The Brighton Speedway Kart Klub ramped up action on a sunny Thursday night in June for race #1 of the 2025 Kart season
The Brighton Speedway Kart Klub ramped up action on a sunny Thursday night in June for race #1 of the 2025 Kart season. 48 Karts with drivers ranging from 5 – 15 years of age split up into 8 divisions, filled the infield pit area and prepped to turn some left turns – Fast.. Hotlaps and heat races were completed by each division as the feature lineups were set.
Box Stock 1 first on the grid for feature racing action with #36 Rowan Rosborough and #41 Hudson VanDyk at the front for a hole shot start off of corner 4 – Green is out Rosborough to the top spot of the 6 kart field. The Kerr Construction #36 was the kart to beat with some nice smooth laps by the rookie driver, VanDyk and #23 Austin McBride tried to keep pace as the caution slowed the race at the halfway point. Green shown and VanDyk took a chance charging to the outside line and making it stick, powering by for the lead with #100 Bauer Cochrane making to the 2 spot momentarily. Checkers in the air and the first win of the season for the Carrying Place native #41 Hudson VanDyk, Rowan Rosborough charged back to the 2nd spot as they crossed the line, Bauer Cochrane, Austin McBride, #8 Hudson MacMullen and #88 Ryker Ostrom finished the running order.
Rookie 1 division with 7 karts making the call – #37 Ella Wannamaker and #11 Bentley Fulton keeping it tight off of corner 4 and hard down the front stretch, inside line with the bite – give lap 1 to Wannamaker. Grafton’s Bentley Fulton charged back working the cushion outside of the Wannamaker #37 as the pair raced side by side and put some space on the rest of the pack. 4 laps into the 10 lap show and a slight misstep by Wannamaker – lighting up the rear tires and spinning to bring out caution on the track. Fulton in sole position of the top spot and clean air, put the gas pedal on lock and hit his marks as it was anyone’s game for spots 2 – 7. A slippery surface challenged drivers and a few cautions slowed the pace, final finish order at the end #11 Bentley Fulton, #05 Liam Baldwin with a nice smooth race for 2nd, #13 Vayda Dayton 3rd, #37 Wannamaker, #41 Peyton Lambert, #91 Kara Veenstra and #92 Race Turner 4th through 7th.
#29 Lily Walters, #15 Charlotte DeWal and #77 Max VanDyk wound them up for the 10 lap Junior Sportsman 1 feature event. Walters hard off the inside and put those TylerTech tires to work as DeWal and VanDyk tried to keep pace, the #29 was the kart to beat on the night, clean air and green flags is all Lily saw for the 10 lap show – Lily Walters for the win. A good race between DeWal and VanDyk, no mistakes by either driver in a green to checkers event – Crete Works Charlotte DeWal holding the bottom for 2nd over the JMK Homes sponsored Max VanDyk.
Box Stock 2 ready for a wild 10 laps with 9 karts rumbling down the back stretch – up front #39 Lucas Wannamaker and #797 Luke Cuthbertson. Cuthbertson on the GO FAST pedal first and to the top of the scoring tower as the karts behind shuffled for racing room, #22 Jackson Gregory, #01 Keely Patterson, #68 Gunner Ellis all dancing for spots on the tight clay oval. A late race yellow flag slowed the racing action as it setup one last attempt for 2nd place runner Gunner Ellis to go for gold closing in on the Cuthbertson ride, but just not enough – the #797 hailing from Omemee stayed calm and cool – a big win for Luke Cuthbertson. Ellis settled for 2nd, Gregory 3rd, Patterson 4th, an eventful 5th for Lucas Wannamaker, Nora Grant, Reese Kerr, Keaton Chatten, and Paislee Delbianco finished the running order.
Madoc’s #48 Knoxin Wells and Picton’s #07 Connor Vancott on the point for the Rookie 2 main event, the #07 made it to turn 1 first as Wells filed in line. Vancott made the inside line work as Wells tried to find some bite on the outside as the pair split from the rest of the action behind, multiple looks by the Brighton Tire #48 were unsuccessful in the end as the Brad’s Float Service #07 picked up the W, Wells in 2nd, hard charger #10 Alyssa Nolasco coming from 6th to 3rd, #86 Sawyer McFadden, #47 Colton White and #87 Weston Mitts finished up 4th through 6th.
Junior Sportsman 2 – #7 Tate Black and #01 Blake Gregory rolling through corner 3 and 4 to take the green. Black using the fast inside line put the #7 atop the tower
as #08 Lilly Ray slid through under Gregory for 2nd in the 6 kart race. Black took advantage of all the clean air up front while Gregory and Ray threw sliders at each other like it was Eldora on a slick night. Green White Checkers for one last chance to catch the JB Painting #7, but no change – Tate Black holds on for the win, Blake Gregory 2nd, #10 Hanna Merry with a smooth race to 3rd, #08 Lilly Ray back up to 4th after restarting at the rear of the field midrace, #2 Liam McPeak and #18 Sterling Bent in 5th and 6th.
Junior Restricted – 4 karts – #01 Reagan Grimmon and #11 Teegan Grosse fired up and ready to burn some methanol. 15 laps of intense racing action with Grimmon holding strong on the low line for the duration of the show, Teegan Grosse running the cushion in the Burley Excavating ride, #19 Bentley Davidson hammer down on the catfish lane in the What? Nooo Waaay ride and #31 Brody Davidson looking for daylight between the trio in front. With only 1 yellow to quiet the thunder Reagan Grimmon was able to keep the #01 atop the official scoring tower – as the dust settled it was Grimmon, Grosse, Bentley Davidson and then Brody Davidson headed to the scales.
Blue Plate Clone division last on the night with 6 karts firing off of corner 4 – #70 Finley Mahoney and #10 Chris Lough on the front row Joe. Mahoney jumped out and led lap one as 3rd place starter Kolby Ellis moved past Lough for the 2nd spot. Ellis had the setup in the Bellevue Fabricating #89 able to pull hard off the bottom coming out of corner 2 and after a couple of attempts to get inside the Mahoney #70 he finally made it stick – #89 to the 1 spot. 1 yellow slowed the race but it was all Kolby Ellis for the win, #99 Bryce Massey battled into 2nd over Chris Lough, #9 Rhys Massey, Finley Mahoney and #88 crossed the line 4th through 6th.
Thursday June 26th is the next race night for the Brighton Speedway Kart Klub – come check out the stars of tomorrow on battle it out on the little oval at Brighton Speedway.
– Zeke McKeown
