Larkhall Circuit, located in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, just outside the renowned city of Glasgow, is a venue deep in motorsport history. Built in 1961, the circuit hosted its first race under the Rolls-Royce Motor Club and has continued to evolve through more than six decades of development.
Scotland’s largest outdoor karting circuit, Larkhall features 12 technical corners across 1,140 metres of asphalt. It also remains the only circuit in Scotland to have held an FIA International Circuit Licence.
The track is both high-speed and highly technical, requiring concentration from drivers throughout the lap. Its corners require the nurture of steering input and speed, with overtakes available everywhere. Miss an apex or carry too much speed, and drivers can find themselves running wide over the rubbered-in racing line. The circuit’s tight, sharply angled turns make maintaining minimum corner speed crucial to avoid sliding, losing momentum, and becoming vulnerable to overtakes, particularly through the second sector.
One of Larkhall’s most recognisable features is its banked corner in the final sector. Approached through a right-hand hairpin, the banking quite literally throws drivers toward the outside of the circuit as they accelerate away. Demanding and testing, it is a section that rewards or ruins drivers.
Larkhall’s rich history extends beyond the circuit’s development, most recently marked by a track extension in 2019. Over the years, the venue has welcomed some of the biggest names in motorsport, including Lewis Hamilton, David Coulthard, himself a former club champion, Lando Norris, George Russell and Allan McNish.
Now, a new chapter of history is set to be written as Mini 60, OK-N Junior and OK-N Senior competitors take to the circuit for the first time as part of the Champions of the Future Academy Program. The unique appeal of COTFA lies in its arrive-and-drive concept, placing all drivers in equal machinery, achieving parity and ensuring talent alone makes the difference. For local Scottish drivers, this presents an opportunity to showcase their understanding of a circuit they know so well. For established COTFA competitors, it offers a completely different challenge from anything previously seen on the calendar.
Whether it is local knowledge versus adaptability, or experience versus speed, Larkhall will provide a fascinating test and another memorable chapter in the story of the Champions of the Future Academy Program UK Series.