The Armed Forces Karting Championship (AFKC), formerly the Inter-Service Kart Championship and the RAF Kart Championship, is a karting competition run for teams and drivers serving in or otherwise associated with the RAF, Royal Navy and British Army. It was first staged in 2011, evolving out the RAF competitions that had been staged for many years, but which had long welcomed karters from the other services.
History The Championship is normally held over 6 or 7 rounds between April and September each year, and runs two classes of racing which are usually both run during a race weekend. All events are run by the RAFMSA in conjunction with the RNRMMSA and BAMA under the jurisdiction of the Motorsport UK.
The Premier Class is for high-performance karts with two-stroke engines up to 125cc. A variety of engines may be used including KF2, Rotax FR125, Parilla Leopard, PRD Fireball, IAME EasyKart 125, TKM BT82, TKM K4S and Parilla Lynx/Lynx Maxi, as well as the classic 100cc. Racing is on an individual basis, with each event usually consisting of three qualifying heats (around 10 minutes each), followed by a slightly longer final (around 12 minutes). There are two championship categories: ‘Serving Military’ for serving military personnel, and 'Overall' for all drivers. The Wally Pape Trophy is awarded to the best novice during the season, whilst the RAF Individual Kart Championship for serving RAF personnel is also contested at a nominated round.
The Endurance Class is for twin-engine Honda GX-160 powered Pro-Karts and is where most new drivers start. Races are usually between two and three hours in duration, and involve teams representing stations, units and other formations. There are two championship categories: 'Serving Military' for teams entered by station and unit clubs, and 'Overall' for all teams. A Station/Unit Trophy is also contested between station and unit clubs.
Endurance Champions Winners YearMilitary ChampionOverall ChampionStation/Unit TrophyInter-Service CupSuper CatagoryRAF Kart Championship2009 RAF Brize Norton BoyzRed Bull Asylum Seekers2010 RAF Cosford CatchupsSilver Fox Racing RAF CosfordInter-Service Kart Championship2011 RAF Brize Norton MortsJIZM Racing I RAF Brize Norton2012 Army Karting ISilver Fox Racing Army Karting2013 RAF Odiham MortsSilver Fox Racing RAF Marham2014 RAF Marham Blue Bulls ISilver Fox Racing RAF Digby2015 MOD St Athan MortsSilver Fox Racing Army Karting2016 RAF Marham Blue Bulls ISilver Fox Racing RAF Marham Royal Air Force2017 RAF Marham Blue Bulls I RAF Marham Blue Bulls I RAF Waddington Royal Air Force2018 RAF Marham Blue Bulls ISWKC Racing RAF Marham Royal Air Force2019 RAF Marham Blue Bulls I RAF Marham Blue Bulls I RAF Marham Royal Air ForceRAF Brize Norton Knights IArmed Forces Karting Championship2020Not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic2021 RAF Marham Blue Bulls IIMonkey Motorsport RAF Waddington Royal NavyRoyal Navy ll2022 RAF Brize Norton Knights IWraith Racing I RAF Waddington Royal Air ForceREME Corps No.62023 Fleet Air Arm IMonkey Motorsport II Fleet Air Arm British ArmyREME Corps No.6 2024 Fleet Air Arm II7Kart Fleet Air Arm Royal NavyREME Corps No.62025 Fleet Air Arm II7Kart RPM Fleet Air Arm Royal NavyRNRM General Service l
Endurance Season Review (2022-2025)
2022 Season The 2022 Armed Forces Karting season was contested over 6 closely fought rounds. This 6-stage calendar put the new civilian teams and military teams to the ultimate test across a variety of circuits, challenging both driver and team strategy throughout the year.
The 2022 Armed Forces Karting season marked a historic turning point for the championship as association teams, civilian manufacturers, and independent engine builders formally joined the grid. This influx of civilian expertise allowed teams to establish strategic alliances and construct dedicated racing operations, dramatically elevating the competitive standard of the series.
This season also marked a major technical shift with a mid-season tyre switch from Bridgestone to Yokohama tyres starting from the Clay Pigeon round, bringing an end to the exclusive use of Bridgestone tyres which had been the championship standard since 2011.
The battle for the Military Championship culminated in a historic resurgence for RAF Brize Norton No. 73, who captured their first military title since 2011. They were followed closely by RAF Waddington No. 50 in second place, with RN Fleet Air Arm No. 45 completing the podium in third.
Throughout the season, REME Corps No. 6 proved to be the class of the field, delivering a dominant campaign to secure the Super Category title in convincing fashion. Their pace and consistency were such that they not only won the category but also achieved an impressive 9th place overall against the full championship field. RN Fleet Air Arm III secured second place in the standings, while Army Air Corps I completed the podium in third, underlining the strong level of competition within the category despite REME Corps No. 6's commanding performance.
In the Overall Championship, civilian teams set the benchmark as Wraith Racing claimed the absolute title. GKD Racing secured the runner-up spot following the final round, which was heavily disrupted by a controversial event widely known as 'Switchgate'. Capitalising on the late-season drama, the military class winners RAF Brize Norton No. 73 claimed a highly impressive third place in the overall standings.
The fight for the Station / Unit Trophy provided the closest finish of the year. RAF Waddington ultimately clinched the title, but they were pushed to the absolute limit in a tense three-way title race that left RAF Waddington, the RN Fleet Air Arm, and RAF Brize Norton separated by a mere 3 points at the season's conclusion. To cap off the year, the Royal Air Force took main honours in the Inter-Service Cup to cement their dominance across the military classes.
2022 season results +Top 3 From Each ClassChampionship CategoryWinnerRunner-UpThird PlaceMilitary ChampionshipRAF Brize Norton No.73 (Wright chassis)RAF Waddington No.50 (7kart)RN Fleet Air Arm No.45 (Wright/7kart)Overall ChampionshipWraith Racing (Wright/Wraith chassis) GKD Motorsport (7kart)RAF Brize Norton No.73 (Wright)Station/Unit TrophyRAF Waddington RN Fleet Air ArmRAF Brize NortonSuper Category ChampionshipREME Corps No.6 (Wright)RN Fleet Air Arm III (Wright)Army Air Corps I (7kart)Inter-Service CupRoyal Air FroceRN Fleet Air ArmsArmy
2023 Season The 2023 season of the Armed Forces Karting Championship Endurance Class was contested over 7 rounds, featuring a welcome return to Scotland at the Boyndie Drome kart track, alongside circuits spanning all the way down to the southern end of the country at Clay Pigeon Raceway.
The battle for the Serving Military Endurance Championship was highly competitive, culminating in an incredibly close multi-team showdown at the final round. Four karts remained in mathematical contention to secure the title at the Shenington Kart Circuit finale in October: the RAF Brize Norton Knights entries, Knights 73 2022 champions and Knights 71, and the RN Fleet Air Arm entries, RN Fleet Air Arm 45 and RN Fleet Air Arm 46. Ultimately, RN Fleet Air Arm 45 emerged victorious to take the championship title, while their teammates in RN Fleet Air Arm 46 secured the runner-up spot.
This historic result marked the first time a single team secured a 1-2 finish in the military standings since RAF Marham achieved back-to-back 1-2 finishes in 2018 and 2019. The milestone achievement was attributed to the exceptional performance of the team's personnel and management, alongside a highly successful technical alliance with 7kart, whose chassis were utilized for the first time throughout the season.
In the absolute Overall Endurance Championship, Monkey Motorsport 63 claimed the top step of the podium. They were pushed closely all year by GKD Racing, their nearest championship rivals. Despite delivering a dominant performance at the final round, GKD Racing was unable to overhaul Monkey Motorsport 63 in the final overall standings.
The RN Fleet Air Arm successfully retained the Station/Unit Trophy, securing the title by a significant margin over the runner-up REME Kart Team compared to last Season, while the RAF Brize Norton Knights completed the podium in third place.
REME Corps No. 6 successfully defended their crown to become back-to-back Super Category Champions, producing another strong and consistent campaign throughout the season. RAF Leeming No. 21 finished as runners-up after enjoying an impressive start to the year, highlighted by an outstanding overall race victory. However, a series of reliability issues throughout the remainder of the season ultimately prevented them from mounting a sustained title challenge. Army Air Corps I secured third place in the championship, with their trademark consistency and several excellent drives enabling them to once again claim a well-deserved spot on the Super Category podium.
Lastly, the Inter-Service Cup was won by the Army for the first time in championship history. The expansion and performance of new teams, such as the RLC Kart Team, significantly bolstered the Army's collective points haul. The RN Fleet Air Arm finished as runners-up in the Inter-Service standings, with the Royal Air Force rounding out the top three.
2023 season results +Top 3 From Each ClassChampionship CategoryWinnerRunner-UpThird PlaceMilitary ChampionshipRN Fleet Air Arm No.45 (7kart)RN Fleet Air Arm No.46 (7kart)RAF Brize Norton No.73 (Wright chassis) Overall ChampionshipMonkey Motorsport II (7kart)GKD Motorsport (7kart) Alessia Prime (7kart)Super Category ChampionshipREME Corps No.6 (Wright) RAF Leeming (Hasse) Army Air Corps I (7kart) Station/Unit TrophyRN Fleet Air ArmREME CorpsRAF Brize NortonInter-Service CupBritish Army Royal NavyRoyal Air Force
2024 Season The 2024 Armed Forces Karting Championship featured a seven-round calendar and introduced a completely revised event structure. Replacing the previous race format, competitors now had to qualify through a Semi-Final stage, with the results determining progression into either the A Final or B Final. The new system increased the importance of consistency across the entire race meeting and created greater depth throughout the field, ensuring competitive battles existed from the front of the grid to the midfield. The introduction of the A and B Finals marked one of the most significant format changes in the championship.
The Military Championship was dominated by the Royal Navy, who continued the momentum built over the previous two seasons with an outstanding campaign. Between RN Fleet Air Arm No. 45 and RN Fleet Air Arm No. 46 who became military champions, the Royal Navy secured 13 victories from the 14 races they entered, including an incredible seven 1-2 finishes throughout the year. Their pace was not only enough to lock out the top two positions in the Military Championship, but also to challenge the leading civilian teams in the Overall Championship. Highlights included a superb overall victory at Bayford Meadows along with multiple overall podium finishes, helping No. 45 and No. 46 secure 4th and 6th places overall respectively. Their closest competition came from REME Corps No. 3, who consistently challenged the Royal Navy frontrunners and claimed several military class victories during the season.