The minimum age for the Bambinos (our category for the youngest drivers) is 6 years old. However, on occasion we may be able to accommodate drivers from 5 years old if they have some prior experience. Please call our Customer Support Team to discuss these opportunities.

• Bambino: Minimum 6 years old to year of 8th birthday

• Cadet: Year of 8th birthday to year of 12th birthday

• Junior and Junior Light: Year of 12th birthday to year of 17th birthday

On occasion we can allocate drivers to a different category to the above guidelines where there is a size / height issue. Please call our Customer Support Team to discuss these options. However, it should be noted that safety of the activities is always our paramount concern.

Depending on their level of competency and previous experience, they can take part in either:

GKL Rookie Programme Training Sessions –These usually take place on selected Saturday mornings at tracks centrally located in England and are suitable for drivers who have limited experience in a kart. Our Ready to Race modular training packages take place on these events.

GKL Rookie Programme Open Practice Sessions – These usually take place on selected Saturday afternoons at tracks centrally located in England and are suitable for drivers who have limited experience in either indoor or outdoor karting. Our Ready to Race modular training packages take place on these events.

GKL Rookie Championship Race Meetings – These usually take place on selected Sundays at tracks centrally located in England and are suitable for drivers who have limited experience in either indoor or preferably outdoor karting. We also usually require drivers to have attended either a Rookie Programme Training or Open Practice session prior to taking part in a Rookie Race Meeting. As safety is always our priority, we believe it’s important for drivers to have experienced our karts in either a Rookie Training or Open Practice session so we can evaluate and develop their performance in a pressure free environment.

GKL National Championship Training/Practice Sessions – These usually take place on selected Saturday mornings at tracks in England and Wales and are suitable for drivers who have some experience of outdoor karting and want to experience the GKL karts, taking their racing to the next level. Our Ready to Race modular training packages can be available on these events, and these sessions are also populated by drivers racing in the National Championship race meeting the following day.

GKL National Championship Open Practice Sessions – These usually take place on selected Saturday afternoons at tracks in England and Wales and are suitable for drivers who have extensive experience of outdoor karting and want to practice in the GKL karts. These sessions are predominantly populated by drivers racing in the National Championship race meeting the following day.

GKL National Championship Race Meetings – These take place on selected Sundays at tracks in England and Wales and are only suitable for drivers who have extensive experience of outdoor karting and ideally have prior experience of the GKL karts. However, exceptions can be made for drivers who have suitable experience of racing in other outdoor Championships.

Please speak to the GKL Customer Support Team to establish which GKL event is best suited for your driver.

Usually, a GKL Rookie Programme Training Session is the 1st step, but it does depend on their previous experience. Please speak to the GKL Customer Support Team to discuss this in more detail so we can correctly advise you.

The next level up from racing at indoor tracks is to progress to larger outdoor tracks using faster karts than the indoor variety. Drivers who have already raced indoors and reached a level of competency whereby they are comfortable with this new challenge are encouraged either into our Saturday morning GKL Rookie Programme Training Sessions or perhaps our Saturday afternoon GKL Rookie Programme Open Practice Sessions if we feel they would be safe to do so. Drivers also benefit from our Ready to Race modular training packages which take place on these events.

If you would like to discuss these options, please contact the GKL Customer Support Team.

The next level up from racing at outdoor ‘Arrive & Drive’ tracks is to progress to the GKL karts which are faster than most outdoor karts used at commercial tracks. GKL use lighter and more nimble race-spec chassis together with high performance battery powertrains that generate more power and torque than most of the petrol engined karts used at most commercial tracks. Drivers with extensive outdoor karting experience would normally initially participate in either our GKL National Championship Training or Open Practice Sessions which take place on Saturdays at tracks around England and Wales. It’s important for drivers to practice in our GKL karts in a pressure free environment prior to taking part in a race meeting and as safety is of paramount importance, we generally ask that drivers participate in an Open Practice Session first (before racing) so we can assess their competency. However, if we can establish that a driver has a high level of experience and competency during a phone conversation with the parent or legal guardian, in some circumstances, we may allow them to race in a GKL National Championship Race Meeting without doing an Open Practice session first.

The GKL Rookie Championship Race Meetings are not run under a Motorsport UK permit and as such, a licence is not required. However, as safety is our priority, we do require drivers to have reached a certain level of competency before they participate in a Rookie Championship Race Meeting.

As GKL National Championship Race Meetings are run under a Motorsport UK permit, drivers need to apply for a Motorsport UK RS Clubman licence before participating. The RS Licence is not a proof of competency, is free of charge and can be applied for with MSUK online here. The process takes about 5 minutes and application guidance is here.

An RS Clubman licence is not required in order to participate in GKL National Championship Training or Open Practice sessions.

If the driver already holds an RS Clubman licence, or any Motorsport UK licence that is of a higher grade, that is acceptable.

Yes. Your space is only confirmed once the event is booked and paid for.

No, drivers can choose to race in as many or as few GKL Rookie or National Championship Rounds as they wish.

The registration fee must be paid only once per GKL Championship. The cost of the registration fee is £60 and must be paid on your first event in the Championship. The registration fee can be purchased here.

No, there is no Membership fee applicable for registration to the GKL Rookie Championships.

If your driver wants to be registered for the GKL National Championship, enter more than one race meeting and have their points go towards their Championship total, you do need to pay the Membership fee.

However, if your driver only wants to enter one race meeting in the GKL National Championship, you do not need to pay the Membership fee. This facility is in place so that drivers new to GKL can try us out. However, your driver will not be registered for the National Championship and their points will not go towards a National Championship total.

If your driver then decides to enter a second GKL National Championship race meeting, then the Membership fee is payable to register them in the Championship and the points awarded at their first race meeting will then be added to their Championship total.

No, it doesn’t. GKL events tend to fill up and entries are taken on a strictly 1st come, 1st served basis. Details of when entries for each event open are communicated via our various channels including emails to the database.