Best Karting Teams to Join in 2026

By Alessio Lorandi, 2013 CIK-FIA World Champion, KF-Junior. Team facts checked on each team’s own site on 5 October 2026.

You want to know which karting team to join.

I get this question a lot. From parents mostly.

And I have to be honest from the start. I run one of the teams on this list. BabyRace is my family’s team, and today I manage it with my brother Leonardo. So for 60 Mini I’m biased, and I’ll tell you when I am.

For the rest, I’ll give you what each team says about itself, and what I learned about choosing a team from both sides of the tent.

What are the best karting teams to join in 2026?

It depends on the category. That’s the first thing to understand.

There is no single best go kart racing team. There is a best team for a 9 year old in 60 Mini, and a different one for a 14 year old in OK-Junior, and a different one again for an adult in a shifter kart.

So here is the list by stage. Every fact in the table comes from the team’s own site.

Now let’s go stage by stage.

What is the best karting team for kids aged 7 to 12?

For 60 Mini, I believe it’s BabyRace Driver Academy. And yes, it’s my team. My father founded it and I grew up inside it. My brother and I had lots of teammates around us, and they were the customers of the team.

So take my opinion for what it is. But look at what the team does.

BabyRace races 60 Mini only. Drivers from 7 to 12 years old, from beginner to advanced, in WSK and in the ACI Italian Championship. The karts are Parolin chassis with IAME engines, and the team takes a maximum of 36 drivers per race.

The site says that in the last 4 years the team has raised 12 WSK champions. Over the years we won 29 WSK championships, 1 World Championship and 10 Italian Championships, with more than a hundred drivers on the podium.

Why only Mini? Because in 2020 we took a decision to focus entirely on 60 Mini. And it has paid off. It’s too hard to do too many categories in the right way.

The 2026 program is 5 rounds of WSK Super Master Series, the WSK Euro Series, 3 rounds of WSK Final Cup, 5 rounds of the ACI Italian Championship and 6 rounds of IAME Series Italy.

One thing I tell every new parent. Don’t race too early. If your driver is three seconds off the pace, a WSK race will only take his confidence away. I say this even if it’s against my interest. Train first, then race. I explain the whole path in karting for 8 to 12 year olds, and if you’re earlier than that, start from the ideal age to start karting.

What are the best karting teams for juniors aged 13 to 15?

When a driver leaves Mini, he goes to OK-Junior. And here the factory teams come in.

The first name is the Tony Kart Racing Team. It’s the official racing team of Tony Kart, based in Prevalle near Brescia. The racing team started in 1990 and the site counts more than 20 world titles. In 2026 it lists drivers in Mini, OK-Junior, OK and the KZ shifter classes.

I know this chassis well. From 2011 to 2014 I drove only Tony Kart, and I knew exactly what to do when the balance wasn’t right.

Then there is the CRG Racing Team, with the factory in Lonato del Garda. CRG was founded in 1986, and in September 2026 it won its 28th world title, in KZ at Le Mans. Its official drivers go from Mini to KZ2. My first years in 60 Mini were on a CRG.

And Parolin Motorsport. Parolin was founded in 1994, and the factory team has raced FIA Karting and WSK since 2015. They call it a school for young talents.

The factories are close to each other. CRG is one minute from the Lonato track and Tony Kart is ten minutes away. That’s why Lonato is where everybody tests. I wrote about it in the best karting tracks in Italy.

A warning about this step. The prices go up dramatically from Mini to Juniors. But if your driver performed in Mini, the best factory teams will give him a very good rate. They want him.

What are the best karting teams for drivers aged 15 and over?

At this age you’re in OK, the senior class. And the team choice becomes even more important, because this is the last step before cars.

The factory teams from the junior section all run seniors too. So if your driver is happy where he is, think twice before moving. I’ve seen it countless times. A factory driver has huge success with one team, swaps to a different chassis in a new team, and then struggles to even stay in the mid pack.

If you do look around, these are the names.

Forza Racing is a UK team headed by Jamie Croxford. It calls itself a 3 time FIA Karting World Championship winning team, with world titles in 2017, 2021 and 2023. It races the FIA Karting World and European Championships, Champions of the Future and WSK.

Kart Republic is based in Due Carrare, near Padova, and it’s led by Dino Chiesa. Since October 2025 it’s part of the Korus Group, together with Birel ART and IAME.

And Ricky Flynn Motorsport. I name it to our BabyRace parents together with Parolin, Kart Republic and Forza Racing, as the kind of team a strong Mini driver gets a very good rate from.

What do all of them want? The same thing. A driver who is fast and professional. At this level the racing is a job, and teamwork in competitive karting is part of it.

What are the best karting teams for adults and shifter karts?

For adults the top of karting is KZ. The shifter kart.

Two names here.

Birel ART is in Lissone, north of Milan, where the chassis are built. Birel was founded in 1959 and the brand has won 26 world titles. In 2026 its racing team lists drivers in KZ and KZ2, and also in OK, OK-Junior and Mini.

Sodi designs and builds its karts in Saint-Herblain, in France. On its site Sodikart signs itself FIA KZ World Champion 2024 and 2025. And its press release of 5 October 2026 reports that CPB Sport kept the FIA Karting teams title in KZ2 with 352 points, ahead of the Tony Kart Racing Team with 312.

I can tell you where my own money goes. When I have to buy a new KZ kart, I buy it from Sodi.

If you’re coming from rentals, read how to go from rental karts to professional kart racing first. And if the shifter is the goal, I put the driving side in my shifter kart driving tips.

What does a factory karting team actually do?

A factory team builds its own chassis. That’s the definition.

And the only way for a factory to stay in business is to sell more of those chassis. To sell more chassis, they need to win on Sunday. So everything in that tent is built around winning. The best equipment, the best mechanics, and the best drivers they can find.

Tony Kart says it clearly on its own site. The racing team exists to be the first to test on track the material designed in the factory.

So what does the driver do in there? He develops. A factory wants drivers fast enough to win races, but also mature and professional enough to guide the setup work. A development driver. Not a pay driver that sits in the corner.

And what does a good team do for you every day? Think about two drivers with the same material.

Driver A is in a team where all four new tyres get balanced. Front geometry and ride height get checked again and again. Parts get replaced before it’s too late. Brakes get bled several times a day. Tyre pressures are chosen from track and rim temperature. And every session the data and the onboard get analysed with a coach.

Driver B is in a team that waits for parts to break and sets pressures by feeling. Nobody looks at the data.

Same kart. Who has higher odds on Sunday?

That’s what you pay a team for. If you want to see how deep that work goes on the mechanic side, read the driver and mechanic relationship.

And if nobody is looking at the data and the onboards with your driver right now, that is the work I do in my six month training program. There is a live call with me every week, and a group where you ask me your questions in between.

How much does it cost to race with a karting team?

A lot. Let’s put numbers on it.

A race with a professional team in WSK, the FIA European Championship or Champions of the Future is about 10,000 euros. It’s a five day event most of the time, at about 1,500 euros per day, plus an entry fee of about 600 euros.

Multiply that by about 20 races for a full season. You’re at about 200,000 euros a year.

That’s a full program. The range I see goes from 50,000 euros a year, for a few races with a less professional team, up to 300,000 euros and more for the kids who race almost every week.

And testing? A test day is about 1,200 euros. Engines are a big part of the bill too. A rental engine goes up to 1,700 euros for a WSK or FIA race, and every driver needs two. So about 3,000 to 3,500 euros in one race week.

So what’s the minimum for a junior racing internationally? For me, at least 100,000 euros a season. And that will not get you into a top team, unless your driver is exceptionally fast.

Because here is the part nobody tells you. I’ve seen drivers spend one fifth of the budget, or even get almost a free drive. Why? Teams always need one really good driver per year. The one who drives the team in the right direction and makes the teammates faster when they read his data.

So the best way to save money on a team is to get faster before you knock on the door.

The full breakdown is in how much karting costs per year.

How do you choose a karting team?

First, who chooses? The parents. It shouldn’t be the driver who chooses the team. The driver drives. The parents make sure the team selection is good, and they take care of the funding.

Then, what do you look for? I tell our parents four things.

• Coaching. For me it’s the number one thing a new driver needs to look for. You cannot expect to become a race winning driver without professional coaching. Ask who coaches, and how often they look at the data and the onboard with your driver.
• Materials. The best engines, the best mechanics, the best parts. And the best combination of chassis and engine as a package.
• Track record. A team that has proved in its history to be the best in its category.
• Focus. A team specifically focused on your category. You can do many categories, but probably not all of them in the best way.

When the team is well structured and covers all the performance areas, you will have no major need to hire a private coach on top.

And the mechanic. Plan the season early. In our team the very best mechanics get taken by the drivers who commit to the full season.

One more thing. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future performance. So ask who is in the tent this season.

If you want to compare the coaching options outside a team too, I did that in karting coaching compared.

Is a cheaper karting team worth it?

Most of the time, no.

Along your career you’ll meet teams that offer you a much cheaper deal than others. And the expensive teams are not overcharging you. In racing it’s really key to get the best materials, the best engines, the best mechanics and the best coaching. Those cost money. Pro teams spend it on research, on the best mechanics and on engine tuners.

My brother and I saw this in our own careers, also when we raced in formula cars. Here is how I put it to our parents:

When you end up saving 20%, 30% on a season because you drive with a cheaper team, with a less successful track record, then it’s gonna end up being more of a time waste and money waste.

Why? Because the cheaper team will use fewer new tyres and worse engines. The kart performs less. And on the coaching side, the kid probably learns less.

So you paid less, for a season where your driver learned less. That’s the expensive deal.

But there is a smart way to spend less. If I had 100,000 euros, I would not buy a full season. I would put about 60% into testing with a professional kart and a professional coach. Then I would hand pick four or five races where the top teams are watching.

Shine there, and you get a very good deal for the next season. That’s why track time is key.

How do you join a karting team?

You ask. It’s that simple.

If you want to join the best teams in the world, you hit them up on their website or on their social media and ask for a quote. Then you start from there.

And don’t be shy about it. Official factory teams are always looking for their next drivers. Either for the same category, or for the next one up.

But a paid seat and an invited seat are two different things. How do you get asked?

The funny thing is this. If you wish to get asked to join a factory team, you’ll want to behave as if you were already part of one. Those are the drivers they hire.

They don’t want to take gambles. They will not take a slow and unprofessional driver with the bet that they’ll make him fast and professional. Being both is the prerequisite.

And they will know. Your reputation travels through the paddock. Mechanics talk. Team managers talk. Engine tuners talk. Then the F1 scouts ask the team managers.

So a few practical things.

• Get fast before you write. Results in front of the top teams are your business card.
• Treat the mechanic and the data engineer like colleagues. Work with them.
• Take ownership of your mistakes. You can always drive a bit better.
• Keep the same habits every race. I describe mine in go kart pre race routines.

When do you actually need a karting team?

When you want to race at the competitive international level. Then there’s no way around it.

You cannot just get your dad to mechanic you and expect to win races there. At an international race you find about 80 drivers per class, and sometimes up to 110. At round 3 of the WSK Super Master Series in Lonato in 2025 there were 401 drivers from 55 countries.

With 80 drivers on the entry list, the mathematical chance of winning is 1.25%. With 110 it’s 0.9%. A proper team is one of the things that moves that number.

But ask yourself the honest question first. Is the goal to have a shot at winning, or just to take part? Those are two totally different scenarios, and two totally different budgets.

If you’re starting out, you don’t need a team yet. You need laps. A club series gives you more of them. In IAME Series Italy there are about 20 drivers per category and a driver does about 100 laps a day. In WSK it’s 30 to 35.

So the order is this. Learn to drive. Race locally. Then join a team when the level you race at asks for one.

If you’re still buying your first kart, start with used vs new kart.

So which karting team should you join?

The one that is the best in your category, that coaches your driver, and that you can afford for a full season without cutting the testing.

For a kid in 60 Mini, I’d say come and see us at BabyRace. For juniors and seniors, look at the factory teams and at Forza Racing. For shifters, Birel ART and Sodi.

But remember what the teams are looking for. A driver who is already fast and already professional. That part comes from the work you do before you walk in.

So work on the driver first. The team will follow.

Just Senndit

Alessio Lorandi

Frequently asked questions

What are the best karting teams?

It depends on the category. For 60 Mini I believe it’s BabyRace, which is my family’s team. For juniors and seniors look at the factory teams such as Tony Kart Racing Team, CRG, Parolin and Kart Republic, and at Forza Racing. For shifter karts, Birel ART and Sodi.

How do I join a karting team?

Contact the team through its website or social media and ask for a quote. Factory teams are always looking for their next drivers, and the faster and more professional the driver is, the better the deal.

How much does a karting team cost?

By my numbers a race with a professional team in WSK or FIA karting is about 10,000 euros for a five day event. A full season of about 20 races is about 200,000 euros, and yearly budgets go from 50,000 to more than 300,000 euros.

Can you get a free drive in karting?

Rarely, but it happens. I’ve seen drivers spend one fifth of the normal budget or get almost a free drive, because teams always need one really good driver per year to lead the team and help the teammates with his data.

What is a factory karting team?

A factory team is the official racing team of a chassis manufacturer, such as Tony Kart, CRG, Birel ART or Sodi. It races the chassis the factory builds and sells, so it needs to win races to sell more karts.

Do you need a team to start karting?

No. A beginner needs laps, and a club series gives more of them. You need a proper racing team when you want to race at the competitive international level.