“ Not every child needs the same environment, and it is important that you are getting the advice that is right for you. There is not‘ one route for all’… There are some kids that are going to be very confident, even if they have not been in a kart, and there are others who are in a different place and need a gentler introduction then catch up as they gain confidence.”
Whatever the level, having a few runs in the kart before you head to the first event is invaluable and there are also some incredibly detailed karting simulators available – such as KartSim Pro, which is developed specifically for the UK karting scene and includes highly detailed and geographically accurate representations of many UK tracks.
Hugo has his own simulator, while Eloise visited the KartSim facility at Silverstone to try the motion machines – which provided the added benefit of live instruction.“ They can stop the run and talk to you as you’ re doing things,” explains Andrew.“ You cannot do that out on track, so she found it really useful to have that feedback and put it straight to use.”
Early days
Turning up at your first event can seem rather daunting – both for drivers and parents. Signing waivers, working out event protocols and managing timings is all new and can seem complicated at first. There is a lot going on at a karting event, with many categories and different sessions to navigate, but from the experience of both these rookies, it all quickly falls into place.
“ It is not quite the same as playing netball at school,” smiles Andrew.“ Going to a track with no previous experience, where everybody has their suits and boots on, and karts all over the place. It can be quite intimidating, especially with Eloise being a 12-year-old girl at the time, but everyone was really helpful, and it was a really positive environment for newbies.”
Hugo’ s journey was equally relaxed – once a few early challenges were overcome. Ian explains:“ I signed him onto his first event without putting his licence number and I got an email a few days before saying we needed to bring it with us. We were away so I did not have it – but I was able to download it easily and now I have got it on my phone.
“ I also only realised after few months that we needed to get him signed-off at six different Motorsport UK races to get him off the novice plates. We are getting that sorted now, but I think it has been good for him to get the experience of racing through the pack!”
Eloise Sutton lines up in the Paddock ahead of the race start
James Roberts
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Revolution- July 2025