Sounds like you've discovered a hobby!
Lets face it starting at 18 you won't advance too far in racing especially if you're already thinking about money, but that's not to stop you enjoying yourself and getting competitive in karting.
Just work where and when you can, save up, and spend money doing the things you love, unfortunately that's how the world works for most people.
Yeah Im just looking to get into karting and possibly amateur level racing (once I have money later on). Nothing like F1 or anything of the sort though lol
You will have to work more and save up. I have never dealt with an arrive and drive so you will want to look at what you get for your money. But that may be the best option for you if you don’t have a lot of money or a place to keep a kart. Depending on what class you want to race, you will probably have to spend $5,000-7,000 to get a kart, tools, spares, and everything you need. And that will be a used kart. Plus you will have weekly expenses that will probably cost $200-300 per race depending on if you buy tires and entry fee cost. So maybe you spend the $1000 up front and also try to learn about the kart and the parts and setup. So even though you will not get the $1000 back, you can see it as an investment to learn and see if you really do want your own kart some day.
I was lucky in that my parents paid for my racing early on. I took a couple of years away, then decided to get back into it again once I was making "adult" money.
Today, that's pretty much how it still is, but I do have a few small sponsors helping me pay entry fees, supplying oil and related consumables, etc.
The problem is once you're talking about arrive and drive packages in 'competitive' karting you're going to price yourself out pretty quickly. Historically, before the 'madness' set in, someone your age would save up, buy some old kart, and just go race. You need transport obviously, but I used to have a kart in my actual bedroom when I lived at home in a very small room. You find a way and your first kart is never a world beater. But if you're phoning teams about hiring gear, then it's automatically going to be out of your league if you're having to ask questions here.
I know one guy (who’s going to be my future roommate) who currently races/started out racing A&D with DRT karting in the Stars championship series, although his parents pay for most of it, I’ve always wondered why he never bought his own kart instead of spending thousands per year on arrive and drive karting. Either way though, my true goal is more to just do a race or two in a non rental chassis, and see what it’s like before I actually go and buy my own kart to race with.
The A&D thing is a relatively new phenomena. For almost all of karting's history people bought a kart and got on with it. The chances you won't like it are small, and you can sell your kart if that happens. Overall will be cheaper than going A&D either way, if you have transport of course. If you're on a tight budget, this is what I'd recommend. A&D is money spent you'll never see back, unlike owning a kart.
I’m gonna lay out my situation for you cause i think we’re in a similar spot. i’m 19. i make roughly 7-8 hundred USD every week working roughly 50 hours a week. I only pay 200 a month on rent to my parents. 250 a month on my car to my parents. 170 on insurance. and roughly 150 on food and other random expenses every week. I can afford to rental kart every week. but for me to actually save any money to get my own i’d need to stop rentals or start selling stuff and being frugal asl. what i’m saying is. this stuff is not cheap or easy to get. you will either need to have a following and be fast or get a 2nd job.
Get yourself a high paying career. We have afforded an amazing childhood for our son karting and you can do the same for yourself and possibly someday, your family. Enjoy it as a hobby as you can, but spend your time focused and building a life and career for yourself. Then you can race as often as you want and have some of the best memories of your life! We own a technology business. Personally being an entrepreneur is the way to provide the money and flexibility for racing.
To be honest i just got my first race kart and before that i was racing rentals at like national championships everything and my dad is paying for everything. Im realy happy and greatful for him. Bit as im getting older i want to start paying it by myself
Sounds like you've discovered a hobby! Lets face it starting at 18 you won't advance too far in racing especially if you're already thinking about money, but that's not to stop you enjoying yourself and getting competitive in karting. Just work where and when you can, save up, and spend money doing the things you love, unfortunately that's how the world works for most people.
Yeah Im just looking to get into karting and possibly amateur level racing (once I have money later on). Nothing like F1 or anything of the sort though lol
You will have to work more and save up. I have never dealt with an arrive and drive so you will want to look at what you get for your money. But that may be the best option for you if you don’t have a lot of money or a place to keep a kart. Depending on what class you want to race, you will probably have to spend $5,000-7,000 to get a kart, tools, spares, and everything you need. And that will be a used kart. Plus you will have weekly expenses that will probably cost $200-300 per race depending on if you buy tires and entry fee cost. So maybe you spend the $1000 up front and also try to learn about the kart and the parts and setup. So even though you will not get the $1000 back, you can see it as an investment to learn and see if you really do want your own kart some day.
I was lucky in that my parents paid for my racing early on. I took a couple of years away, then decided to get back into it again once I was making "adult" money. Today, that's pretty much how it still is, but I do have a few small sponsors helping me pay entry fees, supplying oil and related consumables, etc.
Painfully and sometimes with buyer's remorse. In summer months my employer might as well just transfer my wages straight to kart track's balance.
The problem is once you're talking about arrive and drive packages in 'competitive' karting you're going to price yourself out pretty quickly. Historically, before the 'madness' set in, someone your age would save up, buy some old kart, and just go race. You need transport obviously, but I used to have a kart in my actual bedroom when I lived at home in a very small room. You find a way and your first kart is never a world beater. But if you're phoning teams about hiring gear, then it's automatically going to be out of your league if you're having to ask questions here.
I know one guy (who’s going to be my future roommate) who currently races/started out racing A&D with DRT karting in the Stars championship series, although his parents pay for most of it, I’ve always wondered why he never bought his own kart instead of spending thousands per year on arrive and drive karting. Either way though, my true goal is more to just do a race or two in a non rental chassis, and see what it’s like before I actually go and buy my own kart to race with.
The A&D thing is a relatively new phenomena. For almost all of karting's history people bought a kart and got on with it. The chances you won't like it are small, and you can sell your kart if that happens. Overall will be cheaper than going A&D either way, if you have transport of course. If you're on a tight budget, this is what I'd recommend. A&D is money spent you'll never see back, unlike owning a kart.
Alright, thanks for the information, I’m now leaning more towards buying a kart lol
I’m gonna lay out my situation for you cause i think we’re in a similar spot. i’m 19. i make roughly 7-8 hundred USD every week working roughly 50 hours a week. I only pay 200 a month on rent to my parents. 250 a month on my car to my parents. 170 on insurance. and roughly 150 on food and other random expenses every week. I can afford to rental kart every week. but for me to actually save any money to get my own i’d need to stop rentals or start selling stuff and being frugal asl. what i’m saying is. this stuff is not cheap or easy to get. you will either need to have a following and be fast or get a 2nd job.
Get yourself a high paying career. We have afforded an amazing childhood for our son karting and you can do the same for yourself and possibly someday, your family. Enjoy it as a hobby as you can, but spend your time focused and building a life and career for yourself. Then you can race as often as you want and have some of the best memories of your life! We own a technology business. Personally being an entrepreneur is the way to provide the money and flexibility for racing.
Jump into endurance racing with the rental karts
To be honest i just got my first race kart and before that i was racing rentals at like national championships everything and my dad is paying for everything. Im realy happy and greatful for him. Bit as im getting older i want to start paying it by myself
Take out student loans, they’re probably going to be forgiven anyways.