Getting Started

Welcome to karting, we are excited to show you around and help you on what is going to be an exciting and rewarding pastime. Many people associate karting with young drivers, but adults both male and female are also very active in karting.

People of all ages can enjoy the sport with children as young as six getting behind the wheel. Karting teaches these children – both boys and girls – basic driving skills well before they are able to obtain their road licence.

Karting is competitive, but it is also fun and family orientated, with involvement in the sport both on and off the track giving it a strong feeling of community. For those aiming at a career in Motorsport, almost everyone who races cars started racing in Karts – it’s the best fun you will have on four wheels.

Race meetings take place at tracks across Australia every weekend at four levels – Club, Zonal, State or National.

Where to start

How to Apply for a Licence
Joining a Karting Australia Affiliated Club will give you access to that club’s circuit for practice, as well as allowing you to participate in any club championship, social events, working bees and other club activities.

Visit the Club Finder section to find the Karting Australia Club nearest to you. You need to first become a member of a club before you can apply for a licence.

You can join your chosen Karting Australia Club and apply for a licence online through the “Licences and Entries” section on Karting Australia’s website at kartng.net.au. Joining a club and obtaining a licence can be all done in this one place on the website.

Once you have joined a club and a licence application made to Karting Australia, there are certain safety requirements that must be completed before an ODS (Observed Driving Session) can be taken.
You must have passed an ODS before you are able to compete for the first time. Your club representative will be able to help guide you through these requirements and arrange a time for your ODS.

New cadet age drivers will be required to complete at least 8 hours driver training /practice on a Karting Australia licensed track before they are able to undertake their Observed Driving Session. This training must be observed by
1) A parent who is the holder of a Participants License; or
2) A person who is 18 years of age or older who is the holder of a racing licence issued by or recognised by Karting Australia; or
3) A driving instructor/coach who is recognised by Karting Australia.

The person supervising the new cadet criver’s practice sessions must complete the details of the practice undertaken on the New Cadet Driver Practice Log form which must be provided to the official who conducts the Driver’s ODS before they are permitted to undertake the ODS.

A getting started booklet can be downloaded from Karting Australia here

Purchase a kart

Contact us via sales@dpekt.com or call us on 1300karter to discuss kart options that best suit your needs and budget, we also keep a list of used karts that our customers are selling if you are not ready to purchase a brand new kart.

We don’t recommend that you buy your first kart off websites such as eBay, Gumtree, or any other Market Place style sites on the internet. You need to be sure that the kart and engine that you are buying is in good condition and is suitable for your age group and Class that you will be looking to compete in.

Safety Gear

DPE have all the safety gear that you require in store or in the apparel section of our website.
Items that are mandatory include a full face helmet, race suit, racing boots, gloves and for cadet and junior classes a rib protector, rib protectors are optional for senior classes. Neck braces and chest protectors are optional across all classes and age groups but are recommended in cadet and junior classes.

Ask questions meet the people

Karting is a friendly, family-orientated sport and karters young and old are always happy to help out newcomers.

Make sure you ask lots of questions to members at your kart club, state association or while in store. It is often a good idea to plan your first trip to the track with your kart to be with someone who has had some experience so that they can help you with any questions you may have. Also, while at the circuit feel free to ask other competitors any questions. So often, the friends you make in karting will be friends for life. Check out our “what do I do when I get to the track” and “Tips for my first day” sheets

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Girls Race Too

Girls race too
Motorsport has been long considered as a male-dominated sport; however, it is continually becoming the scene where more females are lining up on the grid. Over the past two years there has been a Ladies Trophy contested within the SP Tools Australian Kart Championship with Gold Coaster Taylah Agius winning the title in 2018 and New South Wales driver Beck Connell in 2019. For Agius, she believes motorsport is a great sport that provides equal opportunities to both males and females.
“In motorsport, it’s not just a boy or a girls sport – it’s one that everyone is equal in. Once you strap the helmet on everyone is the same. All I want to do is the best I can possibly do for myself personally and everyone who supports me. Dad used to race but as I got more competitive, he took a step back so we could focus more on my racing. We now pretty much spend every weekend at a kart track somewhere – it’s a real family bond.”

2-STROKE OR 4-STROKE?

2 stroke engine Two Stroke
For a long time, karting has used almost exclusively 2-stroke racing engines that are specifically designed for kart racing in all age groups. Made by Vortex, IAME, Rotax and PRD, they are the purest form of karting engines. They are also the most technical form of the sport.

For the novice, 2-stroke racing can be a little daunting and the running expenses are a bit more than the standard four stroke classes are to run due to the extra maintenance and lower rebuild hours required on a two stroke engine.

4ss engine Four Stroke
At the start of 2018, Karting Australia introduced the 4SS (4 Stroke Sprint) class. 4SS is specifically designed for the newcomer to karting. It is focused on low cost, low maintenance, simplicity and fun for the new person of all ages in the sport.

Using factory sealed 4-stroke Torini or Briggs & Stratton engines, the class is proving to be highly popular with newcomers to karting. This class provides the opportunity for newcomers to ‘learn the ropes’ of the sport at a lower cost. Numerous drivers have used this class as a steppingstone into the more powerful 2-stroke classes while others are simply enjoying having fun in the 4SS classes – particularly older drivers.

We recommend that you investigate what type of kart engine best suits you by discussing the options with us on 1300karter or email us at sales@dpekt.com