The 2026 season for the Route 66 Sprint Series presented by MG Tires is set to get underway, visiting the New Castle Motorsports Park over the April 24-26 weekend. The popular New Castle, Indiana facility is set to welcome racers from all over the Midwest area as the weather begins to warm up and the racing year to commence.

For multiple decades now, the Route 66 Sprint Series has provided the gap between club racing and national competition, visiting historic circuits and new facilities within the region. The 2026 season marks a new era for the program, now under the ownership of Tim Koyen. For many years, Mark Coats served as series owner and promoter. His tenure led to the establishment of the United States Pro Kart Series in 2013, promoting both championships until Route 66 Sprint Series was sold to Chris Kardashian in 2023. For three seasons, Kardashian helped to guide the program back closer toward its grassroots foundation and put an emphasis on family fun. Now with Koyen taking over, that philosophy continues thanks to his background as a former series sponsor and competitor.

The long winter break is over for the northern portion of the United States and Midwest karters are excited to get back to the track. Pre-registration total is at just over 130 entries for the 2026 opener at New Castle Motorsports Park. Three categories are already over the 20-driver mark with KA100 Senior leading the way at 29 featuring some of the top names from the Midwest. KA100 Junior is at 20 with several young drivers looking to build up their resume on the season while the 206 Senior division 26 strong includes defending series champion Quinten McPherson along with 2025 Junior title winner Brady Schad, set for his Senior debut. Other champions confirmed for a return in 2026 include Adam Crepin (KA100 Masters/Heavy) and Lucas Rennick (206 Masters/Heavy).

Shifter categories are making its debut at the Route 66 Sprint Series. Through the support of racers in the region, Shifter Senior and Shifter Masters have been added for 2026. The inaugural event for shifterkarts will feature double digit entries combined, highlighted by the opportunity for all different engine platforms to run in the classes. Not just KZ, but also Stock Moto, IAME 175, ROK Shifter and the new FZ125 shifter package.

The weekend schedule for the Route 66 Sprint Series is focused on making the weekend affordable, putting emphasis on each session rather than over abundance of practice sessions. Friday practice begins at midday, providing three rounds per category. Friday evening, Route 66 Sprint Series will host the 2025 Championship Awards Ceremony (tickets required). Two more sessions of practice are conducted Saturday morning, including the ‘Happy Hour’ session before lunch. Qualifying and the opening round of heat races are held that afternoon. Sunday is warm-up and Heat Two action, setting up for the main events for all 10 categories. Heat races are 15 laps with the Final at 20 laps. Family fun atmosphere continues with activities planned all weekend, including the free cookout and cornhole tournament Saturday evening.

Discounted pre entry for the New Castle weekend closes on Sunday afternoon, along with tickets to the 2025 Championship Awards Ceremony are available through Route 66 Sprint Series Race Select page.

Full details regarding the 2026 Route 66 Sprint Series and registration link for the New Castle weekend can be found at Route66KartRacing.com. Find them also on Facebook and Instagram.

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