The karting market - Italy

1.1 Definition and presentation

Karting is a motor sport practiced on a race track using a kart, which is a small single-seater car with four wheels, no body, gearbox or suspension. Kurtis Kraft, an American automotive technician, developed the kart in 1956 when he welded together frame tubes on which he had installed the engine of an old lawnmower, never expecting the fame that would follow.

Karting takes two main forms: leisure or competition. The first of these two forms is for people who occasionally rent karts for racing sessions. On the other hand, competitive karting is a real sport that requires a license from the federation of the nation in which it is raced; internationally, the sport of karting is regulated by the FIA Karting based in Paris. Many great Formula 1 champions started in karting and then became professionals by climbing the various categories. There are also two types of circuits, namely indoor and outdoor.

From 2021 to 2030, the world karting market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.9 percent, from USD104.8 million in 2020 to USD154.3 million in 2030.

Landed in Italy in 1957, Karting is regulated by ACI CSAI. Italy can in some ways be considered the home of karting both in terms of traditions and podiums achieved: there are numerous tracks throughout the country where enthusiasts can test their skills. The regions with the most karting tracks are Emilia-Romagna and Sicily. The Italian karting championship has a large audience, with an estimated 6.5 million spectators in 2021; it makes headlines in major newspapers such as "La Gazzetta dello Sport," "Il Corriere dello Sport" and "l'Automobile" magazine. it is a sport that also creates engagement among physical audiences, with more than 18,000 live viewers throughout the 2019 championship. The market is very fragmented with independent test venues and some franchises, especially in the Indoor Karting segment with K1Speed for example (a leading company in the karting world).Major sponsors in the industry include Arai Helmet, OMP Racing, and the Petronas Group.

New trends have been observed in the practice of the sport, especially in the ecological transition with the development of electric karts and the implementation of collection systems for tire recovery and recycling.