Christopher McKeithan won a heat race in all three Senior categories, including top qualifier in Heavy (Photo: EKN)

The Cup Karts North America Grand Nationals 9 began official sessions on Friday at the New Castle Motorsports Park. Perfect weather greeted the New Castle, Indiana facility after early morning fog burned off with the sun rising. It was the longest day of the event with action beginning at 9am and going until 9pm, featuring the morning group of classes and afternoon group of classes. Each category ran a warm-up, Happy Hour, Qualifying and Heat 1 sessions on the day.

Cadet was the first category in the order on the day with Hudson Howard (JHDD / Kart Republic) leading the way over the 45-driver field in qualifying. His 1:14.651 was better by over three tenths. Howard was shuffled back to fourth in the opening lap but worked his way back into the lead by Lap 4. He went on to win the race by nearly a second over Reuben Greer (Nitro Kart). Grant Heckman (HBR / VLR) won the battle for third over Elan Stoner (PPK / Coyote) – who gained six spots over the seven laps with Austin Taylor (MPG / Kart Republic) in fifth.

Hudson Howard qualified P1 and won the opening heat race in Cadet (Photo: EKN)

Senior Medium was next in the order, welcoming 104 drivers to take a lap in qualifying. Former CKNA Grand Nationals winner James Overbeck (PPK / Coyote) was able to put in a 1:12.548 to edge out Eli Warren (Stehle / Birelart) by 68 thousandths. Ragan Saville (TKS / GFC) was third with 2023 winner Christopher McKeithan (PPK / Coyote) capping off the fast four. The class was split up into four groups for the three rounds of heat races. A vs. D was up first, with McKeithan leading all eight laps. Overbeck fell back to fifth with Dylan Amundsen (MGM) as Eli Fox (BA Racing / MGM) improved two spots to third ahead of Cale Zimmermann (TS Racing / VLR). Eli Warren came out of the B vs. C heat race with the win over Saville by just 53 thousandths. Micthell Morrow (Birelart) was fourth over Christopher Wakefield (PPK / Coyote) and Chase Jones (MPG / Kart Republic) up to fifth.

A total of 25 Kid Kart drivers hit the track in the morning group, led on the day by Matteo Romeo (LGK). The Canadian set fast time in qualifying and led all eight laps for the heat race win. Maverick Reddick (Kart CRG USA) was second ahead of CKNA North champion William Heackman (HBR / VLR). CKNA South title winner Maddox Nieves (KBR / Tony Kart) was fourth in the order over Aria Dennahower (Parolin).

Matteo Romeo set fast time in qualifying and lead every lap of Heat 1 in Kid Kart (Photo: EKN)

The 42 drivers in Masters were led in qualifying by Chris Carroll (Coyote Motorsports). A lap of 1:13.597 put the South Carolina driver on the pole position for the opening heat race. Carroll led six of the eight laps, but it was Eric Fagan (BBR / Tony Kart) leading the field the checkered flag at the end of the opening heat race. Carroll settled for second ahead of two-time defending winner Marc Stehle (Stehle Motorsports / Birelart), Jamie Bradford (BA Racing / MGM) and Sean Meier (Coyote Motorsports).

Sportsman capped off the morning groups, featuring 38 drivers in the field. Will Feichtinger (MPG / Kart Republic) led the way in the qualifying session with a lap of 1:13.915. The heat race was red flagged halfway through but was restarted. The fight lasted to the final few corners as Feichtinger went from fourth to first on the final circuit for the win. RJ Brown (Maranello USA) moved up one spot to second with Dominic Gaggis (MPG / Kart Republic) up two spots to third. Aston Wyatt (Nitro Kart) and Hayden Lawson (Parolin) completed the top five.

Travis Pettit came away with a heat win in Junior (Photo: EKN)

Junior was the first class on the track for the afternoon sessions with all qualifying done before the sun set behind the NCMP garages and the heat races were contested under the lights. Texas driver Sawyer Chambers (Intrepid) put down the quickest lap of the timed session to lead the 81 driver field with a 1:13.470 lap. The top four drivers including Will Wilke (RRD / Coyote), Travis Pettit (Stehle Motorsports / Birelart) and Brady Schad (RRD / Coyote) were all within 91 thousandths of a second. The class broke up for groups in the opening round of heats with Schad able to hold on for the win in the A vs. D pairing. Chambers was second with Canadian Hudson Jack Urlin (Stehle Motorsports / Birelart) up two spots to third. AJ Stoner (PPK / Coyote) was fourth with South champion Carter Barkis (CompKart) in fifth. Pettit led the final seven laps of the B vs. C heat race to claim the win. Wilke was second with North champion Sam Tutwiler (Stehle Motorsports / Birelart) third. Race Beckman (Margay) was right there in fourth while Nathan Dupuis (Sodi Kart) improved five spots to fifth.

Three-time defending Legends winner Ryan Cassity came away with the Heat 1 win (Photo: EKN)

A full field of Senior Heavy was next in the order, featuring 61 drivers in the field. Christopher McKeithan (PPK / Coyote) led the time session of qualifying with a 1:13.286. McKeithan led all but one lap in the opening heat race, scoring the win by two tenths over Christopher Wakefield (PPK / Coyote). James Overbeck (PPK / Coyote) was third ahead of last year’s champion Owen Lloyd (SGK / MGM) and Eli Fox (BA Racing / MGM).

The Legends class for drivers 50 and older welcomed 47 on the grid for this year’s event. Todd Bolton (Coyote Motorsports) led the way in the qualifying, clearing the field by over three tenths with a lap of 1:13.498. He led the first six laps getting pushed by three-time defending race winner Ryan Cassity (Coyote Motorsports). Cassity led at the white flag and won the drag race to the line to win by just over a tenth. Doug Cook (RRD / Coyote) ran solo in third while Scott Falcone (PPK / Coyote) improved five spots to finish fourth ahead over Tim Shutt (Timmy Tech / CompKart).

Colin Warren was top qualifier in Senior Light, scoring heat race win as well (Photo: EKN)

Senior Light was the last class in the order, welcoming 85 drivers taking the track in qualifying. Eight-time CKNA Grand Nationals winner Colin Warren (TS Racing / VLR) was able to use track position in the session to record the fast time of 1:11.823 as the sun set over the NCMP facility. Christopher McKeithan (PPK / Coyote), Isaac Malcuit (Stehle Motorsports / Birelart) and Camryn Reed (Reed Motorsports / CRG) were the fast four. The opening heat of A vs. D was a battle of the Warren’s. Colin and Eli Warren (Stehle Motorsports / Birelart) exchanged the top spot until the final few corners with Colin Warren taking the top spot at the line. Reed was third ahead of Kelvin Xing (ARRA / MGM) and Lucas Thek (PPK / Coyote). McKeithan took the top honor in the B vs. C heat race. Malcuit led the first three laps until McKeithan took over, holding off the former Junior champion by 88 thousandths at the line. Last year’s Junior champion Cade Jaeger (PPK / Coyote) moved four spots up to fourth with South champion Owen Lloyd (SGK / MGM) placing fifth.

The action on Saturday will determine the main event lineups with two rounds of heat races on the day. The Afternoon classes will move to the morning while the Morning classes from Friday get to run in the evening hours. The Briggs ‘Outta the Box’ challenge for Junior drivers will run in the evening as well during the event dinner provided by CKNA and New Castle Motorsports Park.

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