If you have any go-kart enthusiasts in your life, you’ll probably know that buying gifts for them isn’t always an easy task. There are plenty of options out there, and it can get a little overwhelming. So, it helps to check out a list of the best gift ideas for go-kart drivers.
5 gift ideas for go-kart drivers are:
- Go-kart maintenance equipment
- Karting attire
- Race day gear
- Novelty gifts
- Gifts to improve their driving
With so many products on the market, whether it be for practical purposes or generally cool novelty gifts, you’ll have gift ideas for more than one occasion, that’s for sure! Below, we go into more examples of each so that you can pick the perfect gift for the kart racer in your life.
5 Gift Ideas For Go-Kart Drivers
1. Go-Kart Maintenance Equipment
One of my favorite things on my birthday and at Christmas time was getting kart maintenance gifts from my dad. I know it sounds pretty strange and kind of boring when you think of what most teenagers want for gifts, but it meant that we got a great stock of necessary products to keep us racing for longer without replacements.
In the spirit of gifts that you might assume would be too boring, here’s a list of things you can wrap up for the kart driver/owner in your life that they’ll really thank you for (so that they don’t have to make extra trips to the karting stores themselves).
Wrench Set
We can never have enough wrenches! Most kart drivers already have some at their disposal, but nothing beats a more compact collection they can easily take to the track. This is an easy-to-wrap gift that’ll definitely go down well.
2-Stroke Racing Oil
Most go-karts are 2-stroke, oil-guzzling monsters. If you haven’t heard your karting friend or loved one talk about oil every other day, there’s something wrong! Just picking up a small bottle of oil can make all the difference and give them some peace of mind.
Gas Can
Refueling can be a total nightmare at the track if you don’t have a nozzle or funnel handy, and those things can disappear at a moment’s notice! By gifting this no-spill gas can to a kart driver, they’ll be able to refuel in no time at all, and with no mess!
Chain Cleaner
A gunked-up chain can often mean the end of it, and replacing a chain is an annoying, tricky process. It’s way easier to keep it clean to lengthen its life span. And for such a good price, you can give this as a practical gift that’ll last!
2. Karting Attire
If you’re a fan of anything in life, you can attest to how cool it is to show it off with some awesome clothes you can wear in day-to-day life. Whether you love music, TV shows, or a particular sports team, it’s always a great feeling to walk around in some gear that reflects that.
You can never go wrong with great t-shirts or other wearable merchandise for that go-kart driver in your life, that’s for sure. Here’s some of the best gifts that I’d love to wear as a kart driver myself.
Go-Kart Racer T-Shirt
Wearing black is of the epitome practicality, especially for those of us who spend time in the workshop changing oil or greasing spark plugs! This sleek tee with a go-kart graphic is both stylish and the perfect shirt to wear while doing maintenance. We kart drivers do love multi-purpose stuff!
Go-Karting Racer Hoodie
Keep your karting friend warm in style with this retro-styled hooded sweatshirt! The dark gray base will hide oil stains really well too!
Build, Tune, Race, Break, Fix, Repeat Go-Kart T-Shirt
If the kart lover in your life is also a witty soul who enjoys some humor in their life, this relatable t-shirt would make a fine addition to their wardrobe! All go-kart drivers will know the constant cycle of racing, breaking and fixing their rigs, so why not allow them to have a laugh about it?
3. Race Day Gear
After covering some ‘boring’ maintenance-related buys and some much more fun everyday clothing items, let’s look at something else that’s always on a driver’s mind: race day!
Multi-Purpose RPM Tachometer, Hour Meter, Maintenance Reminder
If your go-karting friend or loved one races on a frequent basis, they should really have one of these meters rigged up to their kart! It tracks how many hours they run the engine for, gives alerts on when the engine needs to be maintained, and keeps a log of the average RPM. It’s a great bit of kit to keep a kart running reliably!
Portable Power Bank
There’s nothing worse than running out of battery on your devices at a race, trust me. And with car charging ports just draining your vehicle’s battery, a power bank is a real life-saver! This one comes with two USB ports so you can charge two devices at once, and it’ll fit into any pocket to make carrying around on race day a piece of cake.
Battery Charger For Go-Karts
There’s little worse than your kart battery going flat on race day. You can always jump it off a friend’s kart of course, but it’s just better to have a solid solution in place. Enter the battery charger for go-karts! Put it on charge between races or overnight and you’ll always guarantee optimum battery performance.
4. Novelty Gifts
In need of some stocking stuffers or just generally fun, simple gifts for that go-kart driver in your life? Don’t worry, I’ve picked out some pretty fantastic gifts that will do the trick!
Go-Kart Trophy
This is a great splash of novelty and a great showpiece for the garage! You can personalize the text on the plaque at the bottom too, and its golden kart topper is both awesome and just the right amount of silly!
I’d Rather Be Go-Karting License Plate Holder
There’s something about buying a license plate holder that just makes sense for a kart driver. This laser-engraved one will fit with any US license plate to show off that love for karting no matter where they go.
Driver Name Decal Set
With this set of two personalized decals, you can ensure that your chosen kart driver can proudly display being a racer, whether it be on their kart, in the garage, or in their road car. It makes an awesome, thoughtful stocking stuffer!
5. Gifts To Improve Their Driving
I want to wrap this list up with some gifts that’ll help a kart enthusiast improve their driving and really ignite their passion for the sport. Everything from instructional books all the way through to race memberships bought at their local tracks, they’ll be thanking you all the way through to next Christmas!
Kart Racing Manual
This book is great for any driver at any level of experience, and it covers areas that can take your ability to the next level. You’ll find tips and strategies on everything from advanced driving techniques all the way through to improving on self-confidence while in the kart.
Kart Track Club Membership
This gift is highly dependent on where you live, but pretty much all karting clubs offer a membership that you’ll need to be a part of the race season. Gifting this to the kart enthusiast you know will be a huge weight off their shoulders, and will guarantee more go-karting fun for them in the year to come!
Kart Racing Lessons
This is another gift that’s pretty personal to where you live, but it’s a hugely important and exciting thing to help a kart driver improve their craft! This experience can include multiple lessons too, so it’s a gift that’ll keep on giving.
Karting Gloves
If you’re a kart driver, it’s nice to have extra pairs of race gloves to switch between depending on the weather, and most early-career drivers won’t have a pair of high-quality gloves like these. You’ll make their birthday or Christmas if these were wrapped up for them!
Final Thoughts
This list has something for every kind of go-kart racer! A top tip is to learn about what your friend or loved one has at their disposal, and you can get them even better and more tailored gifts to expand their rig, garage, and overall ability behind the wheel!
I created and have been writing on this site since 2019, collaborating with drivers, coaches, engineers and manufacturers to provide you with the most reliable information about motorsport. Find out more about me here.