Lucas Thek taking the victory in Senior Light (Photo: Mattia Marmo Photography)

The 2026 Cup Karts North America Spring Nationals was held over the March 6-8 weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was a busy three days of action on the karting circuit inside the Concord, North Carolina facility with a full day of practice on Friday for the nine categories competing. Saturday was the long one with karts on track for over 12 hours, hitting qualifying and two rounds of heat races. Three classes hosted Last Chance Qualifiers Sunday morning, setting the final grids for the main events to close out the seventh edition of the CKNA Spring Nationals.

The largest category of the event was Senior Medium at 83 drivers competing. They were led in qualifying by two-time class winner Colin Warren (VLR) with a lap time of 47.712 to edge out Lucas Thek (Coyote) by 94 thousandths. The field was broken up into two groups for the two rounds of heat races. Four different drivers came away with a win, including Christopher McKeithan (Coyote), Thek, Warren, and CKNA Grand Nationals 9 winner Cale Zimmermann (VLR). Warren maintained the pole position for the Final through the heat points with McKeithan joining him on the front row. Thek and Zimmermann were lined up in row two. McKeithan jumped out to the lead, showing the way for 16 of the first 17 laps with Warren and Zimmermann right there. Zimmermann put himself in second and as the final lap began, making his move coming onto the long back straight. Zimmermann held on through the second half of the final lap, earning his first CKNA Spring Nationals Senior Medium triumph. McKeithan slipped by Warren at the penultimate corner to gain second. That triggered the second group that caught up to power past Warren, including Thek up to third. Warren got to the line in fourth with Eli Fox (MGM) completing the top five.

Cale Zimmermann added another CKNA major victory in Senior Medium (Photo: Mattia Marmo Photography)

The Senior Light division was massive as well, welcoming 78 drivers. Colin Warren (VLR) doubled up in qualifying, setting a time of 47.439 to beat out Christopher McKeithan (Coyote) by three hundredths of a second. The top two in qualifying were the top drivers in the four heat races. Warren won both his races as McKeithan took the top spot in the other two heats. With Warren and McKeithan on the front row, row two was made up of last year’s Junior winner Brady Schad (Coyote) and Cale Zimmermann (VLR). Back in seventh was Lucas Thek (Coyote). The second-generation driver from Florida drove his way forward to the front, reaching the lead by lap 11. Warren, who led the first 10 laps, slotted into second and continued to try and find a way past to reclaim the top spot. Thek was able to fend off Warren through the final circuit, reaching the checkered flag to claim his first Spring Nationals victory. Warren had to fight off McKeithan and Schad going to the line in a three-wide finish. They were separated by just 55 thousandths at the line. Zimmermann won the battle for fifth.

A fourth career win at the CKNA Spring Nationals for Owen Lloyd, first in Senior Heavy (Photo: Mattia Marmo Photography)

A fifth different winner claimed the title in Senior Heavy, which was introduced at the CKNA Spring Nationals in 2021. Jake Heavlow (MGM) laid down a lap time of 48.416 to set the quick time in qualifying ahead of Chris Carroll (Coyote) and Owen Lloyd (MGM). Two-time class winner Sean Meier (Coyote) stepped up from sixth in qualifying to take the win in Heat #1 over Carroll and Lloyd. The second heat was a photo finish win for Lloyd over Meier with Heavlow back up to third. Meier and Lloyd earned the front row starting positions with Carroll and Heavlow in row two. Nick Ksobiech (VLR) – who started eighth – join the lead group. Eventually, Meier and Lloyd were able to break away and settle the victory between the two of them. Each took a turn at the lead over the course of the first 17 laps with Meier taking the white flag as the leader. Lloyd used momentum on the exit of the long back straight to pull up around the outside of Meier through the double left hand corners near grid. That put him into the lead and he held on to the checkered flag, earning his first in Senior Heavy and fourth career CKNA Spring Nationals victory. Meier settled for second with Ksobiech up to third over Heavlow – who had fast lap of the race – and Carroll. Owen joined his brother Aren Lloyd (2021) as a fellow winner in Senior Heavy, becoming the first brother pairing to win at the CKNA Spring Nationals.

Daniel Draganov held on at the line to win Junior (Photo: Mattia Marmo Photography)

A total of 65 drivers competed in the Junior division, led in qualifying by Race Beckman (Margay) with a time of 48.267. The field was broken up into two groups for the two rounds of heat races. Beckman opened with a Heat #1 win as did second place qualifier JJ O’Neil (Nitro Kart). Daniel Draganov (VLR) beat out Beckman for the win in Heat #2 with O’Neil picking up his second heat win. That earned O’Neil the pole position for the main event with Beckman on the outside of the front row. Draganov and AJ Stoner (Coyote) made up the second row for the 18-lap Final. Beckman and Stoner were shuffled off at the opening corner of the final, dropping down the order. O’Neil took the lead over the opening lap, but eventually five other drivers took turns at the point. Gavin Dyer (Birelart), Layton Mull (Birelart), Draganov, Jacob Schaible (Coyote) and Sawyer Chambers (CRG) all led through lap 12. By lap 13, Draganov was back into the lead with Schaible into second. Draganov led the final five laps, holding off Schaible at the line by 57 thousandths to claim his first CKNA Spring Nationals victory. O’Neil crossed the line in third but was penalized for contact with Mull, dropping down to 25th. This promoted Chambers to third ahead of Lanie Thigpen (CompKart) – who had fast lap of the race – and Hudson Jack Urlin (Stealth).

First CKNA Spring Nationals win in first Masters start for AJ Roderick (Photo: Mattia Marmo Photography)

The Masters class welcomed a sixth different winner over the seven editions of the CKNA Spring Nationals. New Masters driver AJ Roderick (Coyote) led the way in qualifying with a 48.451 lap time, edging out two-time Senior Heavy winner Sean Meier (Coyote) and two-time class winner Marc Stehle (Birelart). Meier was able to win both heat races, opening up with a win by 87 thousandths over Roderick and Stehle in Heat #1 before repeating the same results in Heat #2. The Masters main event was the only session that experienced rain weather. A slight rain shower dampened the start of the race and officials brought out a red flag. The rain was quick and the race was started. Roderick fell back to fourth early with Maier and Chris Carroll (Coyote) leading. By lap three, Roderick was up to the lead with Carroll second and Meier third. They would run that way to the checkered flag, as Roderick picked up his first CKNA Spring Nationals victory. Carroll was second with Meier crossing the line in third. A penalty for contact dropped Meier down to 13th, promoting John Price (Coyote) to the third spot with fast lap of the race. Eric Lessard (Intrepid) and Jamie Bradford (MGM) completed the top five.

A second CKNA Spring Nationals Legends victory for Todd Bolton (Photo: Mattia Marmo Photography)

Todd Bolton was one of three sweeps earned on the weekend as the veteran led the way in the Legends class. A 48.363 was quickest in qualifying, clearing the 34 driver field by three tenths. The 2024 race winner drove away to the win in both heat races over 2022 winner Todd Baron (Tony Kart). Bolton went wire-to-wire in the 18-lap Final, driving away to a seven tenths margin of victory for his second career CKNA Spring Nationals victory. James Perkins (CRG) drove up to second with fast laps of the race over Baron. Ron Klys (Coyote) was fourth with Canadian Eli Yanko (YPM) in fifth.

Austin Taylor took the victory in Sportsman (Photo: Mattia Marmo Photography)

It was a near sweep for Austin Taylor (Kart Republic) in the Sportsman division. Taylor led the way in qualifying to clear the 31-driver field by over two tenths with a lap of 48.287. After winning the opening heat race, Taylor was shuffled late in Heat #2 back to 11th as Hayden Lawson (Parolin) took the win over Canadian Yousef Adi (Birelart) and Ryan Hall (CompKart). Lawson earned the pole position for the final with Taylor able to salvage a front row starting spot. Adi and Danny O’Gara (Top Kart) made up row two. At the start of the 18-lap Final, Lawson led the opening lap before Taylor took control on lap two. That was the winning move as Taylor led the way to the checkered flag, earning his first CKNA Spring Nationals victory by seven tenths. O’Gara won the battle for second over Lawson – who recorded the fast lap of the race. Venezuelan Camila Canache (Parolin) was fourth with Hall ended up fifth.

Weekend sweep for Slate Harrell in Cadet (Photo: Mattia Marmo Photography)

Slate Harrell (Nitro Kart) dominated the weekend in Cadet. Hill led the 36 driver field in qualifying with a 48.632 lap, over two tenths clear. The two heat race wins were over one second and two seconds to keep the pole position for the Final. Harrell was on cruise control in the 18-lap Final, going wire-to-wire for a 7.5 margin of victory and his first triumph at the CKNA Spring Nationals. Jaxon Reinholz made it a Nitro Kart 1-2 finishing, earning the runner-up spot over Grant Heckman (VLR) with Bryson Barnett (CompKart) and Elan Stoner (Coyote) completing the top five.

William Heckman added his name to the CKNA Spring Nationals Kid Kart win list (Photo: Mattia Marmo Photography)

Kid Kart welcomed the third sweep of the weekend, led by William Heckman (VLR). Heckman set fast time in qualifying with a 58.960. The opening heat race win was by 1.7 seconds over Maverick Reddick (CRG) with the gap growing to five seconds in Heat #2. The top two were tight over the 12 laps in the Final with Heckman leading every lap to secure his first CKNA Spring Nationals victory. Reddick was a close second with Wyatt Berelsman (Kart Republic) in third. Canadian Kyrie Dozet (Tony Kart) was fourth with Beckett Hemphill (Nitro Kart) in fifth.

The next major event for the Cup Karts North America organization is the Canadian 4-Cycle National at the TAG Karting Academy facility in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada over the May 15-17 weekend. Next in the USA will be the CKNA Summer Nationals, scheduled for July 31-August 2 at the Motorsports Country Club of Cincinnati in Batavia, Ohio.

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