Go racing on a budget in 2010

Easy karts and endurance series offer value for money

Plenty of companies offer ‘cheap racing’, but few deliver once you’ve taken into account all the extras.

But a couple have caught our eye. First there’s Easy Kart, a series for identical go-karts that includes a heavyweight class (which happily will accommodate me). Then there’s the new Endurance Series, run by Motor Sport Vision, catering for cars that are 10 years old or over. We’re particularly pleased with an unwritten rule that prohibits cars which have had too much money spent on them to improve performance (something that’s persuaded a member of the editorial team to have a go).

After a 15-minute test in an Easy Kart at Rye House, it’s easy (no pun intended) to see why this championship is becoming so popular. Not only do the karts (below) make my Suzuki GSX-R750 look like a pussycat, you aren’t allowed to develop them, meaning you save money through the season. There are 10 rounds across the country and if, like me, you’re without suitable transport (I did ask about attaching a towing bar to the Motor Sport Elise, but was told a firm ‘no’) you can pay Easy Kart £60 a month and they’ll take your kart to all the races. You’ll need an engine rebuild after 10 hours or so, but that costs £120. There’ll be other extras, but that hasn’t dissuaded me, so look out for the Elise, a Motor Sport tent and a slow person at the back of the grid this season.

The Endurance Series also looks a cracker. The average cost of a car is £3000 and race entries are roughly £400 – decent value for money for an hour of racing for up to two people per car. Add to this that it’s run by MSV, and you can expect well-organised events, good food and loos that won’t leave you feeling light-headed…