British Indoor Karting Championship - Tom Fox - My Motorsport

Rental karting is one of, if not the, most cost-effective way to get into motorsport.

There’s no need to worry about things like race fees, petrol, vehicles, even the cost of the equipment - just pay your money, turn up, and race.

This accessibility obviously means it’s open to a much wider drivership than “regular” motorsport, while still offering tight, hard racing. And while multiple rental championships exist for outdoor karting, the pinnacle for indoor karting is the British Indoor Karting Championship - a tournament run across 35 TeamSport Karting locations, with the competition having four levels - Local Qualifying, Local Finals, Regionals, and Nationals.

This ease of entry - drivers can qualify for the Local Finals for (theoretically) as little as just over £100 - makes it the most subscribed-to karting championship in the UK, with nearly 5,000 entrants across its five categories in 2025.

Today we’re talking to the man who came 2nd overall in the highly-competitive Middleweight category in 2024 - Tom Fox, of YAWT Motorsport.

What’s your motorsport series?

BIKC (British Indoor Karting Championship).

What karts do you drive?

Ecovolt Electric and petrol Bizkarts, depending on the circuit.

What is the race format?

There are 4 championship rounds, each being a knockout for the next. The categories are:

Cadet - drivers 8-12 years old

Junior - drivers 12 - 16 years old

Lightweight - drivers under 70kg and 16+

Middleweight - drivers 70kg & over and 16+

Heavyweight - drivers over 85kg & over and 16+

Each of the rounds works slightly differently, with the first being qualifying.

Anyone can sign up, and you have three months between June and August to set fast laps. This happens at every circuit, and a driver’s three fastest times are averaged.The top 24 drivers in each weight category make it through to the Local Finals. Drivers can set as many times as they want in that period, but only their three fastest matter.

The Local Finals is usually a qualifying session, followed by a sprint race. The top 6 drivers from each weight category progress to Regionals.

Regionals: This is where it gets tough. There are three sprint heats, each with a five-minute qualifying session beforehand.

This is then followed by a Semi Final, with the top eight from each category going through to the Final. The top 3 drivers in each weight category progress to the next stage - Nationals.

Nationals: These follow the same format as Regionals. Usually hosted at Teamsport Warrington. For the most part, you'll be surrounded by some of the best drivers in the country.

How much does the BIKC cost?

• Qualifying: Likely in the Range of £90-£150 depending on the number of sessions a driver runs.

• Locals: ~£70

• Regionals: ~£80, personally I usually run about 4-5 practice events before hand, each costing £35

• Nationals: ~£90, again I usually run about 10 practice events before hand.

Why did you pick the BIKC?

I was drawn to BIKC by the accessible nature of the championship, due to the locale and event costs, along with the sheer volume of drivers that participate in the competition. With it being advertised across all Teamsport circuits, the entry process was straightforwards, convenient, and un-intimidating.

What makes the BIKC different to other motorsports?

You learn a lot about the basics of racing very quickly. It teaches the importance of qualifying, practice and adapting to circumstance.

Overtaking on indoor circuits is challenging and BIKC emphasizes that fact to the fullest; participating in BIKC has forced me to up my game and attempt moves that I used to believe impossible.

Why should people get involved?

It's a great first step to getting involved in motorsport, forcing drivers to adapt to varying tracks, regulations, karts and strategies. It has dramatically raised my confidence to participate in other, more competitive championships across the country. I've entered now for three consecutive years, and each year my confidence grows and I seem to learn more than I did the year before.

What do I need to be successful at BIKC?

I practiced a lot. Aside from that, you also need everything to go well.

Luck without pace and consistency won’t get you a win. Pace and consistency without luck probably won’t get you a win.

All photos by @Bradojones