Kart circuit

Kart racing on short circuit

Temporary circuit in the streets of Patras

A kart circuit is a race track designed for kart racing. There are several types of kart circuit, depending of the type of use desired.

Circuit types

Short circuit

Any outdoor circuit of less than 1,500 meters in length.

The average length for a serious racing track for karts is around 1,100 - 1,200 meters, 7 to 9 meters in width. Normally custom-built for karting, they resemble road courses, with left and right turns. They generally allow sprint racing for both gearbox and non-gearbox karts.

Temporary circuits can be set in city streets or large parking lots for special events. This is the case for the Junior Monaco Kart Cup, a prestigious event for young drivers taking place each year in the city of Monaco, and the SKUSA SuperNationals, taking place in Las Vegas at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino.

Long circuit

A long circuit is defined as being an outdoor circuit of more than 1,500 m in length. Typically they are shared for other motorsport and only have gearbox kart races.

This type of event can see karts (Superkart) reach speeds in excess of 160 mph (250 km/h).

Indoor

Indoor track in Florida

Normally for casual racers, the indoor circuits can be in any closed space (often old factories), sometimes with a short outdoor section to add interest. Normally they have their own fleet of Go-karts or micro karts, chosen more for economy than out-and-out speed.

In Europe, indoor karting is where most people will sample their first time in a kart. Indoor karting exploded across the UK in the 1990s and had a similar impact in European countries such as France and Belgium. It has made a lesser impact in the United States. Indoor karting still offers a competitive experience for all levels of racers.

Others

In this category fall the dirt-tracks, oval tracks and ice rinks. Speedway racing is the most popular form of karting in the USA.

Locations

Karting is truly international, most countries have circuits where racing can be done. A few examples :

Australia

• Eastern Creek Raceway
• Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit

Latvia

• Swedbank kartodroms

UK

• Buckmore Park Kart Circuit
• Rye House Kart Circuit

USA

• K1 Speed
• Pole Position Raceway

External links

• CIK-FIA 2011 circuit regulation
• List of karting tracks in the UK
• List of karting tracks in the US and Canada
• (Dutch) List of karting tracks in the Netherlands
• (Dutch) Overview with detailed information of karting tracks in the Netherlands
• (French) List of karting tracks in France