people you're not bad!

[Dan Fielden]

IMO the earlier the better i.e cadets run from 8-12 and it is a good launch pad and a place to learn how to race. I started when i was 12 but i wish i had started in cadets. It depends on whether or not the driver wants to race if he/she is pushed into racing the wont enjoy it.

[Ali Rushforth]

I was one of the original cadets back in 1987/88 at 8 years old and it was probably the best thing that ever happened to me. I raced through Junior Britain (JICA now) and Senior 100B (ICA) until I hit 18 and went car racing.
Before I did cadets I had a Moto X bike for round the garden but from what I've been told it did nothing for Mum's nerves. Alright I wasn't allowed dangerous things like skate boards and roller blades, but I didn't mind!!!!
I found that starting at a young age you mature quicker (girls mature faster than boys, I know I have two daughters and a Son!!) and that can bode well for later life. How many people have spoken to a 10 year old cadet driver about chassis and engine set-up, then thought, how old are you!!?? The average 10 year old talks about Power rangers and the like!!!

My son is 4 and a half and I bought him a comer cadet for his 4th birthday back in april, also got him suit (Not CIK) and helmet so he feels the part and I'm lucky that I have access to 1 mile square bit of smooth tarmac for testing race cars on so I take him up there and make a track with cones and barriers.

The one thing we noticed about our son is that even with helmet on he found the comer (S60) a bit loud, but have improvised a bit with extra foam in helmet.

My main reasons for buying him a kart are; it's me and him verses three women in my house and I need to do "man" stuff with cars and karts!!! plus, when I was younger and raced I was never the type of "lout" who hung round bus shelters in the peeing rain coz it was "cool", I had karts to work on and stuff, which I thought was cool!!! and finally, if by the time he reaches 8, and with 4 years of driving behind him he decides that he doesn't like it, c'est la vie, the kart (c/w slicks, wets, trolley) cost me £150. and I could probably sell it on to like minded dad's or keep for my 4 month old niece. And I'd rather that than have waited till he was 8 and bought everything new and race ready and wasted £3K finding out he didn't like it.

In other words mate, if your nieces parents don't mind, get one, maybe when she's 2-3 and find some land to play on. I'm sure she'll love it!!!

[TRAV]

I recently got my daughter started at the age of 3.. We spent countless hours in parking lots before ever hitting the track. I have a restrictor in the carb. as well as a throttle stop for safety. We are not the fastest ones on the track but we are learning to run good smooth lines and getting "seat time" . A friend of ours did a website for her, feel free to check it out and sign the guest book and let us know what you think..

www.laykee.com

Good luck to all..
Trav.

[marcus]

Oh man that is awesome Trav

welcome to ten Tenths btw.

mabs in Australia the usual age is around 7 or 8 for starting out , in England they are called cadets , here in Oz we call them Midgets.

I spent several years racing myself and used to love heading out onto the track when these young guys and gals come on and doing some flagging , they had an absolute ball.

but yes check with a local club , I believe you are in Western Australia so check this site http://www.kartingwa.com.au , it may help you I just did a quick goggle and found it but didnt read through it.

also has a list of WA clubs so choose the one closest to you and you will get the answers you need from them Im sure of it.

[#15 tkm 4/]

over here we (people i know) also call them the 'rubber band brigade' as they has no fear, boucned of other karts andother objects and just got back to what they were doing.

I once saw a cadet roll and clear a fence at clay pigeon, he landed back on his wheels and drove off. The people had to stop the race to make him go to the amburlance to get checked out, even though he was fine. Very funny it was him arguing with the CoC, them telling him he was hurt and him telling them he was fine!

[Teretonga]

Australia I think is six or seven yrs. You have at least two good tracks near Perth and two or three good clubs so check it out via your local community or sporting club handbook.
Its all controlled class racing at that age through to Junior National (KT100) which is 10 or twelve yrs plus.
In NZ you can start at six but are restricted to a C licence and local club events until seven when a B licence qualifires you for national Open events. National Champs are an A.