Ethan Pepper flashes a gappy grin as he zips up his racing suit and climbs into his kart. Hovering just four centimetres above the asphalt, the seven-year-old is totally exposed - no seat belt or roll cage - and ready to go full throttle.

His Dad Byron squats beside him, giving him a final pep talk. Focus. Don't worry about the others. Be safe. As his son accelerates into the distance, Byron admits to Newshub that he's nervous. "He gets a bit excited."

KartSport is where Ethan's heroes learnt their craft. Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton and New Zealand's Brendon Hartley all started out in karts, tearing around tracks around the country such as the coiling 400m course in Auckland's Mt Wellington.

There are drivers from six to 60. The sport is humming, and they're on the hunt for new talent to try their hand behind the wheel. Check them out here.