What is ARKS?

ARKS stands for the Association of Racing Kart Schools. It is a Motorsport UK-recognised collective of professional kart racing schools that can train and then test prospective competitors to ensure their suitability for holding a Motorsport UK competition licence.

Alternatively the test can be taken by a volunteer ARKS Club Examiner at a participating club. The cost of the test is the same either way, but while the school can normally supply all the equipment and racewear for you (at extra cost), the Club Examiner will expect you to have arranged for your own kart and equipment.

Member schools and participating clubs run the ARKS course and test. More information about the course and what to expect can be found overleaf. You can do the course at whichever ARKS school you want, so just pick the one that’s best for you and get in touch using the contact details provided to make your booking. You can buy a voucher for the test from the ARKS website (www.arks.co.uk) or pay on the day.

Competitors in Short Circuit Karting, who have just completed the ARKS test do not need to wait to receive their Motorsport UK Competition Licence

before competing in their first event. Instead, they can compete in that first event simply by producing their completed ARKS application form, providing that:

• The nationality is noted as ‘British’ and confirmation given that no competition licences are held in any other country
• Section 2 is fully completed and all medical questions are answered ‘No’ with the exception of the question regarding glasses or lenses required for driving
• Section 3 is signed and fully completed by the ARKS Examiner, and dated within the last 12 months #
• Section 5 – Parents or legal guardians must apply for an Entrant PG licence if the child is aged 17 or under. The Parent or Legal Guardian must include a photograph.
• Section 6 is signed and dated by both the applicant and a Parent or Legal Guardian.

However, remember that it is for the event steward to decide whether the ARKS form presented is acceptable and they have the final say.

For further information and for the latest list of venues, please visit www.arks.co.uk.

The ARKS course: what to expect

The exact format of the ARKS course can vary slightly from school to school, but a typical day involves several key stages.

1. Welcome Briefing

The ARKS examiners will kick off by welcoming you and your fellow candidates to the school and briefing you on how the day will proceed. This will also include some guidance on what to expect at your first race meeting once you have completed the ARKS course.

2.  Safety

Safety is always the overriding consideration in motorsport, so expect a good deal of time to be spent covering this vital topic on the day, so that it is fresh in your mind before you go any further. Make sure that you watch out instructional video.

3. Written Test

You will need to sit the written test in a classroom environment. This test will cover the Motorsport UK Karting Yearbook and the relevant section of the Motorsport UK Yearbook: Section U, Karting. It will also test your knowledge of the various flags used to communicate important safety information and instructions to competitors on track; these flags are detailed on the following pages and your knowledge of them will need to be 100 per cent accurate.

4. Driving Assessment

In addition to written test, you will head out on track under the observation of an ARKS examiner, who will evaluate your ability to lap the circuit in a safe and controlled manner, using the appropriate ‘racing line’. There may be other karts on the track at the same time, so you must also demonstrate your ability to circulate among ‘traffic’. This is a test of your competency but you must demonstrate the ability to lap within a certain time set by the Instructor or Examiner.

5. Debrief

The final step is to debrief with your ARKS examiner who, providing that you have completed the assessment successfully, will be able to stamp and sign your application form, which you can then complete and return to Motorsport UK to receive your first competition licence!