11/06/2026
Karting. We all know motorsport is expensive, but what does it really cost? Here's everything nobody seems to want you to know.
Everyone has done it, wanted to get into karting but no matter how much googling or asking in Facebook groups you do, you never really get a clear answer of what things cost. Here we look to try and break things down and give some advice from our experiences on where to save costs. We'll base this on Rotax, working at club or tier 2 national level, but realistically there aren't massive differences between most classes after the initial outlay of the kit.
There are two ways to do it, you own your own kart, or you can pay a team for an arrive and drive package. We'll start with owning your own.
First you're going to want to buy a chassis. There are lots to choose from and you should where possible try and test one to see what suits your driver best. It's worth considering where you're likely to race and what spares will be available at the track, and if planning to go with a team, what chassis they run. OTK is the most popular due to the abundance of new and used spares, and its large neutral performance windowaking it easier to setup for the less experienced.
A used cadet chassis can cost £1000 to £2000 for something from 18 months old to one that's only done a few meetings. New will set you back around £3200.
For a full size chassis, these are generally around £1500 for one a couple of years old, and £2-2500 for something under a year old with a handful of meetings on it. New you're looking at £4500.
Then you're going to need everything that bolts to it. A good fitting seat is crucial, and this can cost up to £250 for a Tillet or Jecko seat. Which you choose can depend on your driver and the chassis you go for. Getting it fitted properly is a fundamental part of the karts performance so make sure you have it done by a professional.
Next up, wheels. They're all round and do the same right? Wrong. You're going to want at least 2 sets of wet and sets of dry rims. But then different types work in different ways. Wet rims will likely be £100-150 a set used. Dry rims yes you can use aluminium but unless it's cold you'll find tyres overheating after a few hard laps. Magnesium rims are used solidly from spring onwards. These are £500 a set, but can be picked up used for £250-£300.
Chassis spares. If you plan to privateer, you'll need a spares package. Steering column (£50), track rods and rose joints (£40 full set), king pins (£15-20 a pair), stub axles (£100ish each), and rear axle (£80-150) as a minimum. If you run with a team, they should carry spares with them to buy as and when needed.
Chassis consumables. Sprockets, junior and senior you'll need a range of about 10 sizes at £8 to £25 each depending on quality. Micro and inter you'll just need a couple of spares due to fixed gearing. Chains, junior and senior you might need 4 different lengths, plus a spare of each. Minis just one size and a spare. Good chains are £30 each. Brake pad, you might squeeze 2 weekends out of a set, at £50 a set.
Engines. This is the fun one. A full new Rotax package off the shelf is around £3500. A "short" motor with no ancillaries £1600. Then your chosen supplier can apply a "fiche", which optimises legal tolerance for performance. This will be £5-700 per engine. Sadly this doesn't in itself mean you have the best you can get. Some motors are inherently better than others, as are carbs and exhausts. Exhausts are a talking point on performance gains, with some enabling significant gains of several tenths per lap. Unfortunately the best kit rarely becomes available on the open market, and what does change hands does for lots of money, with exhausts changing hands for thousands in some cases. And even then, the best of the best are reserved for team and suppliers rental fleets.
Engine rebuilds. A top end rebuild is required by the book at 20 hours use. This will usually cost £5-600. A full rebuild in the book every 50 hours at £1100. But the truth is, after a run in period the performance will peak and then start to tail off. Big budgets see some changing pistons every 6 hours.
Depending how much you intend to race, you can avoid the costs of ownership by renting a motor. You hire per day, and the supplier takes care of any maintenance and you can expect any motor you rent to have been tested on the Dyno and be at the peak performance it's capable of. But....there is a pecking order. Just by hiring doesn't ensure you the fastest package. These again will be reserved for the big teams and their top drivers. Hiring costs around £150 per day.
The ideal is to own one motor that you can use for practice and not worry too much about always being tip top, and then hire a motor just for race days to keep costs down.
Entry fees. 2 day club rounds with Saturday test and Sunday race are generally £140-£180 depending on if you're a member of the club. A national like TKC or Super One, £275 for 3 days.
Tyres. These are generally around £200 per set. Once you are within a second of the front runner pace, you'll want to be on new tyres for each race day. Once you've done a race day on them, you can use for your next test day, and then once you've put 80 laps on them they go in the bin, or donate to your local nursery for toddlers to play with. You could use them for odd test days where you're just getting track time, but they're no good for testing prior to a race day to refine setup. If budget allows, new tyres for the last couple of practice sessions before race day is ideal. Wet tyres are used as and when. How long they last depends how wet it is when you use them. For nationals, it's controlled tyres and you have to have a new set purchased via the championship for each race weekend, wets are also purchased via the championship but if unused can be sealed and carried to the next round.
Fuel. You'll need 10-20 litres of fuel depending on class and whether it's a 2 or 3 day meeting, plus 2 stroke. Call it £30-40.
Spark plugs have to be Rotax branded. They're about £18 each and are prone to fouling. Budget for one a day, and always have a spare one in your box just in case.
Consumables. Chain l**e, elbow grease, brake cleaner, rub off, cloths, maintenance spray etc. £50-60 and top up as required.
Pit bays can cost £40-£80 a weekend depending on circuit and if it has electric hookup.
Damages. This is open ended depending how well your weekend goes, but some common examples below. There's your steering components as mentioned earlier. Nose cone £80. Drop down blocks £15. Sticker kit for nose £80. Nassau panel for OTK £240 plus sticker kit. Radiator £250. Rear bumper bolts £15. Axle £80-150. Kart jig £60-100. Welding £50-£100. New frame £1500. Damaged wheels. Chain guard £80. List goes on.
Add to all of this a van or trailer to transport it all, tolls, decent gazebo, generator, work bench etc.
Fuel to get there, food and drink for the weekend can easily be £250 a weekend.
Accommodation. If hoteling it, this is £60-150 a night. We chose to build a camper. It's not pretty but probably owes us around £12k, has room for all our kit, and saves us around £7k a year in hotel costs.
So that's a long but not complete list as a privateer. Want to be in a team? Read on.
Team fees. This generally gets you awning space, setup advice and access to a driver coach. It does not include a mechanic. This can be anywhere from £150 to over £300 a day depending on the level of team. Most will also charge expenses too to cover staff costs, which gets spread between all customers so can fluctuate. Usually another £100-200 a weekend.
Mechanic. If you're not mechanically minded you can pay for a mechanic. Expect to pay £70 a day for an inexperienced entry level mechanic that will require assistance. £175 a day for a decent one. And north of £200 a day for a top level spanner. You'll also need to pay their travel, accommodation and food expenses, another £100-150 a day.
Top tip. Learn the tools yourself to save mechanic costs, and if you're confident in your ability and build your knowledge, you can then offer your services to others to help with your costs. Teams will often exchange their fees for your services when your child isn't racing.
Kart transport, prep and storage. Around £150 after each weekend, plus any spare parts they have to replace and jig if required.
Just want to turn up with a helmet and rent a teams kit? Most teams will offer an arrive and drive service, or rental of their kit. Kart rental will usually be £400-475 per day plus any damage incurred. Then you have all of the above team and mechanic fees, plus the usual entry fees and tyres etc.
It's a long read, but hopefully it gives an open transparent insight into the true costs of karting and helps a few people. It should be said that even at this level of cost, it will only put you in the mid pack. The further forward you want to get at more competitive events, the more money you'll have to spend.
In summary, once you've bought all your kit and set aside a budget for engine rebuilds and damages, a 2 day weekend as a privateer will cost £5-600, around £1000 with a team. Double this for a national like the Kart Championship. Arrive and drive £3-3500.
So yes, Motorsport is expensive, even at the "grassroots" of karting. There will be early mornings. Late nights trying to work out which credit card to transfer the next balance on to. Countless hours spent trying to gain sponsorship to help pay for it all. But it's all worth it, for the time spent as a family, the life lessons it teaches your child, through the many bad days, and the few extraordinary days. It's a fickle sport, and we can't really afford it, but we love it.
