K1 Circuit (Photo: EKN)

EKN’s Paddock Insider is part of our Trackside coverage, bringing you notes, updates and breaking news as it happens. The article will feature notes from trackside at the 2025 Challenge of the Americas at the Musselman Honda Circuit in Tucson, Arizona. This is insider info will not be seen anywhere else. Be sure to follow the EKN Social Media channels – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram for more coverage throughout the weekend.

Welcome to K1 Circuit

Opening up in the second half of the 2024, the K1 Circuit has become the new home for karting in southern California. The Challenge is making its first visit to the facility in Winchester, California after a two-year construction and opening process. The 1-mile, 12-turn course has hosted a handful of karting events along with their daily rental kart program. An amazing lighting system surrounds the facility, making for future night racing and rental kart action. The elevation of 33 feet doesn’t do the visual justice. The northern part of the course is up on the hill that looks over facility with the southern part of the track at the lowest point of elevation. Having just been paved last year, the surface is super smooth, unlike any other course in the country. And the speed of the track is high. Talking with KA100 Senior and shifter drivers, the course flows like no other, without a lot of heavy breaking zones. The one hairpin in turn eight is the slowest part of the course.

Walking the course, the issue for officials is seeing the entire race track. Between turns 4 and 5 is the best viewing area of the course, able to see about 95% of the track. The Challenge has brought on additional staff to help officiate the event with key personal at different locations around the track. The runoff area in the final turn 12 section is also of emphasis with COTA officials set to call karts that leave the racing surface penalties. Those that extend four wheels beyond the white line that marks the edge of the racing surface will receive penalties.

EKN OnBoard with Nico Sarphati

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