The MSA and ARKS have announced a series of initiatives as follows to reduce the cost of karting, and the entry costs to the sport. The ARKS Schools have agreed to reduce the fee for the Novice Driver ARKS Test from £95 to £50 on a trial basis for 2015 and have asked the Clubs offering the test with their volunteer ARKS Examiners to follow suit. The MSA announcements are below:
MSA revises kart fees and confirms growth in the sport
The Motor Sports Association (MSA) has confirmed a number of karting developments, including a temporarily reduced price for starter packs, a freeze in competition licence and event permit fees, and a rise in events and competitor entries.
Go Karting starter packs discounted while current stocks last
The price of the MSA Go Karting starter packs (also known as the ARKS pack) will be discounted from £75 to £60 while current stocks last. Since the pack includes the competitor’s first competition licence (£36 if purchased separately) the effective cost of the discounted packs is just £24. If an Entrant Kart PG licence is also applied for, the effective cost of the packs reduces further to just £6.
There is a concessionary rate of £55 per pack for ARKS schools and MSA-recognised clubs, which cannot sell the packs to competitors for more than the MSA price at any given time. The MSA is also pleased to offer each ARKS school or MSA-registered club up to 10 packs each on a ‘sale or return’ basis.
2015 fees frozen at 2014 prices
As previously announced, the MSA has frozen the cost of 2015 National B – and below – competition licences at 2014 prices across all disciplines, including karting. Event permit fees for 2015 are also frozen at 2014 prices.
Karting events and entries rise year-on-year
Short circuit kart (including NatSKA, Endurance, Tyro and Bambino) event and entry numbers between January and August show an increase relative to the same period in 2013. By the end of August 2014 there were 308 events, up 42 on the same period last year. Meanwhile competitor entries rose by 1,018 to 21,119.
Rob Jones, MSA Chief Executive, said:
“The MSA is committed to developing UK karting. By discounting starter packs, and freezing licence and permit fees, we are taking action both to encourage new competitors into the sport and to make life that little bit easier and more cost-effective for those already competing or running events.
“There is genuine room for optimism in MSA karting, with a significant year-on-year increase in both events and grids, plus of course our new junior and senior World and European Champions.”
MSA freezes 2015 licence and permit fees
The Motor Sports Association (MSA) has frozen the cost of certain competition licences and event permits for 12 months in a move designed to help thousands of competitors and organisers preparing for the 2015 motor sport season.
All 2015 competition licences at National B level or below will remain at their 2014 prices next year. This accounts for the majority of all competition licences issued each year by UK motor sport’s governing body.
Additionally, all 2015 event permit fees will be kept at 2014 prices. The MSA issues approximately 5,000 permits per year to event organising clubs.
Rob Jones, MSA Chief Executive, said: “The MSA is committed to keeping UK motor sport at the forefront of the sport worldwide. That means supporting our competitors and the organisers of the events they compete in.
“As such, we are pleased to be able to freeze the costs of event permits and the majority of competition licences for 2015. We hope this will encourage our members by easing some of the financial pressures they may feel, particularly as the economy continues its long road to recovery.”
The MSA Board has also agreed to freeze per capita insurance fees for the sixth consecutive year, meaning that they will remain at the current level in 2015.