The 5 Best Racing Go-Kart Manufacturers (Ultimate List)

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Choosing between go-kart manufacturers can be hard, as there are so many brands to choose from, and they each have various different chassis on offer as well. So, it helps to learn which are the best racing go-kart manufacturers.

The 5 best racing go-kart manufacturers are:

  1. Tony Kart
  2. Margay Racing
  3. Top Kart
  4. Birel ART
  5. CRG Kart

These manufacturers are listed in no particular order, because each one has their specific areas in which they have an edge on their competitors. Below, we go into each brand in more detail and discuss some of the best karts each manufacturer has to offer.

2 people driving CRG racing go-karts on a track, Best Racing Go-Kart Manufacturers

The 5 Best Racing Go-Kart Manufacturers

1. Tony Kart

To best understand this European powerhouse of a karting brand, it’s good at look at Tony Kart’s long history from which they built this prestige of theirs. They started as a vision from Antonio “Tony” Bosio back in 1958, and have grown worldwide since that point. Their instantly recognizable green chassis are a vision of reliability and racing pedigree, even today.

Owning a kart built by Tony Kart is to invest in this long and rich history of manufacturing. They were one of the first brands to introduce a kart racing team. Backed by them, and using all of their products, they took the European and international scene by storm.

Of course, all products made by them will be imported to the US from Italy, where they’ve kept their base of operations in the same tiny town (Prevalle) since Tony Kart was born in Bosio’s backyard workshop! Because of this, you’ll find that Tony Kart chassis are some of the most expensive on the market.

You’re Paying For Quality

That extra cash you spend on Tony Kart products will give you a kart that oozes the brand’s two powerful buzz words: performance and quality. Everything they design and hand-craft in their Italian factory is made with this in mind, and they have in-house kart drivers to test everything on tracks before it ever goes on sale.

Chances are you’ve heard of Tony Kart or seen flashes of striking green chassis at race tracks. Their brand recognition is instantaneous and almost instinctive at this point, which really speaks volumes of how consistently excellent their products have been over the years.

Racing Pedigree

In order to be the best, you really need to make investments into a chassis that will carry you all the way to success. A Tony Kart chassis isn’t infallible, because nothing is, but they’ve taken a lot of the guesswork out of what makes a solid, competitive kart through the conception of their kart racing team many years ago.

All that remains is to take the plunge, invest in that racing green, and see the results out on the track coupled with how quality feels beneath you while driving. You can’t get more prestigious than an Italian-grown racing pedigree!

Notable Tony Kart Chassis

  • The Tony Kart Formula model was made in 1991 and became the poster kart of the racing team that was founded under Tony Kart
  • The Tony Kart Racer chassis, made in 2004, is still in use to this day! The Racer has won the most titles in Tony Kart history
  • The Tony Kart Extreme chassis was owned by an Australian racer, James Courtney, and it had a revolutionary 50 mm axle. After his victory in 1997, Tony Kart made every kart afterwards to this blueprint

2. Margay Racing

Margay Racing is a much-beloved and highly competitive kart manufacturer founded in St. Louis, MO, by Elmer Freber. Their journey into the karting industry started way back in 1964, so they have a long history in the sport.

They didn’t begin by building chassis like Tony Kart did, but they instead built a hugely successful quick-change gearbox specifically designed for go-karts. Back then, the company was known as Mar-Kart, and quickly became a well-known name in the growing kart industry in the USA.

Seizing The Opportunity

When a kart building company known as King Kart went up for safe, the founder of Mar-Kart swooped in to buy up and combine everything he’d built, making way for full kart manufacturing in 1968.

They quickly started to reinvent huge parts of kart racing and how karts were built, as seen with their Sidewinder kart released in the 1970s. This was the first production kart where the engine was mounted beside the driver, rather than behind them. To this day we still see this style of kart as standard.

With ground-breaking kart designs like these, Margay started to build a reputation for themselves that remains constant and highly thought of today.

A Competitive Streak

The sons of the original founder entered into kart racing with Margay karts, and this really established the brand as more than just a kart producing company. They started to be regarded as competitive, and before long, they became a staple US kart racing brand, hence the introduction of ‘Racing’ to their name.

Their products come in at fairly average price points, and a huge boon of their production is the fact that all chassis and parts can be found in the US, eliminating the need for import costs that can make Tony Karts expensive.

They’re the perfect brand for kart drivers at all levels of their career, with a special focus on intermediate competitors trying to break into higher categories, with multiple racing features on their latest Brava chassis line.

Notable Margay Racing Chassis

  • The Margay Sidewinder was the first production kart to include the engine mounted beside the driver as opposed to behind them
  • The Margay Brava 125 chassis is a purpose-built design for the immensely popular 125cc kart racing series. Since they were first made, the Brava chassis models have won Margay the most success
  • The Margay X2 model is iconic for its design based on European karts, bringing the success of karting overseas to American soil

3. Top Kart

Another US brand, Top Kart has become known as a great and rather competitive entry-level manufacturer that keeps prices to an affordable level for the standard American kart enthusiast.

Solid rigs, good foundations, and a kart that’ll last – these are great ways to describe Top Kart chassis and as a company. Top Kart was founded and remains based in Indianapolis, IN, a place probably best known for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was placed here with good reason, and all of the energy and racing excitement from that venue have influenced all that Top Kart does and has done for the last 40 years.

More Than Just A Kart

The founders needed something to set them apart from their fellow US competitor, Margay, and found just the ticket when it came to raw passion for the sport. They took this and made Top Kart into the full package for kart drivers. When you purchase a Top Kart chassis, you don’t just buy the kart itself and go off to race alone.

You gain access to driver coaching, video analysis services, kart maintenance for the lifetime of the vehicle, and a whole list of other amazing things that truly define the ‘family’ vibe that Top Kart was going for.

Ideal For Beginners

They also understood that buying a kart is quite the investment for some, and they have an arrive-and-drive program complete with coaching and advice for new drivers to give more insight into the sport.

The biggest thing that defines this brand, as you can probably see, isn’t just the karts themselves. They created a community, a support network, and overall created a true team feeling for anybody who chooses to invest in them.

Notable Top Kart Chassis

  • The Top Kart Carter model is dubbed the ‘Economy’ chassis that they produce, and it is currently one of the most affordable brand-new builds you can buy
  • The Top Kart MSTEM3 EV is a ground-breaking premier chassis designed to encourage STEM involvement in the US by inviting high school and collegiate students to learn through fixing and tuning it
  • The Top Kart SR30.2 is a premier race chassis that has seen many iterations over the years, bringing Top Kart most of their competitive notoriety on the track

4. Birel ART

Birel ART is another Italian manufacturer, which turned a family nickname and one man’s joy of anything with an engine into a worldwide brand with which Formula One drivers are affiliated!

The company was founded by Umberto Sala, who was working as a manager for a car and motorcycle shop near Milan. He wanted an outlet for his love of motorsport and karting was getting big in Europe back in the late 1950s, so he joined in simply for the fun of it without any lofty ideas.

Making A Name For Themselves

Soon enough, his son became involved as the test driver for the karts he made, and before long, Oscar Sala was placing highly in kart races throughout Italy. This was how Birel really became known in the world of kart manufacturing.

But it was in 1974 that they secured their reputation as a competitive kart manufacturer. They teamed up with the engine manufacturer IAME to make a kart racing team that quickly took the European and international scenes by storm.

Ever since that point, they’ve followed a rather similar blueprint for development to Tony Kart. But unlike their fellow Italian kart brand, Birel ART took steps in the late 1990s and early 1990s to assist and guide amateur karting enthusiasts.

The EasyKart

This was achieved by their release of the EasyKart, which was cheaper than their otherwise pricy set of chassis and parts, to encourage new go-kart drivers into entering the sport. This chassis birthed a whole new racing class, and three different series developed in Italy, with other divisions in America and the UK. All of a sudden, a go-kart brand with prestige became far more attainable.

F1 drivers, such as Daniel Ricciardo and Robert Kubica, became involved with Birel during their karting careers, and started their own product lines for excellence within competitive karting, making the manufacturer a perfect combination of accessible and professional.

Notable Birel ART Chassis

  • The Birel Targa became the flagship kart for this manufacturer in the 1970s, securing them many racing titles
  • The Birel NO35 was designed as the world’s first-ever endurance kart chassis, made to run over long periods of time in grueling races
  • The Birel S11 is the latest iteration of their award-winning KZ racing series kart, renowned thanks to its long history of improvements and innovations

5. CRG Kart

CRG Kart is yet another Italian powerhouse kart manufacturer whose name has become more and more well-known overseas. They don’t have as much of a well-fleshed out origin story as some of the other karting brands on our list, but their name is still recognized immediately by many in the world of karting.

Of the group, this brand is actually the youngest, being founded in 1986 as an evolution of a smaller company, Kalì Kart. As a result of being developed later, after the initial karting boom of the 1950s and 1960s, CRG have benefitted from years of having gathered research on the market and finding out what people are looking for from their karts.

A Respected Name

In spite of being the young whippersnapper of the kart manufacturing world, CRG has gained a high level of respect from those within the karting sector. A lot of Formula One drivers raced in CRG colors during their early years, including Lewis Hamilton, and they have continued a partnership to keep creating great innovations.

Above all else, CRG focuses on diligent research to fill gaps in the market. They aren’t quite at the level of premium kart manufacturers such as Tony Kart and Birel ART, and instead stay on the more accessible side like Top Kart.

A Standout Brand

A huge selling point of this manufacturer above the others is their striking color schemes. Sometimes, karting can be a sea of blues and greens, so seeing racing oranges and blacks is a welcome, refreshing sight! This makes them a noticeable brand, and you’re more likely to be picked out of a crowd if you are seen to be racing something different.

Every product developed by CRG has been made with extensive customer feedback in mind, to better improve their chassis in accordance with what people actually want. A blend of practicality, award-winning race pedigree, and that level of competitive edge you want when racing karts – that’s what makes CRG such a good brand.

Notable CRG Kart Chassis

  • The CRG Maranello range was a collection of karts designed and used during the 1990s, bringing the manufacturer a great deal of success in various international titles
  • The CRG LH range of karts were designed in conjunction with Lewis Hamilton in 2009, and with his feedback on karting as a whole, the chassis collection soon became iconic
  • The CRG Dark Rider Evo 15 is one of the newer karts designed by this manufacturer and is notable due to its specific design to run alongside Rotax engines, making it a highly competitive machine

How To Choose The Right Go-Kart Manufacture

For Beginners

If you’re first starting out within the world of kart racing, you want to find a sturdy, reliable chassis that will take a lot of knocks and scrapes. Not only that, but you want something that won’t break the bank.

For this, Top Kart or the EasyKart range of Birel ART will be your best choices. Both companies have made a specific effort to introduce measures to help new kart drivers on their beginner journey, and their chassis are designed as such too.

Advanced Drivers

On the other hand, if you’re within the pro levels of kart racing and are looking for the next rig that’ll take you to Nationals, you will want a chassis built for speed, aerodynamics and the perfect melding of driver and machine.

For this, you will be best served by Tony Kart and the Formula One driver ranges by Birel ART. These manufacturers have a history of racing pedigree with their racing teams, and with first-hand experience, they design karts that are best suited for the highest levels of competition.

Intermediate Racers

Intermediate levels are a lot more flexible, because either end of the spectrum will work well for you as you improve as a driver. I’d certainly say that CRG would be a great pick for this part of your career, due to their standout designs and perfect balance of accessibility and competitive chassis.

No matter which you choose, consider your own experience beforehand and also think about your budget. Investing in an expensive Tony Kart chassis as a beginner might be unwise (especially if you crash/spin a lot, as you often do at that stage), and perhaps choosing a Top Kart in pro circuits wouldn’t be prudent if everybody else is using premium-level brands!

Final Thoughts

The above brands are the best manufacturers in the world of karting, and they each produce various models of kart to suit a range of driving styles and experience levels. For beginners, Top Kart and Birel ART are best, while Tony Kart is probably the one to go for if you’re a more experienced racer.