I was in exactly the same position. My 2p.
What is not clear on many karting websites are the range of classes available. One of the choices when choosing a class could be based on:
1) Popularity in your local area
e.g. you are kart racing to race at least one other person. No point in having to travel 5 hours to every meeting that runs your class.
2) Overall cost
e.g. How much is the kit and the costs for a season.
3) Level of competition
e.g. Do you want to race against the best in the country and gain UK titles? or happy to be in lower levels of club competition? The higher up you go the more teams are involved and the more potentially isolated the privateer (a little sweeping I know, there are some super team owners out there, but its difficult walking into the large awnings to ask advice).
4) Level of acceptable contact. Its a non contact sport but I have seen some really well mannered grids and some really brutal grids. Subjective this as it is so so difficult to judge the judges. However I feel that some grids have made a step forward in this area. Go and watch some races.
5) Track time when you do enter a race. Some events are so jammed with classes you might half the time on track compared with other classes and organisations. MSA/ non MSA IKR.
For a 13 year old there are several classes that vary in the above. I have raced in all of those apart from Junior TKM. (Skint Father does JTKM).
I only know two stroke racing so these are all 2 stroke kart classes. Check out the 4 stroke forum for suitable four stroke classes.
So in 2 stroke we have:
MiniMax (Rotax for 11-15yr)
Junior Rotax (13-17yr)
Junior Blue (11-17yr)
Junior TKM (11-17yr)
Junior X30 (13-17yr)
EasyKart (11-17yr)
Google them all and see where you get to with your local clubs and visit the tracks and people. Do not buy as per previous advice until you have gone to a few meetings.
I am doing Easykart with my son at the moment.
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