You’ve played Mario Kart. You’ve yelled at your screen. You’ve probably rage-quit after a blue shell ambush inches from the finish line. But real-life Kart Racing isn’t all banana peels and cartoon chaos. It's a legit sport that launched the careers of motorsport legends like Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel.

Born in the 1950s out of post-war American boredom and leftover lawnmower parts (seriously), karting is the scrappy underdog of motorsports. Tiny cars, big speed; some racing karts hit 160 km/h.

Karting circuits also have fewer safety barriers, so mistakes are... character-building. It’s often called the “purest” form of racing, and if you’ve got nerves of steel and lightning reflexes, this is where you prove it (without needing a million-dollar sponsor or a team of engineers.)