Back in the day gearbox karting was the domain of the original bandit karters. Clad in leather and more akin to mid-life crisis motorcyclists, their heads  pointing skyward under acceleration, they rode death machines into the gates of hell at 100mph. A little too ‘Mad Max’ to attract the aspirations of most aesthetically conscious karters, gearbox karting has had a limited appeal in the UK but maybe things are set to change drastically!

Jonathon Thonon – The World’s Best KZ Karter

Over the last decade gearbox karting in the UK has moved away from its older farmyard antics and it is more akin to our European parters. The karts now look good and the regulations set by the CIK have been reliable and consistent for many years. This has been crucial in harnessing the growing appeal of racing these types of karts from all corners of karting.

In the UK I can travel 20 miles down the road and join a club grid of KZ – the exact same class that the world’s best factory drivers race at an international level.

Rotax MAX can not boast this, and KF  club grids are next to non-existent. While other classes remain more popular numerically no other class can boast a true club to international connection like KZ does.

The crazy thing is this – KZ, despite not being proper karts, have now become a refuge for purists.

A KZ is heavy, complex and expensive to purchase, yet it now represents the purest form of karting. In a world of electronic clutch slip detectors, power valves, starter motors, batteries and other nonsense you don’t actually need to go quick, KZ karts are becoming more and more ‘proper’. There’s nothing on a KZ that doesn’t need to be there for a gearbox kart. Something the forefathers of modern karting couldn’t have ever imagined. In a world of KF, Rotax, TaG, 4 stroke etc… the term ‘purest form of motorsport’ has lost its value in reference to karting.

KZ – For club racers and also for the world’s best!

So why the hell is KZ so goddamned attractive compared to other classes at all levels?

Firstly, they are mad quick! While a light 100cc screaming like mad is the purest and most nutritious driving experience a KZ is just pure insanity. And in a world without 100cc we are left with flat bottom end power, rev limiters and clutches! The shear madness in KZ is alluring for oldskool karters as well as the younger generation of drivers.

Secondly it’s the kart of choice for F1 drivers to train. Schumacher, Beumi, Liuzzi, Alguersuari, Alonso etc… all can be snapped lapping in KZ karts recently. If Schumacher thinks KZ is the nuts who are we to argue?

But while KZ isn’t huge at club level it does attract grids globally at all levels. Despite the karts being relatively heavy and complex you can bolt an engine on a chassis and go racing without too much hassle. There is a wide array of engines to choose from, and various tuners trying to make their engine work. It’s an art form very much lost in the deluge of single-make sealed engine racing that dominates the world.

In essence KZ is true proper racing. Different drivers, different engine manufactures, different chassis, different tuners – it has it all. And even better it makes no apologies for it! It’s honest proper motor racing and there isn’t a ‘level playing field’ slogan in sight!

It’s shocking, but 125 gearbox karting is possibly the purest form of karting out there! Not a starter motor in sight!

In terms of bang for buck for the club racer who wants to taste speed and ‘properness’ there is no competition.

You get to race the same karts as Schumacher, Fore, Ardigo, Thonon etc… without having to spend an absolute fortune. Many KZ club racers will support this. Being a purist nothing comes close to a light, non-complex 100cc of course. This is just fact! However with the constant onslaught of TaG engines, the rise of KZ is becoming more and more significant in the world and club scene. And it’s not surprising at all!

In the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king! KZ has suddenly become the purest form of karting and we wouldn’t have said that 20 years ago! Absolute madness!