A packed house at the Brighton Speedway this past Thursday night as the Kart Klub waved the checkered flag on the 2024 racing season. 44 race teams signed in at the backgate and prepped for racing action.
Box Stock 1 first to the line with #17 Keaton Chatten and #44 Nora Grant on the front row of a 6 pack of karts. On the GO pedal first, Chatten charged down the frontstretch and into corner 1 with a fast #22 of Jackson Gregory moving to the outside around Grant. 10 laps the distance and Chatten kept the pace as he ran a clean inside line around the tight oval. A couple yellow flags bunched the group back up but no one had anything for the #17 on the night – Keaton Chatten with the win, Jackson Gregory 2nd after fighting a loose kart all race, #100 Bauer Cochrane 3rd, Nora Grant, #41 Hudson VanDyk and #10 Abel Kiltz finishing the running order.
#37 Ella Wannamaker and #11 Bentley Fulton out of corner 4 for the Rookie 1 feature event – Wannamaker with the drive off the bottom put the #37 atop the leaderboard with 3rd starter #07 Connor Vancott sliding through to the 2 spot. Wannamaker had the lead but points leader Vancott had the speed, multiple looks to the inside and then finally saw some light, Vancott to the top spot at the halfway mark. Clean sailing for Vancott until a last lap bobble had fans on their feet – out of corner 4 – 3 wide to the line Vancott held on by a bumper over Bentley Fulton and #01 Jase Patterson. Ella Wannamaker, #88 Jase Fargey and #13 Vayda Dayton, 4th through 6th.
Next on the track – Junior Sportsman 1 division with #18 Sterling Bent and #29 Lily Walters on the point, Bent to the lead from the drop of the green flag as #2 Liam McPeak charged through on the bottom to the 2 spot under Walters. Bent and McPeak put a little distance on the rest of the 5 kart field as the laps clicked down – 2 to go and heartbreak for Sterling Bent, a debris caution tagged to the #18 changed up the leaderboard and McPeak was in the hot seat. Green White Checker finish and Belleville’s Liam McPeak picked up the big win, Lily Walters moved up to 2nd, Max VanDyk 3rd #15 Charlotte DeWal 4th and Sterling Bent 5th.
Box Stock 2 rolled out with #41 Peyton Lambert and #01 Keely Patterson at the front of 7 karts – Green flag out and Lambert to the front, with 4th place starter Liam Baldwin moving through to tag onto the Lambert kart. Couple laps in and the Baldwin Racing #05 found grip on the outside, taking the lead and rolling the cushion down the backstretch – with #797 Luke Cuthbertson following through as well. Clean air was what the pair needed, lap after lap putting a little more distance on the group Baldwin with the win, Cuthbertson 2nd, after that – mayhem coming out of corner 4 with karts facing all directions – as the dust settled it was #92 Race Turner 3rd, Keely Patterson 4th, Lambert 5th, #39 Lucas Wannamaker and #68 Gunner Ellis rounded the order.
Rookie 2 fired out of corner 4 with #87 Weston Mitts and #48 Knoxin Wells first to the line, Mitts held the bottom and pulled ahead as #14 Chase White quickly climbed the tower from his 5th place starting spot and set his sights on the Mitts back bumper. Halfway point and the leaders caught lapped traffic – Mitts chose outside, White down low – White to the lead leaving Weston with his Mitts full trying to hold on to the 2nd spot now with pressure from #11 Teegan Grosse and #08 Lilly Ray. Checkers out for White – #14 with the W, #87 Mitts 2nd, #11 Grosse, #47 Colton White 4th, Lilly Ray, #10 Hanna Merry, #48 Wells and #89 Sawyer McFadden in 8th.
Brody Davidson in the #31 and Rhys Massey in the #9 lit the fire for the Junior Sportsman 2 main event. Davidson with the drive off the bottom with #01 Blake Gregory hooking on the bumper, leaving Massey high and dry on the outside as the pack slid past. Davidson had the kart to beat with 10 fast, smooth laps all Gregory could do was try to keep the draft. Brody Davidson with the win, Gregory 2nd, #99 Bryce Massey 3rd, Rhys Massey, #7 Tate Black and #19 Bentley Davidson 4th to 6th.
Junior Restricted under the lights for the last feature event of 2024. #20 AJ Peeters and #70 Finley Mahoney to the line at speed, Peeters with the preferred inside line cruised through 1 and 2 with Mahoney shutting the door and securing the 2nd spot. Peeters with an extra gear on the field had the kart to beat and fresh air in front of him, picked up the final checkered flag of the year – Mahoney holding 15 laps of defensive driving took home the 2nd place hardware, #18 Elliot Stacey battled and bruised to get 3rd and #91 Jack Veenstra settled for 4th.
Congratulations to Champions crowned on the night
Rookie 1 – Connor Vancott
Rookie 2 – Weston Mitts
Junior Sportsman 1 – Liam McPeak
Junior Sportsman 2 – Blake Gregory
Junior Restricted – Jack Veenstra
Championship Awards Night will be September 12, please contact the Speedway office for more info.
That concludes the 2024 edition of Thursday Night Thunder at Brighton Speedway – Thanks to everyone involved – track owners, crew and prep team, fans, parents for building the next generation of racers – watch out – some of these kids are fast!
StoryTime – by Zeke McKeown
