We ask people to allocate 3 hours of their time to complete the program.

Most sessions only require 2 hours to complete, but due to weather & mechanical complications, we suggest you ensure that you have adequate time to enjoy your experience.

Please arrive at the track 15 minutes prior to your event, so that you can sign in.

Once signed in, all drivers except Kid Karters (5-7 years old) will go to the classroom.

Kid Karters will immediately head to the fitting area to get fitted for their gear.

All you need is a pair of running shoes and enthusiasm.

The club provides the rest: Kart, helmet, race suit, rib vest, gloves and instruction.

Yes, our youngest drivers must be 5 years of age to participate. A birth certificate will be necessary to ensure this. Our oldest Try A Kart participant was 85 years old and wanted to see what her grandson was so excited about.

In the event of a rain cancellation, you will receive an email on the morning of your event indicating how to proceed. We will run the program even if the weather looks questionable. The weather in Strathmore can be completely different from what is happening in Calgary.

If it is not a torrential rain storm or thunder storm, the event will be a GO!

YES!

If it’s a hot day, dehydration can come into play, so please ensure that you have a supply or drinking water and/or drinks like Gatorade.

The club runs the same engines that we race, the Briggs & Stratton LO206 4-stroke karting engine. We have karts of various design & sizes to accommodate all sizes & shapes of drivers.

Junior karts may be fitted with a Honda engine of similar capacity & output. We are in the process of moving to the Briggs engine throughout all the classes, but that is a work in progress.

Like any sport, karting has an element of danger, but most people only experience sore muscles, after their Try A Kart experience, as karting is a physically demanding sport.

We have marshals around the track to ensure that if a driver goes off track, that the kart is still driveable, and it is safe to rejoin the track. If you damage a kart by perceived recklessness, you will be responsible for the cost of the repair. This seldom occurs, but you need to be aware that these are not bumper-karts, and that the onus is on the driver to drive in a reasonable and prudent manner.

Absolutely! If you already have your own gear, you are most welcome to use it, as you know it fits, and you don’t have to share it with others. It must meet the minimum requirements.

You are welcome to drive your own kart providing that it meets all of the following criteria:

It must be a Briggs & Stratton LO206 engine with the appropriate carb slide for the class.

It must be mechanically fit to drive. The Try A Kart mechanics will have the final say here.

No.  We have found that the 4-stroke engine is the perfect engine for learning to drive on our track. It is more kart than most rookie drivers can handle. We do not want to mix different engines/speeds during the Try A Kart program.

If you already have a kart and all the gear, you can join our club drivers on one of the Tuesday or Thursday Test & Tune evenings. Purchase a day pass (see Registration menu on the website) to join in.

Children can join the Kid Kart program at age 5, but cannot actually race until the year that they turn 8. At that time, they’ll compete in the Cadet class.

Yes. While the CKRC itself does not rent karts, some of our members have stepped up to provide this service for Try A Kart graduates.  Included with the kart will be race day support, instruction, and coaching.

This is an opportunity for you to take things to the next level before going out and purchasing a kart of your own.

More details will be available at your Try A Kart session, just ask.

The club hosts Test & Tune evenings every Tuesday & Thursday evening with a dedicated marshal. Many people never race but put in hundreds of laps this way. This is included in the club membership. Non-members that have access to a kart can attend for a $50 drop in fee.

No it is not. It simply provides you the opportunity & instruction to learn to drive a properly set up race kart on a world class circuit. The purpose is to allow the general public the chance to get behind the wheel and see if karting might be a sport that they are interested in getting involved with.

Club membership costs $330 for a Kid Kart membership for those aged 5 to 7 years.

All other classes cost $440, which entitles members to voting privileges, as well as access to the track whenever it is available. This includes Test & Tune evenings. There is a discount for the third-plus members of a single family.

There is also a volunteer bond that needs to be posted and is worked off by doing volunteer activities at the track.

The race day fee for Junior drivers is $95, and $110 for Seniors. There are discounts for drivers running in more than one class.

It requires a full day and has practice and qualifying sessions in the morning.

The afternoon has 2 races, a Pre-Final and a Final. Points are awarded for finishing positions and go towards the club championship.

A good used kart will range from $2,000 to $3,500. 

A used kart ‘may’ come with the following pieces that are required to race:

• Kart Stand
• Mychron or Alfano datalogger
• Transponder

The following gear will also be necessary. These can be purchased new or used, from our local dealers, or from the internet.

• Helmet Snell 2015 or newer – $100+
• Race suit – $100+ from eBay
• High top running shoes or race shoes – $50+
• Rib Vest – $50 from the local lacrosse store in Calgary
• Race gloves $75

Many people purchase their karts from one of the local dealers.

Purchasing a used kart from an existing club member is another great idea, as they will most likely be around the track to help you out when you first get started. Check out the Classified section of the CKRC Forums for all the current deals from members.

Beware purchasing a kart from Kijiji, unless you know the history. It might have the wrong engine, might be bent. It’s like mystery meat; you never know where it came from or how it was treated.

This is a common question, that has lots of options.

The bed of a pickup truck will hold most karts.

A used old minivan makes a great transport vehicle.

A kart can be put on top of a car or SUV.

Trailers of various shapes & sizes are also used for transporting a kart to the track.

Many members store the karts in trailers and leave them at the track.

The club also rents sea-cans which can hold numerous karts.