GX-UK: A low cost, high fun karting community
Three heats and a final with Mango Motorsport - watch it here.
I’ve always wondered what it might be like to run my own kart. A boy hood dream, which was obviously never going to happen given the extortionate costs and equipment involved. So the dream went on ice, whilst I concentrated on some excellent 2 and 4 stroke rental kart championships several unfulfilling work careers. Until now…
Introducing GX-UK karting
GX-UK, the brainchild of two passionate karters, James Cannon and James Purchase has just hit the UK karting scene. Based on the noble ideals of simplicity, low cost and outstanding racing, GX-UK is the most affordable entry into owner driver karting. The chassis wouldn’t look out of place on any Rotax junior or senior grid, save for the fact that the frames must be 2018 or earlier, enforcing a low spend. The karts are powered by the wonderfully reliable Honda GX-160 or 200 depending on weight so parity can be achieved with both sets of equipment. The result is a high grip, low power open wheeled kart class with fantastically close racing and karts that feel like the real deal!
Having participated in the series O plate at Hooton Park in October 2023, I can honestly say I’ve never seen a more supportive paddock. The event organisers were on hand to support newbies with the setup of their Karts, and thanks to the other competitors the feeling in the paddock was one of overwhelming friendliness and support. If you wish to see some footage of the weekend, check out my Hooton Park track guide.
How much does GX-UK cost?
So what are the costs? Motorsport is notoriously expensive and whilst karting is the cheapest form, I was struck by how much some drivers running in the Rotax class were spending. They were turning up with professional teams in huge trucks armed with huge resources and, no doubt, presenting an equally huge bill at the end of the weekend. Most of the six GX-UK rounds run across two days, with the Saturday dedicated to set up and testing whilst Sunday is race day. The cost for two days of track activity, £125! If you wish to lower this cost, just turn up on the Sunday and you can expect to pay just £70-80.
For too long, the jump from corporate to owner kart driving has been too big. GX-UK is a most welcome addition to our sport and one which provides a real opportunity for those with an aspiration to run their own equipment to get onto the grid!
