Comfortable clothes and trainers. That’s the whole answer for most people, and you can stop reading.
The rest of this is the detail that catches people out: what’s actually provided, the footwear rule that gets people sent home, the balaclava you’ll probably be asked to buy, and why scarves are never allowed.
What the track gives you
Almost universally: a race suit and a helmet. Gloves are often included too.
Race suits go over your own clothes, so you don’t need to change into anything special. They’re generously sized, and staff will check your helmet fit.
A few tracks include the balaclava as well. Red Lodge Karting makes no charge for any safety equipment, and Rye House and March Hare include balaclavas too.
What you bring
Closed shoes. This is the one that gets people turned away. 54 of the 137 tracks we list publish a footwear rule, and they all point the same way: trainers or similar flat, closed shoes. Sandals, flip-flops, Crocs, sliders and heels are the usual refusals, because your foot is inches from a moving pedal assembly. Bayford Meadows requires shoes that cover the whole foot.
Comfortable clothes that fit under a suit. Jeans and a jumper is the operator’s own advice at Bayford. Avoid anything bulky. In summer you’ll be in overalls and a helmet, so dress lighter than feels right.
A balaclava, if you have one. Helmets are shared, so most tracks want a balaclava under them for hygiene. At 57 tracks a balaclava, or a balaclava and gloves pack, is a compulsory extra sold at the counter if you don’t bring your own. The most common price is £3.99, charged at all 37 TeamSport venues. Elsewhere it runs from £1.50 at Aviemore and £2 at Nottingham Raceway up to £5 for balaclava and gloves at Karting at Haynes and £6 at K1 Speed. They’re reusable and cheap online, so if you’re going more than once, buy one.
Hair tied back. Long hair goes up and inside the helmet. Gridline Racing hands out free hair nets, and Anglia Indoor Karting asks drivers with very long hair to use a long balaclava (£16, refundable).
A change of clothes, if it’s an outdoor track and the forecast is poor.
What you take off
Scarves. Every track that mentions them bans them, and they mean it. Anything loose round your neck can be pulled into the axle or chain, which is how the worst karting injuries happen. It’s the one rule on this page staff will not negotiate on.
Jewellery, particularly anything dangling. Necklaces, hoop earrings, loose bracelets.
Hooded tops and loose layers. Bayford Meadows asks people to avoid hoodies, and Revolution Karting has loose jackets taken off. Anything that can be caught by a rotating part is a problem.
Sashes, fancy dress and novelty accessories. Worth flagging if you’re organising a stag or hen party. Brighton Karting doesn’t allow fancy dress at all, and anything loose comes off before anyone gets on track.
In the wet, or in winter
Most outdoor circuits run all year, and most run in the rain on slick tyres, which is slippery and, frankly, quite good fun once you commit to it.
Many outdoor tracks lend waterproof oversuits in the rain, including Karting at Haynes, Aviemore, Buckmore Park and Red Lodge. Not all do: at Stretton Circuit the suits aren’t waterproof, and the operator suggests a full change of clothes and an old pair of shoes if it’s wet. Even with an oversuit you’ll get damp underneath.
For a January booking: thin thermal layers rather than thick ones, since bulk makes the suit uncomfortable and the belts less effective. Thermal or waterproof gloves are the single best addition, and Bayford Meadows recommends them specifically. Your hands are the part that gets cold and the part you need working.
Bring a towel and a spare pair of socks. You’ll be glad of both.
When to arrive
Of the 60 tracks that publish an arrival time, most want you there 30 to 45 minutes before your session. All 37 TeamSport venues ask for 40 minutes, and ten others, including Bayford Meadows and Nottingham Raceway, ask for 30. Brentwood, Lakeside and South Coast Karting ask for an hour.
That time covers signing in, suiting up and the safety briefing, and the briefing is the hard cut-off. At Karting North East, if it has started when you arrive you can’t join that session and won’t get a refund.
Bringing your own helmet
68 tracks publish a rule for bringing your own helmet, and most ask for a full-face one with a visor. The standards vary: TeamSport venues name ECE 22.05 or 22.06, Karting at Haynes states BS6658:1985 with the BSI Kitemark, and KART Silverstone asks for Snell K2020 or FIA 8878. Motocross helmets are a split: Nottingham Raceway accepts them with goggles and a chin piece, while Lydd doesn’t allow them. Check before you travel. More in choosing a kart helmet.
Your own race suit, gloves and boots are welcome at most tracks, though some, including Red Lodge, want the Race Director to approve them first. See kart racewear: suits, gloves and boots.
Contact lenses, glasses and medical points
Glasses are generally fine under a helmet, though contact lenses are more comfortable if you have them.
Tracks will ask you to declare pregnancy, recent surgery, back or neck problems and heart conditions. Nottingham Raceway is explicit that pregnant drivers cannot race.
Of the 52 tracks that publish a maximum weight, 43 set it at 18 stone. The range runs from 16 stone at Bayford Meadows to 22 stone at Full Throttle Raceway. Height is rarely a hard limit, but Red Lodge and Haynes suggest checking the fit above about 6ft 4in.
If you’re near any of those limits, ring ahead. Brentwood, Lydd, Red Lodge and Buckmore Park will all let you try a kart for size before you book. If you’re booking for children, see what age you can go karting.
The short version
Trainers, comfortable clothes, hair up, no scarf. Bring a balaclava if you have one, gloves if it’s cold, and arrive 30 to 45 minutes early. Everything else is provided.
Each track’s own requirements are listed on its page, along with anything compulsory you’ll be asked to buy at the counter. Find a track near you and check before you go.