Alex, as well as being a good mechanic, driver, communicator, politican etc etc to do karting it is also essential you learn some budgeting skills.
A lot of costs in karting are virtually fixed for each day you run the kart, like entry fees, fuel, tyre wear, transport costs to the circuit, food for you and helpers for example. Obviously transport & food costs depend on how far you are from a particular cicuit and whether you're making your own sandwiches or buying chip butties!
Then there is race damage to consider and general consumables like plugs, chains & clutches. Again this will depend on which class you choose.
Then there is the cost of engine rebuilds to consider. Some classes can run for 60 hours and others for only 15 before a full rebuild. So the cost of rebuilds needs to be spread over the hours you are running and this depends on how many times a month you plan to be out for. Then if you are running at the front you probably need to budget for rebuilds/dyno work every 4-5 hours to make sure your engine is tip top.
If you plan to race nationally then you will need to budget for accomodation which could be Hotel, B&B, Caravan, Motorhome or tent. Only you can decide what is right for you and the "budget" you have to play with.
Then there is the cost of the kit itself. Do you plan to buy new or second hand. Or perhaps you will want to hire engines instead of owning out right.
Haven't even mentioned team fees yet or do you plan to spanner for yourself. To be honest you will need at least one good friend to accompany you as karts these days are just too heavy to lift yourself and if you racing nationally then you need to budget food and accomodation for them aswell.
There are just so many factors to consider that it is impossible for someone to honestly give you a correct answer to your question.
So the best approach is to use the headings I've suggested and build your own budget. Personally I do it on a spreadsheet and I update this with my actual spend after every race.
So I know exactly what it costs per day, per event, per lap even to run my lad's Comer kart in club racing. But only by preparing your own budget for the class you want and the way you want to do it will you get anywhere close to the right answer for yourself.
Hope this helps and good luck!
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EasyKart UK by 'AlexMcCaul' (23 Jan 2011 @ 14:32)
