Best beginner kart Classes explained: Mini, OKJ, KZ etc…

With so many car classes to choose from, how do you know exactly which one is right for you or your child? Now, I guess you have already seen different races. You have maybe even taken part in different races, but if you are total beginner, I wanted to get an idea of what each kart class represents and who is supposed to be for. I will explain everything in this detailed guide. Now, of course, you’ll have to notice that most of the categories are going to be related to age, but only on that, because once you are an adult, you can then choose what category to get in, and each category will have different regulations and different specs from other categories. So let’s dive right into the guide. I will answer to some common questions so that you’ll have a clear idea by the end of this guide exactly which kart class to join.

What exactly determines which kart class should someone start in

the major aspect of it is age. Of course, if you are eight years old, you are going to be driving 60 Mini, whereas if you are 14 years old, you’re not allowed to drive in 60 Mini. There is a age, the minimum age or maximum age for 60 Mini and ok J and there’s a minimum limit for ok senior, but there is not a maximum limit. So you can even drive in your 30s at the end of the day. There’s no major rule that says you’re not allowed to drive above a certain age in Okay, senior, for example, or even in X 30 senior, or even in Rotax senior, you know you are only going to have a minimum age there. And then it’s it’s up to you to choose until when you want to drive. So it’s basically that the major aspect, of course, is the age that separates each class, but also the category itself. If you want to be in the Ayami X 30 series, then you can choose between Minix 30, Junior X 30, or senior X 30, the main categories. Whereas if you are in this in a row tax series, then you’re going to choose them on, you know, mini mini Rotax, juniors, seniors there like and there’s also DD two. Whereas if you are in the rock series and championship, you’re going to again, choose among the mini against among the junior and among the the senior. So yeah, there’s many different categories with different series you can choose in the world of karting. And that’s why it makes it so great, because it’s very wide. There’s a lot of variety, especially if you are in different countries. For example, in the US, there may be different categories that you don’t even have in in Europe. So yeah, that makes it quite, quite variable.

Is a faster category always better?

Well, I mean, if you have the skills and experience to take on a faster kart, well, probably will, but if you’re not experienced enough, probably the best decision is to stick to a slower kart and a slower category until you get ready to get onto the faster kart.

What’s the main difference between Mini, okj and kz?

Well, the main difference in between these classes, of course, is the horsepower, the amount of power that you have. And of course, it’s in relation to the weight. So with more power comes more weight and vice versa, basically. So Mini has the lowest power, just about 11 horsepowers and about 110 kilos of minimum weight between driver and kart, whereas okj has got about 145 kilos. And I can’t remember exactly how many horsepower, but I’d speculate about 25 or so. And then there’s Okay, seniors, which is a bit heavier in that about 150 kilos, and yeah, it’s also quite a bit more power, whereas kz, it’s 175 kilo kz two, and there’s about 5052, horsepowers. So it’s yeah, of course, depending on the weight as well as on the power and between Mini and bigger karts, there’s also difference in in tires. So Mini has smaller. Tires, whereas juniors, seniors and kz have wider tires, which makes it more grip. And of course, yeah, it’s in relation to the fact that the kart has higher weight and more power. So yeah, they are not power limited by very small tires.

What class is most beginner friendly?

I believe the most beginner friendly class, of course, if you are starting out as a kid, is a direct drive class as 60 Mini. I mean, of course, we cannot expect you to get straight into shifters as K, z. So that’s the straightforward path. You know from when you start out, you just get into 60 mini as the first and most reasonable option. Then once you move up above 12 years old, you get into juniors, and again, a way that you’re competing in Europe in okj, which is basically the international level karting Junior series for WSK, CIK and chambers of the future races. But if you’re planning to do instead, like x 30 or row tax, then you are going to still, still be doing juniors. But in that respective series, if you are starting out as an adult at like 1518, 20 years old or 30 years old, even the most beginner friendly class is probably the direct drive class, again, and that, if you’re about 15 years old, is going to Be the senior category. And yeah, that’s going to be the most straightforward category to get into if you’re starting to get into karts later on in your life, and once you get more familiar with it, and once you upgrade and try to do something more special and more powerful, then I would suggest you to get into shifters. Kz, two or DD two, if you’re into rodex, and that is very fun, but of course, requires basic skills that you need to for, for me, shape from when you’re young in karting and and, of course, you can’t expect yourself to get straight into into shifters. I mean, there’s people who’ve done that, but I would not recommend it as the shift. I mean, the jump from from not being a karting driver to straight into shifters, I think it’s quite shocking. So I would take it step by step, and I will get my feet wet into karting by getting in indirect drive karts and and then get into, I mean, like into single speed karts, of course, just like single gear, and then getting to gearbox classes like kz two, or shifters for rock and DD two for, sorry, for Rotax.

What kart class is most expensive?

The most expensive class is the shifters class. So the KZ two the gearbox classes, basically. Why? Well, because the maintenance of the kart is quite a bit more expensive. You’ll have to rebuild the engine way more often as well as you’ll have to change brake pads in the front and rears a bit more often, because the kart is quite a bit heavier as well as the tires will need to be replaced quite a bit more often, because with more power and more weight comes more tire wear, whereas for the single speed karts, glasses, it’s a lot less maintenance, a lot less work. But of course, it depends if you are into, for example, Ayami series X 30, or road X or rock, the maintenance is way lower, way way lower, because the engines are way simpler and require just less maintenance overall. So I just believe that, yeah, it’s gonna be

a clever decision to just get started in there. And then once you progress and feel like your skills are getting better and better and your lap times improve, then I would get myself into more expensive classes. Of course, it depends on the size of your wallet and your expectations and your ambitions. But yeah, the most expensive class is definitely the direct, direct drive gearbox class. But also you can make any other category expenses by simply increasing the level of the category you are competing. For example, if you’re competing at international level, like WSK, C ik, or champions of the future classes, basically international races, you are going to be spending quite a lot, even though maybe the maintains, and it’s going to be quite reasonable, but just because you have to, you know, compete in those very, very high competitive championships, and so you’ll have to spend more money on tires, more. Money on engine rentals, etc, etc. So it’s going to be quite a bit more expensive overall. But yeah, as just pure category, the most expensive one is the shifter class. So case it too, simply because the maintenance costs and the rental engine costs are quite a bit higher.

What class teaches driving fundamentals best?

The kart class that teaches fundamental the best, I think, is the direct drive single speed class of juniors and seniors, for example. So as I said, depending on what’s your age right now, if you are between 12 to 214, or you know, if you’re above 14, then you should be into seniors. But if you’re below 14 and you want to get the best fundamentals driving skills, I would get into juniors. But of course, if you’re above 14 and you want to get yourself into karting, I would drive a senior kart that will be very, very fun you will see. So they’re going to teach fundamentals very, very well, because you basically have to make the corners as round and as wide open as possible in order to keep up the RPMs and the minimum speed in a way that you can really get higher minimum speeds, higher exit speeds, and at the same time trying to get the entries to be as late as hard as possible, to stop the car and try to just to be nice and late and hard on the brakes. And, yeah, I mean, overall, it’s, it’s the best driving fundamental

tutor. I would say, if you want to

get get starting karting and move up into GDS later on in your career, or other formula car series,

can adults start directly in faster classes?

Well, they can for sure. I mean, if you’re starting out at 25 years old, you cannot go through 60 Mini, for example. I mean 60 Mini is reserved between the age of seven to the age of 12. So, I mean, if you are starting late in life, you are not allowed to race in those categories unless you make a fake license and pretend that you are 12 years old. But I think it’s going to be quite unrealistic and hard to believe. But yeah, also, between 12 to 14, you cannot join the junior classes, so in that case, you will only be left to join the the senior classes or the Masters classes. Sometimes there’s categories that are reserved for the elderly, that are, let’s say, above age of 30 or 40 or so. Depends a lot on most, on most countries, some club races, championships that they they all create different categories and their own, their own different series. So of course, you should check your your local tracks and local clubs to see what kind of categories feeds your needs. But for sure, yeah, they adults can. Can start directly in in faster classes. I mean, you cannot start in the in the slower classes of mean and juniors. So yes, they can definitely start into seniors and into shifters. And yeah, it’s just up to them. Of course, shifters a bit more of a traumatic experience to get straight into that, even though you may be familiar with gears, because you may have been driven a road car with gears. I mean, of course, probably like a manual car, but still, it’s very, very different, very, very far from an actual driving experience of our shifter kart. So yeah, I normally recommend to just drive a single speed direct drive kart first, such as a senior kart from either okay or from Rotax senior, or from x 30 senior or rock senior.

What mistakes do families make choosing categories?

I believe one of the major mistakes parents make when choosing a category for their son or daughter is choosing a category that’s actually above their current level. So getting them, getting the kids into a category that’s beyond their current level of driving so kind of cutting the steps and prematurely joining a category that’s not meant for them. So I think that’s one of the most common mistakes. And the problem is that you need to first start from building the foundations, the basics, and how you do that, by starting small, by starting slow, by starting simple. And of course, you’re not able to do that if you are getting yourself started in the most challenging categories, for example. So let’s say if a kid is a 12 years old, and he is, for example. All like just starting out, even though it may be considered late for more standards. But anyways, parents may have the choice of either starting the kid into the small karts, so in 60 Mini or getting them right into juniors, so the bigger karts. So OK, Jay Rotax juniors, or x 30 juniors. So that’s the choice. But if they make the choice of getting them prematurely into juniors, into the big karts, I think that’s not a great decision overall, because the kid first needs to learn the basics, and that’s much better to do it in the smaller karts. So I mean, overall, I just feel that, yeah, it’s important to start from from small, the easier class, and then build from there.

How hard is it to switch classes later?

I feel it’s pretty hard. Of course,

it requires adaptability. For some drivers, it may take more time to adapt. For others, it may take less time to adapt. I’ve noticed that the major step among all of them in my career has been from 60 mini to juniors. That in the days it used to be called KF three, now called okj, why? Well, because back then, 60 Mini was not that powerful. I mean, now it’s a bit more powerful. But I think before it was quite a bit less and okj was quite powerful, like, you know, you had to get into a kart that was quite a bit larger in terms of sizes, quite a bit more grippy, as well as a lot faster in terms of acceleration out of the corners. So I still remember the very first day I got myself into junior karts. That was the biggest category shift, and I can’t remember that. It was quite shocking. The first relapse, also very exciting. To be honest, I was almost like smiling in the kart. But, yeah, I mean, at some point you always kind of feel like, oh, this like, feels like a Formula One car, even though it still was a junior kart. And yeah, that was pretty much the biggest category shift in terms of feeling the change from category to category when I went from me to juniors. And that was even bigger from what I did from like, for example, from f3 to f2 I actually felt way more from 60 minutes to juniors. And yeah, that was quite a nice jump, and then I got used to it. Just took me a few days, few weeks of driving, and it got all natural. But at first it was quite, quite challenging.

I would say, if you had to choose the safest starting class, what would it be?

I’d say the safest starting class is the single speed direct drive karts. Of course, they represent the best starting ground, because it’s so much easier in terms of controls, you only have two pedals and a steering wheel, whereas with with the shifters, you also have, well, the the gear lever, and you have to remove the throttle when you’re shifting up. So that obviously increases the complexity when you start, for example, as a 25 years old adult, it’s much better to start in the senior class, I would say, than in a shifter class. And then, of course, once you get good and you understand how it works, and you want to upgrade and try to do something a bit more exciting, then of course, I suggest you to go into the hardest category, which is the gearbox class. But again, if I had to choose the safest starting class, it would be, of course, it depends from your age. If you’re a young kid, of course, I would go into a mini. I mean, that’s almost actually the only thing you’re allowed to but if you’re like 12, like, go with mini first, and go to juniors, and then go to seniors and then go to shifters. I mean, that’s the kind of natural pathway. But yeah, I would say that when you are an adult, the best thing to do is to start with a single speed kart, and then you can move up to gearbox. So I hope this was helpful. I believe that there’s no one size fits all. Of course, all the categories in the world are going to be fitting well for some and not for others. I highly believe that it’s going to really matter on your age and also on your overall goal. I mean, if you want to become a Formula One driver, then of course, you have to go through the traditional path of going through mini juniors, seniors and then into shifters, of course, and that’s going to require you to be into the international level of not not only just like mini Junior seniors shifters, but also just literally into the WSK C ik, as well as the champions of the future categories. Right? So, yeah, that’s, I mean, the step you want to do, it really depends, as I said, the category you’ll choose will highly, highly, highly depend on the on your goals, on your age, as well as the amount of time and money available that you have to commit because, of course, the more high level you want to take this challenge, the more commitment is required. And yeah, I mean, the xterrity as well as road tax series are less competitive than, for example, a cak or WSK level, but they are more affordable. The karts are more affordable. You know, the engines are more affordable. The maintenance is more affordable. So everything is a bit easier on your pockets. But of course, at the end of the day, yeah, I mean that category, those categories may be right for some and not for others. At the end of the day, it really comes down to your needs. I encourage you to take it step by step, to start from an easier class and follow the steps without cutting the steps. You know, don’t cut the steps. Remember that do not cut the steps. Go step by step, start from the easy one, then go into the harder one, and then to the next one, etc, do things progressively. Remember the right class at the right time builds skills and shapes your driving abilities, whereas the wrong class actually builds frustration. So you gonna take the right decision? I’m sure. If you have any questions, let me know. I’ll be happy to help you out choosing your next karting class.

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