Junior series (14+)
These are the championships Motorsport UK itself points to for drivers aged 14 and 15. Each one publishes its own sporting and technical regulations every year. Read them before you talk to a team, and check the exact age rules for your driver's date of birth.
Ginetta Junior
- From
- 14
- Car
- Closed-wheel sports car
One of the best-known starting points for teenage drivers, and a series many karters look at first. All the cars are the same, so it's a good test of the driver.
Junior Saloon Cars
- From
- 14
- Car
- Small saloon
Usually seen as one of the more affordable ways into junior car racing. Worth a serious look if budget is the main concern.
Fiesta Junior
- From
- 14
- Car
- Ford Fiesta-based saloon
Another saloon-based junior championship named by Motorsport UK as an entry point for 14 year olds.
British F4
- From
- 15
- Car
- Single-seater
The first step on the single-seater ladder, and the natural target for drivers with open-wheel ambitions. It's usually the most expensive option on this page by some distance.
Ages from Motorsport UK and Get Started in Motorsport.
Senior series (16+)
From 16, drivers can race in senior circuit racing, from club level to national championships. This opens up a much wider choice. It's also where older karters, and those who didn't go junior, usually start. These are some of the main entry points.
Single-seaters
GB4
- Organiser
- MotorSport Vision
- Car
- Tatuus single-seater
An entry-level single-seater series set up as a lower-cost route onto the ladder, using older-generation equipment. It feeds directly into GB3 and usually shares race weekends with it.
GB3
- Organiser
- MotorSport Vision
- Car
- Tatuus MSV GB3-025
The next rung up from GB4 and F4, and one of the main UK single-seater championships for drivers aiming higher.
GT & sports cars
Ginetta GT Academy
- For
- Adult drivers, novice or experienced
- Car
- Ginetta G56 GTA
Entry-level GT racing in identical cars, with a separate Rookie class so newcomers race each other for honours. Run with the BRSCC.
Saloons
Mini Challenge UK
- Classes
- JCW and JCW Sport
- Car
- Mini Cooper JCW
A long-running one-make saloon series with two classes and a Rookie Cup, racing across England and Scotland.
Club racing
Don't overlook club racing. Clubs such as the 750 Motor Club and the BRSCC run dozens of championships, many of them far cheaper than the national series above. Plenty of drivers do a club season first to learn car racing before stepping up.
Karters: check novice-only series carefully
Some "novice" championships are closed to anyone who has already held a competition licence. For example, the Caterham Academy is only open to drivers who have never held a Motorsport UK Race or Kart competition licence. So if your driver has raced karts, they probably aren't eligible. Always check the entry rules first.
Source: Caterham Cars, Academy Championship.
Series details checked September 2026 against organiser and championship information. Formats, cars and age rules change from season to season, so always read the current regulations.
Saloon or single-seater?
It depends on where your driver wants to end up, and on your budget. If the dream is single-seaters, F4 is the route most drivers take. If the aim is to race tin-tops such as touring cars, or simply to go racing for the love of it, a saloon or sports car championship is often better value and just as competitive.
Questions to ask a team before you sign
Most junior car racing is run through teams, on either a full-season package or an arrive-and-drive deal. Packages vary a lot, so get the answers in writing:
- What exactly is included in the season price, and what isn't?
- How many test days are included, and what does an extra one cost?
- Who pays for crash damage, and is there a cap or damage deposit?
- How many sets of tyres are included per event?
- How many cars does each engineer look after?
- Will we get data and video analysis? Is driver coaching included?
- What's the payment schedule, and what happens if we have to stop mid-season?
- Can we speak to parents of current or past drivers?