The Daniel Ricciardo Series offers a ‘next step’ option to karting hopefuls looking to progress into regular Owner Driver racing.

Andy Cox was once an aspiring racing driver, competing against David Coulthard and Dario Franchitti in the early stages of British Championship UK karting. When racing became too expensive, he chose to dedicate his career to running teams, coaching drivers and opening up the karting pathway, to try and help youngsters access the opportunities he never could.

Indoor karting venues are increasing throughout the UK, offering affordable opportunities to try out karting and encouraging those who enjoy the experience to try out arriveand-drive sessions and join with some going on to enter the British Indoor Karting Championship at TeamSport venues.

Those who want to go further, take their racing outside and tackle larger venues in faster karts then have several different options, including Club100 Rob Smedley’s Global Karting League (GKL) and the Daniel Ricciardo Series (DRS), which Cox and F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo launched in 2019. This single-make series, which runs Ricciardo karts, aims to give 7-to-16-year-olds affordable access to competitive racing and, crucially, provide education and training to
drivers and also to their parents.

The Daniel Ricciardo Series was originally set up solely as a dedicated low-cost owner-driver series, but this year it has introduced a new DRS Cadet arrive-and-drive category for 8-13-year-olds – opening a new door into the world of outdoor karting. The aim is to pick up on the popularity of indoor karting and offer ‘taster’ racing that sits on the same bill, and follows the same format, as a competitive Motorsport UK Interclub event.

“NKA Indoor Karting venues have done an incredible job of making karting much more accessible for families at an affordable price, but then, it’s like anything, kids get the bug and want to progress,” says Cox. “When they are aged between 7-13, though, many parents do not have the funds to buy a kart or are not ready to commit time or resources to it because their child might not be fully invested in the sport, with all the choices children have these days.

“We tend to be contacted by people who have done some sessions at an indoor karting venue, enjoyed that level of karting and want to try some outdoors racing. That is why we created the new DRS arrive-and-drive Cadet programme, to give them a safe pair of gloves to do that and to get comfortable competing within the format of racing that takes place in a professional Motorsport UK karting meeting, alongside DRS owner drivers.

“Giving people the experience of being fully immersed in this kind of meeting as an arrive-and-drive competitor allows them to see the faster owner-driver karts racing and speak to families who have progressed and purchased their own DRS Ricciardo karts. It helps to take away some of the fear factor that exists for parents, giving clarity on what you can expect, and what budget you need to go into the higher levels of racing.”

This is the first time an arrive-and-drive Cadet event has ever been run inside a Motorsport UK Interclub karting race – in the past, the only way to get involved was to buy your own kart – and it is proving popular. The arrive-and-drive runs two classes – DRS 35 (35kg) and DRS 45 (45kg) – which are based on minimum weight, with lighter drivers having to run ballast. In 2025, this will change to DRS40 (40kgs) and DRS 50 (50 kgs). Both run in the same format as an Interclub event and Cox explains: “They run to a specific timetable, so the drivers and parents can get used to managing their way through a Motorsport UK event, including official driver registration, driver briefings and keeping to the official schedule of the race day.”

The DRS arrive and drive Cadets alternate each round, either racing on a Saturday or a Sunday, with a timetable that includes a 10-minute warm up, 8-minute qualifying, 9-minutes +1 lap heat and pre final and a 12-minute +1 lap grand-final. Each session is run in between and around the owner-driver DRS 100 Junior and DRS 125 Senior races.

“We put a lot of emphasis on education and helping our drivers get ready for a proper race format,” adds Cox. “In the paddock, the DRS owner drivers are happy to give tips to the new arrive and drive Cadets, and the series even has live streaming on the Daniel Ricciardo Series YouTube channel at every round on a Sunday, with driver interviews giving those in the owner-driver categories some vital media experience.

“We do not allow any contact, and we are very clear at the driver briefing how people should overtake and race. The result is that we see very clean and close and fair racing, and if drivers are spotted causing an issue, they are penalised or put under investigation with a clear but positive explanation as to why.”

Good Schooling

The most important aspect of the Daniel Ricciardo Series, Cox believes, is the education and training it offers. In fact, new drivers cannot take part until they have downloaded an RS Clubman licence from Motorsport UK and completed the DRS Academy course, which runs on the same bill as races, and gets the rookies up to speed in a non-competitive scenario.

The tasks involved in the DRS Academy go beyond even the already high standards of the Motorsport UK ARKS test, and Cox explains: “We send out homework for the kids on racing flags before the event so they are prepared, then on the day, the first thing we do is take them on a detailed track walk with their parents, to familiarise them with braking points, which are marked with a red cone, a turn in points, marked with a yellow cone.

“This not only helps them to learn how to master the racing line before they get out on track, but it also provides clarity as to how they should enter the circuit and how they should come into the pits, with an arm raised and at a slowing pace. At the end of the day, it is all about safety and driver confidence.

“Drivers in the Academy have four 10-minute coached sessions through the day and their performance is evaluated after each of these. At lunchtime, they must complete the racing flags test and if they pass, are driving safely, and are within 10 per cent of the fastest time of the session, they will pass the DRS evaluation and receive a DRS certificate.

“Positivity is important at this level and we always speak to the drivers as a group, giving encouragement and advice after each session. In the final session – and this is unique – we go through the starting procedure and do a rolling lap simulation, so they are familiar with the whole process.

“To me, that is the most important thing, because if they just did a practice and went straight out on a rolling lap to start a race, can you imagine how scary that is? Learning how to start a race is crucial, and if they pass that, once the parent has applied for a free Parent PG licence through the Daniel Ricciardo Series club, they are cleared to race.”

Stepping Up

The DRS arrive-and-drive Cadet sessions run from ages 7 (the year of the 8th birthday) to 13, at which point young karters can choose their next pathway. That could be into Motorsport UK Club Racing, the British Karting Championships, or it could be the next step of the Daniel Ricciardo Series in the owner-driver DRS 100 Juniors and, later, DRS 125 Seniors.

The arrive-and-drive Cadet karts have wheel protection and bespoke safety bodywork, but that is removed at the next level. So, to help those who choose to continue in the series comfortable with open-wheel racing, the Daniel Ricciardo Series has set up the ‘DRS Drive 55’ scheme. This provides four 10-minute sessions in a DRS 100 or DRS 125 kart – with any optional damage waiver! – and runs on a Saturday in free practice sessions at DRS race meetings. It also provides the opportunity for a driver to attain their Motorsport UK ARKS driving test and qualify for a Motorsport UK ‘Interclub’ licence, which is required at this level.

Those who choose to join the series can expect a very level playing field, where the set-up has limited influence on the performance. The aim of this is to help parents learn more about karting and get some experience with the basics of running a kart while allowing drivers to hone their skills before they step up, if they wish, to the British Championships.

“DRS is just like the Motorsport UK British Championships, but more chilled!” smiles Cox. “We offer technical assistance, but our DRS paddock is all privateers, no teams. All the racing engines are maintained by us at DRS and the DRS Ricciardo chassis all have the same components, so it is very restricted on what changes you can make. It is much more simplistic than other formats. In fact, the DRS 100 and 125 karts even come with a manual that includes service schedules and guidance on the few set-up changes you can make – like chain adjustments, brake pad changes or carburettor servicing – and videos with direct technical help. All that culminates in the performance of each kart being very, very similar and essentially, if the service guides and schedules are followed, then any driver and DRS kart can win the race.”

Moving On

According to Cox, most drivers stay with the Daniel Ricciardo Series between two to three seasons, after which those who have the budget and passion to continue to the next level would most likely make a move into Motorsport UK Club Racing, then the British Kart Championship and possibly some international events beyond that. It is at this point where Cox’s clear passion for developing future drivers comes into play again.

“When people get to the point where they want to move on, I am very happy to advise and help steer them into the next direction,” he says. “This is an important part of our role at DRS and if we don’t think a driver is ready, we will always be honest to say to the parent that they should perhaps do another season to gain more experience, strength and knowledge.”

The series aims to provide good grounding in race technique and basic set-up, but moving into the British Championships involves a step-up in open brand kart specification, different engine tuners and that takes things to another level. It is more expensive and requires more technical understanding, but it helps youngsters develop formative skills in working with a team as they move towards racing cars in the future.

“To race a DRS 100 Junior for the season, once you have bought the kart, the cost of race entries, membership, tyres, engine servicing and all the consumables is around £5,000,” explains Cox. “The DRS teaches drivers about tyre pressures, tracking and basic set-up, so they develop a certain level of knowledge. At the next level, though, a Tonykart or BirelART kart, for example, has three or four different axle grades, different front and rear ride heights, different torsion bars, fully adjustable castor and camber, and so on. Many people find it very hard to set these more complicated karts up without technical or team support. In fact, some people do not even know what will happen if they change these settings. So, to be competitive, it is essential to go testing and have the technical support of a team or an experienced individual.”

Young karters are the lifeblood of professional motorsport – rarely do racing drivers not start out that way – and while the Motorsport UK British Karting Championships is the highest level of karting in the UK, other karting series play an important role on the Motorsport UK karting pathway from social events like those at NKA indoor karting, to higher levels.