Welcome to the New Home of Kart Racing in West Michigan!
Our goal is to sanction and promote affordable, club level kart racing in West/Central Michigan. We will be sanctioning kart races for drivers from age 7 all the way up to adult driver classes.
Announcements:
2025 West Michigan Kart Club Schedule
Saturday, May 17, 2025 Cancelled
Saturday, June 7, 2025 Round #1
Saturday, June 21, 2025 Round #2
Saturday, July 12, 2025 Round #3
Saturday, August 9, 2025 Round #4
Saturday, August 23, 2025 Round #5
Saturday, September 6, 2025 Round #6
Saturday, September 20, 2025 Round #7
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Only one race left for the 2024 West Michigan Kart Club season! Please join us this Saturday, 9/7/24 at East Lansing Kart Track for our finale!
We have some very close points races heading into the final race, the Junior Championship is separated by 2 points and the Briggs Senior championship is separated by 4 points. 3rd place is still wide open in the Senior Briggs class too.
Remember, your best 5 races count towards your championship total. We will be giving out end of year Trophies directly following the races on Saturday. In the Sportsman and Junior classes, any driver who raced at least 4 times with WMKC this year will receive a trophy. In the adult classes, trophies are given to the top 5 drivers who competed in at least 4 races.
Points are updated and posted here and on our website. Please enjoy some podium pictures from Race #6. Congratulations to Ted Bourduin for winning his first WMKC Feature Race in the Super 4 Cycle Class!
Gates Open at 10am. WMKC registration goes from 10am to 11am. Drivers Meeting at 11:45. Races start at 12:00. Trophies will follow the final race, approximately 30 minutes after our last race is completed.
See you at the track!
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The 2024 WMKC Kart Season starts this Saturday, 5/4/24!
Gates open at 10am at East Lansing Kart Track. Grab your wristband and pay for your track time at the East Lansing Kart Track Registration Building, THEN come to the WMKC Table, and register for the day’s racing at the WMKC Table.
Race Registration and Pre-Race Tech is open from 10am-11am at the WMKC Table. Please register to race and have your pre-race tech done by 11am at the WMKC table!
Open Track Practice goes from 10:00am-11:40am
11:40am is the mandatory drivers meeting
12:00pm Heat Races Start!
We will have 2 heat races and 1 Feature Race
Races normally conclude around 2pm
Open Track Practice from 2pm to 5pm.
Once again, we offer 4 cycle kart racing for the following classes
Ages 7-12 Sportsman/Cadet Chassis, 265 Pounds, Briggs L206 Green Slide OR 196cc Clone Motor w Blue Plate
Ages 12-15 Junior, 315 Pounds, Briggs L206 Yellow Slide OR 196cc Clone Motor
Ages 15+, Briggs L206 Adult Class, 365 Pounds, Black Slide
Ages 15+, Super 4 Cycle Adult Class, Weights vary with Engine Selection. Eligible Engines: Briggs World Formula 380 Pounds, Briggs L206 340 Pounds, 196cc Stock Clone 320 Pounds, 196cc Limited Modified Clone 340 Pounds, 196cc SuperClone 380 Pounds, Predator 212cc 340 Pounds, Ghost 212cc 340 Pounds, Tillotson 225cc 390 Pounds, Briggs Animal 380 Pounds.
Please consider volunteering to be a corner worker for a couple races throughout the day, or possibly keep score. Volunteers will earn their driver 1 bonus championship point for the day. (limit 1 bonus point per driver per day)
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2024 West Michigan Kart Club Scheduled is out! See Calendar Tab. We have 7 races scheduled at East Lansing Kart Track. Best 5 races count towards your points. As always, compete in at least 4 WMKC races and be eligible for end of season awards. BB 2-12-24
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The 2023 West Michigan Kart Season has come to close! We had a great race on Saturday with lots of karts showing up to battle it out on the East Lansing “S” Track Configuration. It was great having a full field of karts, I hope we can continue this momentum into 2024!
I would like to congratulate the Race #7 Feature Race Winners; Sportsman Class- Felix Katch #44. Junior Class- Breslen Boersen #55. Senior Briggs L206- Logan McDonough #923. Super 4 Cycle- Gus Foley #73.
The WMKC Points Championships also came right down to the wire, our 2023 WMKC Champions are;
Sportsman Kart Champion- Shekyla King #111
Junior Kart Champion- Leif Beckwith #43
Senior Briggs 206 Champion- Nathan Sullivan #69
Super 4 Cycle Champion- Keith Cardosa #11
Please enjoy the Race #7 Photo Album courtesy of Patrick Foley on our facebook page. The final points standings are also posted in the photos and at our website.
A Big Thanks to East Lansing Kart Track, Kevin and the ELKT staff provided a wonderful place to race, Thank you! So many people worked hard to put on our 2023 Kart Racing season, thank you to all of our workers, volunteers, score keepers and our PA announcer Mitchell!
Please continue to follow us on facebook. We plan to have a winter club meeting sometime in late January to talk about the upcoming season and areas where we might be able to improve. We generally meet at an indoor karting center so it’s a fun meeting to attend.
A couple final notes, if you still need a nameplate for your end of year trophy, please message me with your address so I can mail you your plate. Also, if anyone has pictures of the Junior Class Race #7 Podium please send it to me so I can add it to our Race #7 Photo Album.
Great Year Everyone, 2024 is Right Around the Hairpin! BB 9-14-23
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Round #6 of the WMKC season is in the books! We saw some new faces this past weekend and some familiar faces we hadn’t seen in a while! When the dust settled, we had a brand new WMKC race winner in the Adult 4 Cycle Class, a former winner from years ago in Sportsman returning to WMKC and grabbing another W and a Junior driver earning his 3rd win a row. Congratulations to our Feature winners, Elijah Matson-Vigus (sportsman), Thomas Baker (junior) Michael Metrick (adult briggs L206) and Keith Cardosa (super 4 cycle).
It was SUPER COOL having Live Play by Play announcing for race #6. Mitchell Hammond did a GREAT job on the mic and we think we will get to see him back for our season finale! Thanks Mitchell!
Thank you to everyone who helped out on Saturday, Team Cardosa, Team Beckwith, Team Baker and Team Novak! Thank you Bath Township Fire Dept for keeping us safe!
We have 1 race left in our WMKC season, Saturday September 9th. We hope to see you out there. We will be giving out our end of year awards directly following the event. If your driver has entered at least 4 WMKC races this year, we have a trophy for them.
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WMKC Kart Racing This Saturday at East Lansing Kart Track! The season is winding down, don’t miss your chance to give WMKC Kart racing a try!
Join us Saturday (8/26/2023) at East Lansing Kart Track for Round #6 of the 2023 WMKC Season.
The weather looks perfect! We might be having live play by play announcing on the PA System. It should be a great day!
Gates open at 10:00am. Get your wristbands at the ELKT Concession Building, THEN come to the WMKC Table for Pre-Race Safety Tech and to Register for the day’s races!
Race Registration goes from 10am to 11am at the WMKC Table. If you register after 11am for the races you will be starting the Heat Races at the back of the pack! (We need time to get the starting grid set and late registrations put us behind in our paperwork)
Please also consider volunteering to work a corner. We will need a set of Corner Workers for the Kid Races and a Fresh Set of Corner Workers for the Adult Races. This means you can volunteer to work a corner opposite your favorite driver’s class and not miss any of your drivers racing action. Earn your favorite driver 1 bonus championship point by volunteering your time.
Also, lets make sure all of our karts are on the MG Red tires purchased from the track. We normally allow a one race exemption to new racers, so if it’s your first time out with us we will show some grace, but for the rest of us lets make sure we are on the spec tires purchased at ELKT.
Open Practice starts at 10:00am. Drivers Meeting at 11:40am, Races Start at 12:00 Noon!
See you at the track! Ben B
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Only 2 WMKC Kart Races left this year! If you have been thinking about racing with us time is running out, get that kart prepped and race with us on 8/26/23 and 9/9/23. Our Sportsman Class (age 7-12) is growing, the Junior class (age 12-15) is Very Fun and we need a few more Adult Karts (Briggs L206 and a separate “Catch All”- 4 Cycle Class). Message us for more information.
Race #5 was interesting! Sunny and Hot was the forecast, instead we got heaving rains and a very wet track that dried throughout the day, leaving us with a near perfect track in time for the Feature Races.
Congratulations to our Feature Winners! Lincoln DeCoster in the #23 Sportsman Class, Thomas Baker in the #339 Junior Class, Nathan Sullivan in the #69 Adult Briggs 206 Class and Arnie Cardosa in the #11 Super 4 Cycle Class!
Thank you to our workers and volunteers, Team Cardosa, Team Beckwith, Team Baker, Team McCarthy and Team Vosovic! We can’t race without our corner workers, flaggers, scorers and registers! Of course East Lansing Kart Track provides a great place to race and Bath Township Fire Dept was on site to keep us safe! Thank you!!
Please join us 8/26/23 for round #6 of the WMKC Kart Racing Season!
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Round #1 of the 2023 WMKC Race Season is in the books!
We had a good turnout of karts and we had a nice mix of rookies and longtime club members. Conditions were dry for Heat 1, but a wet track for Heat 2 and the Feature made for lots of slipping and sliding!
Congratulations to our Round 1 Feature Race Winners, Lincoln DeCoster (Sportsman), Thomas Baker (Junior), Keith Dinneger (Adult Briggs L206) and Jeff Peoples (Super 4 Cycle)!
Points Standings are updated here and on the facebook page. Podium and Racing photos from Race 1 are posted on the Facebook page.
A huge thank you to all of our worker volunteers for race #1, Team Cardosa, Team Kurman, Team Beckwith, Team Mohney, Team McCarthy and Buffo Racing Team! We can’t race without our volunteers, thank you!!
Please message us if you have any corrections to driver spellings or have any questions about the points calculations.
Round #2 is June 10th at East Lansing Kart Track. See you then!! 5/18/23 BB
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WMKC Rookie Day and Open Practice this Saturday 4/29/23 at East Lansing Kart Track!
Rookie Drivers Meeting at 11:00am, we are available to look at your karts starting at 10:30am if you would like as well (optional)
This event is voluntary but encouraged for brand new WMKC racers. If you can’t make our rookie day, East Lansing Kart Track has many open practice days available throughout the summer. I plan to be at ELKT at 10am with Keith. I will be wearing a bright orange Sweatshirt.
This event is an East Lansing Kart Track Open Practice, but also our WMKC Rookie Day.
Gates open at 10am. Please pay for your Track Pit Passes/Wrist Bands at the Track Concession building. If you plan to practice, please also pay for your Open Practice at the Track Concession Building. At this point you can unload your trucks and trailers. Starting at 10:30am, WMKC Officials will be available to look at your equipment and safety gear and answer questions. At 11am, we will have a WMKC Rookie Driver Meeting, please stop at the WMKC Table (Tan Truck with Black Trailer).
During the Rookie Driver Meeting we will discuss Flags, proper Track Etiquette, including entering/exiting the race track, passing and hand signals. We will discuss basic kart maintenance. We will also be looking over kart and safety gear at this time. And we will be answering any questions you might have about how a practice day and/or a race day is ran.
You can go out onto the track before you stop at the WMKC table if you want. The Track will group you with other drivers of the same age.
Our Rookie Day is very much designed for Brand New Drivers and Teams. If you are an experienced racer you can still stop by, but most of the information will be review.
For the rookies, please put a large X on the back of your helmet with Tape in a Contrasting Color. This will alert other drivers when following a rookie on track.
The goal for Saturday is to get lots of seat time and become familiar with your kart and the club. If you are not a rookie, just practice as normal but be sure to stop by and introduce yourself to the newcomers!
See you Saturday! 4/25/23 Ben
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POSTPONED- WMKC Rookie Day and Club Practice Day Postponed 1 week to April 29th!
EAST LANSING KART TRACK WILL STILL BE HOSTING OPEN PRACTICE THIS UPCOMING WEEKEND.
We have decided to postpone the WMKC Rookie Day and Club Practice Day to April 29th. The weather is looking cold for this Saturday, we are hoping for warmer weather by postponing a week.
Please let us know if you have any questions. 4/17/23 BB
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2023 WMKC Winter Meeting Highlights:
Exciting Class Change for 2023.
Adult Briggs L206 Class will be it’s own class for 2023, following the East Lansing Kart Club class rules, except WMKC will allow Rec Gas. This class will race at 365 Pounds.
Introducing the new Catch All 4 Cycle Class, called Super 4 Cycle! This class will mandate Drum Clutches, no Methanal or Ethanol.
The Super 4 Cycle Class will consist of the following Engines and Weights:
World Formula Engine – 380 Pounds
SuperClone Engine – 380 Pounds
Tillotson 225 Performance Engine (not factory sealed, no rev limiter, 17hp) – 390 pounds
Tillotson 225 RS (factory sealed, 6500 rev limiter, 15hp) – 370 pounds
Ghost 212cc – (6,000 Rev Limit) – 340 pounds
Predator 212cc – (stock cam, stock carb, 18 pound springs max) – 340 pounds
Briggs L206 – 340 pounds
196cc Clone (stock cam, stock carb, 18 pound springs max) – 330 Pounds
Have a different 4 cycle kart motor? Send us an email, we will fit you into this class!
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The 2023 Race Schedule is posted here: Calendar
2023 Winter Club Meeting
Our annual winter meeting will be held at 1pm February 4th, 2023 at High Caliber Karting Center in Okemos, MI. Venue address is 1982 W Grand River Rd Suite 800, Okemos, MI 48864. The venue offers indoor karting for drivers aged 8 and up. Kart Club Agenda is still being worked on, we might put our Adult Briggs 206 Kart Class in line with the East Lansing Kart Club Adult Briggs 206 class and possibly do something exciting with our World Formula, SuperClone class, maybe add some space in that group for the 212cc Ghost Motor and the Tillotson 225. If you have an idea for next year, send me a message or leave a comment. We can put it on the agenda. BB 1/13/23
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The 2022 West Michigan Kart Season has come to a close. Big congratulations to our 2022 Champions; Jabob Buffo (senior class), Nathan Sullivan (junior kart) and Thomas Baker (sportsman kart)! We had a great year, I really enjoyed racing with all of you! We had a good group of Rookies, it was fun to watch the newcomers learn the sport and improve throughout the year. It was also great to see some familiar faces returning to the club after a few years off!
The racing this past Saturday was excellent! We had a wet track for the Heat Races, which resulted in lots of slipping, sliding and drifting, and a dry track for the Feature races.
The seven kart Junior Race was a lot of fun to watch. Austin Kryta #113 won both Heat Races. In the feature, Austin Kryta and Nathan Sullivan #69 broke away from the pack and had a great battle, while the remaining 5 Junior Karts all battled for the final podium spot. Nathan Sullivan made a late race pass on Austin Kryta to win the Feature Race. Leif Beckwith #43 moved his way up into the final podium spot, then had to fend off a charging Max Kurman in the #12. Leif held on to 3rd Place, for his fourth podium of the year. Behind Leif, Max Kurman finished 4th, while RJ McCarthy #72 finished 5th in one of RJ’s best runs of the year! Nathan Sullivan is your 2022 Junior Kart Champion, with an amazing 5 Feature Wins. Leif Beckwith finishes 2nd with 1 Feature Win. Max Kurman finished 3rd in the championship with 3 podiums. Great Job Guys!
The Sportsman class still had a championship to decide on Saturday. Thomas Baker #119 entered the day with a 5 point lead over Shekyla King #514. Thomas won both Heat Race wins and was looking good for the Championship, but in the Feature Race, Thomas could only manage a 3rd place finish, while Shekyla King took the Feature Win. Baker and King were split by 2nd place finisher Lincoln DeCoster in the #23. The points were tallied, and Thomas Baker held onto his points lead to become the 2022 Sportsman Kart Champion with 3 wins. Shekyla King finished 2nd in the Championship, also earning 3 wins on the year. Axten Bossen in the #24 earned 3rd place in the championship!
With the Senior Championship decided, the only thing left to race for was the Final Feature Race win. Gus Foley returned to WMKC Kart Racing after a 4 year absence driving the #73 BMP Kart. The wet conditions for the Heat Races played into Ben Beckwith’s favor as #13 Beckwith was able to win both Heat Races. Gus Foley held onto 2nd place for both wet Heat Races. In the Feature Race, Ben Beckwith jumped out to the lead, with Gus Foley and Zach Watts #252 in close pursuit. Foley made a couple pass attempts for the lead, but on the final corner of the final lap, one last chance pass attempt for the lead ended with a Gus Foley Spin. Ben Beckwith went on to win his first Feature Race of the year. Zach Watts sneaks through for 2nd Place and Gus Foley gathered it back up to finish 3rd on his return to kart racing. In the Championship, Jacob Buffo #68 wins the Senior Class Championship, his first WMKC Title. Buffo earned 2 wins and 5 podiums on the year. Zach Watts finished the championship in 2nd Place with 4 Podium Finishes. Tim Smith #98 earns 3rd Place in the Championship with 3 Podium Finishes. Todd Merkel in the #12 finished 4th in the points with 3 wins and Ben Beckwith rounded out the top 5 in points.
Final Points are posted at our website. Points 2022
A huge thanks to our Trophy Sponsors, Cardosa Reality and Craig Wasson/Grand Max Motorsports! Also, we had a great group of volunteers all summer with our club, thank you so much for helping us put on safe, fun races. The Cardosa Family specifically was very generous with their time. Everyone who helped this past weekend, Thank you! Team Foley, Team Baker, Team Kurman and everyone else who took time to lend a hand!
A huge thank you to East Lansing Kart Track for hosting our club! We love racing at ELKT!
That’s a wrap on our 2022 Season. Please follow the club website and facebook page for information regarding the 2023 Season! We plan to have a winter club meeting in January or early February. Possibly at High Caliber Karting in Lansing. Stay tuned for details on that.
Thanks for the great season!
WMKC
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The final WMKC race is getting close! Join us Saturday, 9/24/22 at East Lansing Kart for the final round of our 2022 season! We will be handing out end of year trophies directly following the race, grab your family and friends and come celebrate your favorite racer with us! We still have a championship that needs to be decided as well and many top 3 points positions still up for grabs.
Gates open at 10:00am. Get your wristbands at the ELKT Concession Building, THEN come to the WMKC Table for Pre-Race Safety Tech and to Register for the day’s races!
Race Registration goes from 10am to 11am at the WMKC Table. If you register after 11am for the races you will be starting the Heat Races at the back of the pack! (We need time to get the starting grid set and late registrations put us behind in our paperwork)
Please also consider volunteering to work a corner or to score some races. We have a set of Corner Workers for the Kid Races and a Fresh Set of Corner Workers for the Adult Races. This means you can volunteer to work a corner opposite of your favorite driver’s class and not miss any of your drivers racing action.
Open Practice starts at 10:00am. Drivers Meeting at 11:40am, Races Start at 12:00 Noon!
See you at the track! Ben B
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We had great racing this past Saturday for Round #6 of the West Michigan Kart Club season at ELKT! Strong kart numbers and great competition was highlighted with a 10 kart Adult 4 Cycle class! Todd Merkel won his 3rd WMKC Adult Feature race of the year, he was followed closely by 2nd place finisher and points leader Jacob Buffo. Behind those two, Zach Watts, Tim Smith and Michael Metrick put on a great battle for the final Podium Spot. Ultimately, Zach Watts would get by Michael Metrick for the final podium spot, Watts earning his 3rd podium of the season! Metrick would finish a close fourth, chased home by Tim Smith in 5th.
The Junior class also put on a fantastic race on Saturday, 6 Junior racers took the green and the racing was intense! Nathan Sullivan was able to battle his way to the feature win. Easton Mohney started the Feature on the 2nd row, fighting his way up to a strong 2nd place finish. Max Kurman holds onto 3rd place despite relentless pressure from 4th place finisher Leif Beckwith. Nate Cardosa earned a 5th place finish.
In our Sportsman Class, Thomas Baker was unstoppable. Baker took both Heat Races and the Feature win. Axten Bossen has his best finish of the year with a 2nd place! Great job Drivers!
Our final race of the 2022 season is September 24th at ELKT. We will be doing end of year trophies following the race. Bring your family to the track so they can see their favorite racer get rewarded for a good job all summer racing hard with WMKC. We still have some points battles to be decided too, Sportsman class is still undecided, Junior Class and Adult class still have some positions to be decided as well. Points are updated on our website here:
https://sites.google.com/site/westmichigankartclub/points-2022
Thanks to everyone who came out and raced with us this past Saturday and of course we couldn’t race without our volunteers. Big Thanks to those who helped us put on a great race: Team Cardosa, Team Buffo, Team Baker and Team Kurman!!
See you at the 9/24/22 Finale, lets hand out some trophies!! BB 8-30-22
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West Michigan Kart Club race #5 is Saturday 8/13/22 at East Lansing Kart Track!
We are already on the backside of our season! If you haven’t raced with us yet this summer, come out Saturday, the weather is looking perfect!
Gates open at 10:00am. Get your wristbands at the ELKT Concession Building, THEN come to the WMKC Table for Pre-Race Safety Tech and to Register for the day’s races!
Race Registration goes from 10am to 11am at the WMKC Table. If you register after 11am for the races you will be starting the Heat Races at the back of the pack! (We need time to get the starting grid set and late registrations put us behind in our paperwork)
Please also consider volunteering to work a corner or to score some races. We have a set of Corner Workers for the Kid Races and a Fresh Set of Corner Workers for the Adult Races. This means you can volunteer to work a corner opposite of your favorite driver’s class and not miss any of your drivers racing action.
Open Practice starts at 10:00am. Drivers Meeting at 11:40am, Races Start at 12:00 Noon!
See you at the track! BB 8-11-22
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We had a great day of Kart Racing this past Saturday at East Lansing Kart Track! A big field of karts, perfect weather and some great racing! Thank you everyone that came out to support Kart Racing in Michigan!
10 Karts lined up for the Adult 4 Cycle Race, #68 Jacob Buffo brought his broom and swept both Heat Races and the Feature Race! It was Jacob’s 2nd win of the year and Buffo now holds a strong points lead in the Adult Class. 2020 Champion Zach Watts continues his resurgence with a 2nd Place Finish in the Feature, climbing up to 3rd in the points. #98 Tim Smith claims his 3rd podium of the year with a Third Place Finish and retains 2nd in the points.
Nathan Sullivan’s #69 kart was very strong in the Junior class on Saturday, edging out #51 Patrick Mohney to take both Heat Race wins and running strong in the Feature Race to take that win as well. Easton Mohney returned to WMKC Racing and Easton did not disappoint, challenging for the lead in both Heat Races and crossing the finish line 2nd in the Feature. Leif Beckwith brought his #43 Domino’s Pizza Eagle Clone home in 3rd Place, just beating Nate Cardosa for the final podium spot.
Coming into the Sportsman Race, #514 Shekyla King held onto a 1 point lead over #119 Thomas Baker in the points. Thanks to two Heat Race Wins and a Feature Win, Shekyla King was able to stretch her points lead to 9 points over Thomas Baker. Baker would finish 3rd in the Feature Race. Elijah Matson-Vigus in the #35 Briggs finished 2nd in the Feature Race and holds 3rd in the points.
The updated points are posted on our website:
https://sites.google.com/.../westmichigankart.../points-2022
August 13, 2022 is our next WMKC race. We do have a 1 month break in the schedule, so finish those kart projects up and come out and race the second part of the season with us!
See you at the track! BB 7/12/22
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West Michigan Kart Club race #4 is Saturday 7/9/22 at East Lansing Kart Track!
Starting this Saturday, WMKC will have to raise the race registration fee by $5. Our ambulance costs are up 50% this year and our club was hoping to offset the higher ambulance cost by having increased kart numbers, the kart numbers have been good, but just aren’t big enough to offset the increase. We hate to raise prices, but if it’s any consolation at least the price increase is going 100% to our safety.
A Big Thanks to Keith Cardosa for sponsoring the Adult Kart Class this year! This will help our club be able to give out nice end of year awards. Remember, if your kid competes in at least 4 WMKC races this season they will be eligible for a trophy. In the Adult class, finishing in the top 5 in the points will earn you a Trophy.
Gates open at 10:00am. Get your wristbands at the ELKT Concession Building, THEN come to the WMKC Table for Pre-Race Safety Tech and to Register for the day’s races!
Race Registration goes from 10am to 11am at the WMKC Table. If you register after 11am for the races you will be starting the Heat Races at the back of the pack! (We need time to get the starting grid set and late registrations put us behind in our paperwork)
Please also consider volunteering to work a corner or to score some races. We have a set of Corner Workers for the Kid Races and a Fresh Set of Corner Workers for the Adult Races. This means you can volunteer to work a corner opposite of your favorite driver’s class and not miss any of your drivers racing action.
Open Practice starts at 10:00am. Drivers Meeting at 11:40am, Races Start at 12:00 Noon!
See you at the track! Ben B 7/7/22
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We had some GREAT battles for the top spot of the podium this past Saturday for Round #3 of the West Michigan Kart Club season! We could have used a few more karts on track, but the racing at the front of the grid was intense.
The Junior Class, Nathan Sullivan becomes a first time WMKC winner as he out-dueled Leif Beckwith for the Feature Win. Nate Cardosa finished 3rd and earns his first podium of the season. Earlier in the day, #12 Max Kurman won Heat Race #2 in an extremely tight 3 way battle for first with Sullivan and Beckwith.
The Sportsman points battle is very close with only 1 point separating Shekyla King and Thomas Baker. Despite Shekyla King winning both Heat Races on Saturday, it was Thomas Baker with the late race pass to sneak the Feature Win away from King. With the win, Thomas Baker becomes the first double race winner of the 2022 season!
In the adult Class, Jacob Buffo won Heat Race #2, but Todd Merkel on his return to kart racing took the Feature Race Win. Jacob Buffo finished 2nd and Zach Watts was able to put the bad luck behind him as he finished 3rd, earning his first Feature race finish of any kind this year.
Points are updated on the website: https://sites.google.com/.../westmichigankart.../points-2022
I currently only have pictures of the Juniors and Sportsman karts from Saturday, but I hope to upload some Adult Class Pictures next week.
If you've been thinking about racing with us, come on out to the track! See you July 9th for Round #4 at East Lansing Kart Track!
Have a great July 4th weekend! BB 6/30/22
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Close racing for the lead in all of our classes Saturday for Round #2 of the WMKC season!
In the Adult class, we lost 2 karts in the morning warmup with mechanical issues, but still managed to grid 7 karts for the race. Jeff Peoples took both Heat Race wins and the Feature Win in his #1 SKF Kart. #68 Jacob Buffo padded his points lead by finishing right behind Jeff Peoples in every race including the Feature Race. Tim Smith in the #98 picked up his second podium in a row with his 3rd place finish and holds onto P2 in the points standings.
The Junior class had a points lead change with Leif Beckwith in the #43 Domino’s Pizza Eagle taking the feature race win and the points lead. Rookie Max Kurman brought his #12 CRG Clone home on the podium for the second week in a row with a great run to 2nd place! Scoring his first podium with WMKC was rookie RJ McCarthy in the purple #72 Briggs L206!
The Sportsman race saw a fierce battle all day long between Elijah Matson-Vigus in the #35 and Shekyla King in the #514 kart. Elijah took both heat race wins, but Shekyla was able to snatch the Feature Race win away from Elijah with a DEEP out braking move into turn 6 with laps winding down in the feature. With the win, Shekyla becomes the Sportsman Points Leader as Thomas Baker drops to P2 in the points earning the final Feature Race podium spot with his 3rd Place Finish.
Updated points standings are posted at the WMKC website: https://sites.google.com/.../westmichigankart.../points-2022
Once again a big thanks to our Race Volunteers! I show the following drivers earning 1 championship bonus point for being able to provide a worker for at least part of the day; Max Kurman, Keith Cardosa, Nate Cardosa, Elijah Matson-Vigus, Tim Smith, Leif Beckwith and Paul Wraith. Thank you volunteers!!
Quick turnaround to the next race as we are back at East Lansing Kart Track on Saturday June 25th for Round #3!
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The 2022 WMKC season is off to a great start!
We had a good field of karts for our 3 classes, we had a nice mixture of experienced drivers and rookie drivers. Some of the rookie drivers hadn’t even turned laps yet on a kart track and some of the rookie drivers managed podium finishes! I’m very happy with the job of all our drivers!
In the Adult Class, last year’s Rookie of the Year, Jacob Buffo won the Feature Race. Buffo had a fast clean race, but behind him spins and attrition took it’s toll with Tim Smith and Paul Wraith joining Jacob Buffo on the podium, finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively. Zak Watts managed to win Heat Race #1 in the Adult Class.
The Junior Karts saw a nice battle with Drew Warner and last year’s Junior Champion Isabella Simpson. Both drivers took Heat Race wins, but in the Feature it was Drew Warner earning the top spot, Isabella finished 2nd and Rookie Driver Max Kurman takes a podium in his first Kart Race!
The Sportsman drivers also had a tight race, Thomas Baker and Shekyla King each won Heat Races. These two battled in the Feature race, Parker Wiggins was lurking in 3rd place, when the Checkered Fell, Thomas Baker earned his first WMKC win, Parker Wiggins managed a 2nd place finish and Shekyla was right there in 3rd. Fun Stuff!!
Thank you to all of the volunteers that helped put on the races Saturday. The following drivers each earned 1 bonus point for supplying a worker for at least part of the day: Leif Beckwith, Nate Cardosa, Isabella Simpson, Tim Smith, Keith Cardosa, Jacob Buffo and Max Kurman. (if I missed anyone please let me know asap so I can adjust the points). We simply cannot race without our volunteers, so Thank You!!
Points are updated on our website:
https://sites.google.com/.../westmichigankart.../points-2022
Race Number 2 is 6/11/22 at East Lansing Kart Track.
See you at the track!! 5/18/22 BB
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WMKC Rookie Day and Open Practice this Saturday 4/30/22 at East Lansing Kart Track!
This event is voluntary but strongly encouraged for brand new racers. I plan to be at ELKT at 10am with Keith. I will be wearing a bright orange Sweatshirt.
This event is an East Lansing Kart Track Open Practice, but also our WMKC Rookie Day. After paying for Open Practice at the ELKT Registration Building, Rookies please stop at the WMKC Table (Tan Truck with Black Trailer). We can discuss Flags, proper Track Etiquette, including entering/exiting the race track, passing and hand signals. I can look over your kart and safety gear and answer any questions you might have about how a practice day and/or a race day is ran.
There is no specific time to meet at the WMKC table. I will be there talking to people and running my son’s kart. You can go out onto the track before you stop at the WMKC table if you want. Or, if you have a brand new driver who has never practiced, it’s probably best to stop at the WMKC table before hot laps.
Our Rookie Day is very much designed for Brand New Drivers and Teams. If you are an experienced racer you can still stop by, but most of the information will be review.
For the rookies, please put a large X on the back of their helmet with Tape in a Contrasting Color. This will alert other drivers when following a rookie on track.
The goal for Saturday is to get lots of seat time and become familiar with your kart and the club. If you are not a rookie, just practice as normal but be sure to stop by and introduce yourself to the newcomers!
To the racers coming from West Michigan, please be aware parts of I-69 are closed so the detour to the kart track will add a few minutes to your drive.
See you Saturday! 4/25/22 Ben
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Thanks to everyone that came out to the 2022 WMKC winter meeting and thanks to those who sent messages regarding the 2022 season. We had a blast at GRGP!
Here are the highlights of the meeting:
The BIG CHANGE for 2022, WMKC will be awarding 1 Bonus Championship point to each driver who is able to supply a volunteer for Half of the Day’s races. Maximum of 1 Bonus Championship Point per Driver per Race Day. Work Stations that will earn 1 bonus championship point include; Corner Worker, Score Keeper and Flagman (flagman for experienced flaggers only please) Please sign up to work either the Kids races or the Adult races for the day and your driver will earn the bonus point (bonus point added at the end of the day) If you have two drivers and you work all day, you can give 1 bonus point to each of your drivers as you would effectively be working 2 shifts, one for each driver.
We absolutely cannot race without our volunteers, so thank you for helping us organize and run safe races!
Other highlights from the meeting:
Saturday, 4/30/22 we will be holding our “Rookie Day” and WMKC Practice Day at ELKT.
SuperClone: The Briggs World Formula Carb (Walbro PZ26) will be legal in 2022. The Mikuni 22mm Carb will also be legal.
SuperClone: The NR Style Unaltered Intake Manifold will be legal in 2022. Link to legal parts: https://www.nrracing.com/product-p/man-lg-wop.htm OR https://www.nrracing.com/searchresults.asp?Search=MAN-LG-PULSE&Submit=
The current Tedford Intake Manifold will also be legal.
Ben Beckwith and Keith Cardosa will continue as WMKC Board Members for 2022.
On a side note we have a few new families joining WMKC in 2022 and I couldn't be more excited! Numbers look strong for the Adult Class and the Junior Class (ages 12-15), the Sportsman group (Age 7-12) might be on the lighter side, most of our Sportsman have moved to Junior the last couple of years.
Spring is right around the corner, see you at the track!! 3/2/22 BB
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West Michigan Kart Club Winter Meeting!
Please join WMKC at Grand Rapids Grand Prix (indoor electric kart racing track in Byron Center, Michigan) on February 24, 2022 at 6pm for our annual winter club meeting. Bring your helmet and some cash so you can take some hot laps with the other WMKC racers on the challenging GRGP Circuit.
We will be electing club officers, discussing areas for us to improve and voting on any class rule changes for the upcoming year.
If you can’t make the meeting but have something you would like us to discuss, please reach out to me and I will put your item on the agenda. 2/10/22 BB
6pm, 2/24/22, 8455 Byron Commerce Dr SW, Byron Center, MI 49315
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The 2022 WMKC Schedule has been released! We have a 7 race championship planned, Race #1 will be May 14, 2022 and the Final Race will be September 24, 2022. We will also likely hold a WMKC Rookie Day and Practice Day prior to the season opener. Keep following the Facebook Page and the Website for more information about Rookie Day. Also, we will be announcing plans for our Winter Rules Meeting in January, so please stay tuned for that. Merry Christmas to all of our Karting Friends! 12/22/21 BB
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The 2021 West Michigan Kart Club Season has come to a close and what a Great Year we have had! We had a great mix of New Racers and Veteran Racers, as well as solid kart counts in each of our 3 Classes. I really enjoyed watching our new WMKC racers/drivers and teams get better and better throughout the year. Some of those 2021 Rookies took Feature Wins and challenged for Championships, Other rookies made it onto the Feature Podium, but most importantly everyone seemed to have a great time!
We had a wet track for the Final Race of the 2021 WMKC Season. The Adult class had a very tight points battle going into the final round, with 3 drivers still having a mathematical chance for the title. Ben Beckwith entered the final round with a 2 point lead over 2020 Champion Zach Watts and an 11 point lead over Ben Smith. On the FIRST lap of the Feature Race, Ben Beckwith spun from his 2nd place starting position, most of the field got cleanly through, but main Championship Rival Zach Watts had to take to the grass to avoid the contact. Ben Beckwith was able to get going quickly but with the opening lap carnage, Zach Watts wasn’t able to make up the lost ground to challenge for the Title. The spin jumbled up the field and a pair of Rookies earned their First WMKC Podiums on the Day! Paul Wraith came home 3rd, Eric Schaus finished 2nd and Todd Merkel won his 2nd WMKC Feature of the Season! With the Feature Win, Todd Merkel moved to 3rd in the Championship. Zach Watts settled for 2nd in the Championship and Ben Beckwith narrowly escaped disaster to become the 2021 WMKC Adult Kart Champion!
In the Junior Class, Jacob Buffo did everything he could to finish his Rookie Season on a high note. Buffo won both Heat Races and stormed to the Feature Race Win. Nate Cardosa had a season high, 2nd place finish in the Feature Race! Easton Mohney earned his 3rd Podium of the Season with his drive to 3rd place. In the Championship Points it was Isabella Simpson winning the 2021 Junior Kart Championship by only 1 Point over Jacob Buffo! Nate Cardosa persevered throughout the season to earn 3rd in the points.
Finally in the Sportsman Class, Leif Beckwith and Brendan Cameron battled ALL DAY LONG, nose to tail. Even as the track conditions changed and they worked their way through race traffic, these two drivers were wheel to wheel and nose to tail. Leif Beckwith was able to hold the edge over Brendan Cameron in the Feature Race, as they crossed the Finish Line Side by Side! Leif Beckwith 1st and Brendan Cameron 2nd is how they finished in the Sportsman Kart Championship as well with Leif Beckwith Scoring his first WMKC Title! Lincoln Olson finished 3rd in Sportsman Points!
I need to thank everyone who helped WMKC put on races this year, first off our Volunteers, A BIG THANK YOU to the Cardosa Family! Also thank you to each and every one of our corner worker volunteers throughout the year. Without the Volunteers stepping up we simply would not be able to race. Thank you to our Sponsors; Grand Max Motorsports and Honda Ron Racing Car Rentals. Your support helps enable us to give out great trophies at the end of the season and creates many smiles. Thank you to East Lansing Kart Track for once again providing a wonderful place for us to enjoy our hobby!
Please watch our Facebook page and/or website in January, as we will announce our 2022 Winter Rules Meeting sometime after Christmas.
Thank you everyone for supporting the West Michigan Kart Club, see you in 2022! BB
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Please Join us this Saturday, 9/25/21 at East Lansing Kart Track for the final West Michigan Kart Club race of the 2021 Season! If you’ve been thinking about racing with us this summer, here is your last chance! We have championships to decide in the Junior Class and in the Senior 4 Cycle Class. End of Year awards will be handed out directly following the Final Heat Race at the grandstands and podium.
Pre-Race Tech and Race Registration goes from 10am-11am at the WMKC Table. Morning Practice starts at 10am. Drivers Meeting at 11:40AM. Races start at Noon.
Please consider volunteering for a corner worker position on Saturday. We rotate our Corner Workers out so you aren’t stuck at the corner all day. More information will be at our WMKC Registration Table.
It’s been a great year, thank you to all of our Volunteers and Racers for making 2021 a success!
See you Saturday for the Finale! 9/21/21 BB
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Race #6 Recap: IT WAS HOT! I REALLY need to thank all of our Volunteers on Saturday for standing out in the Sun, Working Corners, Flagging, Scoring and Setting the Starting Grids. We Can’t Race without you guys and I REALLY Appreciate ALL you do for us! Jill Cardosa, Keith Cardosa, Arnie Cardosa, Roger Little, Blake Cameron and Anna Simpson, Thank you!!!
We had a packed track for the Junior and Sportsman races, with a mix of experienced drivers and drivers making their first ever start! All of our drivers drove very well this past weekend! When the Checkered Flag fell in the Junior Class, Jacob Buffo won his 2nd Feature Race of the Season! Isabella Simpson Finished 2nd and WMKC newcomer Freddie Siemens finished 3rd! Isabella Simpson holds onto the points lead going into the Final Race of the 2021 WMKC Season.
The Sportsman Race was won by Leif Beckwith, his 2nd Feature Win of the year! Another WMKC newcomer Julien Harry finished 2nd, while Brendan Cameron survived an early race spin and rounded out the podium in 3rd.
The Adult Class had some fierce battles throughout the day, Paul Wraith won his first ever WMKC Heat Race at the start of the day and started the Feature Race on the front row. But in the Feature Race, Jeff Peoples would not be denied, carving his way through the field from his 2nd Row Starting Position, on his way to earning his 2nd WMKC Feature Race Win of the year. Ben Beckwith just held onto 2nd Place in the Feature with Todd Merkel along side for 3rd Place. (that was a close one!) Ben Beckwith has a very slight points lead going into the Final Race of the Season, but the field is very tight, Zak Watts and Team Smith are still very much in the hunt for the Championship.
One more race to go on 9/25/21 at East Lansing Kart Track! We will be doing our awards ceremony directly following the final Feature Race to crown our Champions and Celebrate everyone who raced with us this year!
See you at the Finale! 8/31/21 BB
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We had 2 Brand New Feature Race winners on Saturday for Round #5 of the 2021 WMKC Season. Congratulations to Jacob Buffo in the Junior Class for bringing home his FIRST Feature Race win! Todd Merkel also won his first WMKC Feature race in the Adult Class! And in the Sportsman Class, Leif Beckwith held off a charging Brendan Cameron to earn his first Feature Win since 2019!
Congratulations to our Feature Winners and the Podium Finishers:
SPORTSMAN CLASS: 1st- Leif Beckwith, 2nd- Brendan Cameron, 3rd- Elijah Matson-Vigus
JUNIOR CLASS: 1st- Jacob Buffo, 2nd- Jayelynn Kerr, 3rd- Easton Mohney
ADULT 4 CYCLE: 1st- Todd Merkel, 2nd- Adam Maxwell, 3rd- Tim Smith
The Points Championships are heating up with only 2 races to go. Only 2 points separate Jayelyyn Kerr and Isabella Simpson for the lead in the Junior Class, and 10 points are all that separate Positions 1-4 in the Adult Class!
We race again on August 28th, see you at the next one! 8/10/21 BB
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Another great day of kart racing in the books for Round #4 of the 2021 WMKC Season!
We had big fields again this past weekend and when the dust settled Violet Townsend was the Adult Feature Winner, Jayelynn Kerr was the Junior Feature Winner and Lincoln Olson was the Sportsman Feature Winner. Great Job Drivers!
Rounding out the Adult Podium was Mike Ryba in 2nd and Jayelynn Kerr (earning her second Podium of the Day!) with a 3rd place finish in the Adult Class. Double Duty, Double Podium for Jayelyyn!
Joining Jayelynn on the Junior Podium, Isabella Simpson finished 2nd and added to her points lead while Jacob Buffo finished 3rd.
Sportsman Podium was completed by Will Wilke in 2nd place and Jackson Olson in 3rd place.
A Big Thanks to all of our Volunteers on Saturday for stepping up so the club can continue putting on races; Team Cardosa, Team Cameron, Team Olson and Roger Little are making it happen for us!
Our next race is August 7 at ELKT. Come out and enjoy a West Michigan Kart Club race with us! 7/14/21 BB
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We had great races and solid kart counts this past Saturday for Round #3 of the WMKC 2021 Season! Every driver did a great job racing hard, clean and safe, Nice Job Racers! I would like to congratulate all of our winners and podium finishers from Round #3.
In the Sportsman Class, Calvin Kolk swept the Heat Race Wins and the Feature Win. Leif Beckwith finished 2nd in the Feature and Elijah Matson-Vigus finished 3rd in the Feature Race!
In the Junior Class, Isabella Simpson won the first Heat Race and Jayelynn Kerr won Heat Race #2 and won the Feature Race. Isabella Simpson finished 2nd in the Feature Race and Jacob Buffo finished 3rd in the Feature Race!
In the Adult Class, Ben Smith won both Heat Races, but in the Feature Race, Zach Watts made a late race pass on Ben Smith for the Race Win, Zach’s first Feature Race Win of the Season. Ben Smith maintained 2nd place in the Feature and Tim Smith earned his first WMKC Podium with a solid 3rd Place Finish!
We have a bit of a break until Round #4 on July 10th. I’m looking forward to continuing the season with all of the WMKC racers! 6/7/21 BB
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Race #3 is this Saturday, 6/5/21! We are running the S Track! WMKC Race Registration goes from 10am to 11am, Drivers Meeting at 11:40am. Heat Races start at 12:00 Noon!
Please bring your kart to the WMKC Registration Table for Pre-Tech when you register for the day’s racing. 10am-11am is Registration and Pre Race Tech at the WMKC Table. 6/3/21 BB
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The 2021 WMKC Memorial Weekend Classic was a Big Success! Once again the Adult 4 Cycle Class proved popular as 11 karts took the green flag! Presley Whitney and Ben Beckwith scored Heat Race Wins in the Adult 4 cycle class, but in the Feature Race it was Jeff Peoples who took the top spot. Rounding out the Feature Race Podium was Ben Beckwith and Ben Smith.
In the Junior Class, 2020 Champion Jayelynn Kerr swept the day, with both Heat Race Wins and the Feature Win. Isabella Simpson and Solomon Ahsan finished 2nd and 3rd in the Feature Race.
The Sportsman Class saw Lincoln Olson extend his points lead with a perfect day, 2 Heat Race Wins and the Feature Win. Jackson Olson finished 2nd in the feature race making it an Olson 1-2! Leif Beckwith finished 3rd and took the final podium spot for the Day.
A BIG THANKS to all of our Volunteers who helped put on the races this Saturday! Team Cardosa, Team Grand Max, Team Buffo, Team Mohney and Team Ahsan. We would not be able to race without your help!!
Also, a special thanks to Maddie Winters for providing such GREAT Pictures of the day’s racing action! Enjoy her great pictures on our Facebook Page, Thank you!!
Quick Turnaround to the next race, see you Saturday 6/5/21 for round #3 of the WMKC 2021 Season! 6/1/21 BB
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Get Packed Up! We are racing this weekend! Join us Saturday (5/29/21) at East Lansing Kart Track for Round #2 of the 2021 WMKC Season!
Gates open at 10:00am. Get your wristbands at the ELKT Concession Building, THEN come to the WMKC Table to register for the day’s races. Race Registration goes from 10am to 11am at the WMKC Table. If you register after 11am for the races you might be starting the Heat Races in the back of the pack! (We need time to get the starting grid set and late registrations put us behind in our paperwork)
Drivers Meeting at 11:40am, Races Start at 12:00 Noon!
See you at the track! Ben B
Beautiful Weather and Great Racing at ELKT! Round #1 of the West Michigan Kart Season is in the books! We saw good battles up and down the grid on Saturday and the highlights were a 10 kart field in the Adult 4 Cycle Class and a Fierce Battle between Isabella Simpson and Lincoln Olson in Feature Race #1. I am already looking forward to Round #2 on Memorial Day Weekend!
Congratulations to all of our Podium Finishers!
Sportsman: 1st Place Lincoln Olson. 2nd Place Leif Beckwith. 3rd Place Parker Wiggins.
Junior: 1st Place Isabella Simpson. 2nd Place Nate Cardosa. 3rd Place Easton Mohney.
Senior 4 Cycle: 1st Place Presley Whitney. 2nd Place Zac Watts. 3rd Place Ben Smith.
Also a big thanks to our Volunteers who helped put on the race! See you at the next one! 5/3/21 BB
Join us this Saturday 5/1/21 for Round #1 of the 2021 West Michigan Kart Club Season! Gates open at 10am at East Lansing Kart Track. Get your wristband at the ELKT Concession Building, then come over to the WMKC Table to register for the Day’s Race. Race Registration and Pre-Race Tech are at the WMKC Table from 10am-11am. Drivers Meeting at 11:45. Races Start at 12:00! Open Practice before and after WMKC Races. 4/29/21 BB
WMKC Rookie Day and Open Practice this Saturday 4/17/21 at East Lansing Kart Track!
This event is voluntary but strongly encouraged for brand new racers. I plan to be at ELKT at 10am with Keith. I will be wearing a bright orange T Shirt. For the rookies, please put a large X on the back of their helmet with Tape in a Contrasting Color. This will alert other drivers when following a rookie on track.
After paying for Open Practice at the ELKT Registration Building, Rookies please stop at the WMKC Table (Tan Truck with Black Trailer). We can discuss Flags, proper Track Etiquette, including entering/exiting the race track, passing and hand signals. I can look over your kart and safety gear and answer any questions you might have about how a practice day and/or a race day is ran.
The goal for Saturday is to get lots of seat time and become familiar with your kart and the club. If you are not a rookie, just practice as normal but be sure to stop by and introduce yourself to the newcomers!
See you Saturday! 4/12/21 BB
Thanks to everyone who came out to our annual West Michigan Kart Club Winter Meeting! We had a great time at Grand Rapids Grand Prix, Keith Cardosa had the fastest time of our group 29.2 and the 3rd fastest time of the day. The new GRGP layout is great!
A BIG Thanks to Grand Max Motorsports for sponsoring the Junior Class for 2021! These sponsorships help to provide end of year awards to our drivers! The Grand Max Motorsports team is a huge supporter of 4 Cycle Karting and we appreciate their support for 2021! Ben Beckwith and Keith Cardosa were re-elected as WMKC Board Members for 2021.
A couple rules adjustments for 2021, the Junior Weight will now race at 315 pounds (compared to 310 pounds last year). Back Up Karts WILL be Legal in all classes, BUT use of a Back Up Kart will require the driver to start ALL of the days remaining races Last, on their OWN ROW. So if there are 6 karts in the race, they will be starting on the inside of row 4. We will be implementing Worker Points for the Adult Class only. This is a way for Adult Racers to earn some championship driving points if they Work a full WMKC race day. Working an event is voluntary, but highly appreciated. We will allow 2 dropped races this year, so best 5 races out of 7 count for the Championship. And Finally, if a racer (especially a new racer) fails to make post race weight, they will be eligible for Last Place Points for the race with the understanding that they need to make weight as soon as they can for future races. After a grace period if the WMKC board members feel a racer is purposely running under weight then they reserve the right to award 0 points to the said racer. It’s almost time to line em up! 4/1/21 BB
Winter Meeting is Thursday, 3/25/21 at Grand Rapids Grand Prix. 6pm. 3/23/21 BB
WINTER MEETING DATE CHANGE! We have Postponed the Winter Meeting/Get Together to 3/25/21. All other details remain the same, 6pm at GRGP, only the date has been moved to 3/25/21. Sorry for the Confusion! 3/11/21 BB
2021 WMKC Winter Rules Meeting and Get Together is scheduled for 6pm on March 25th at GRGP! We will have a brief meeting POSSIBLY outside in the parking lot to accommodate any Covid Cautious folks. After the meeting we plan to go inside GRGP and get in a few sessions of electric karting! The agenda for the meeting is currently VERY light and this meeting is not at all required. BUT, if you have questions about the club or would like to see some tweaks made for the 2021 season than by all means come out to GRGP so we can talk karting! If you can’t make the meeting but have some discussion items please message us and we can put it on the agenda. Please remember, the minimum age to drive an electric kart at GRGP is 14. GRGP is not affiliated with the West Michigan Kart Club. 3/9/21 BB
2021 Racing Calendar has been Released! Round #1 of the 2021 WMKC Season is May 1. We are planning a Rookie Day / Open Practice Day on April 17, 2021. The Rookie Day is not required but would be informative for a new team or driver. ELKT will offer other Open Practice Days as well. If you would like to be on our email blast, please send me an email at bennybigb@hotmail.com Stay Tuned for more news as the season gets closer. 2/22/21 BB
Trophy Award Pictures have been uploaded to our Website! (see Photos tab) Stay tuned to the website and/or Facebook Page, we hope to be releasing our 2021 Race Calendar Soon! Also look for information regarding our annual winter club meeting. Spring is right around the corner! 1/25/21 BB
We had a Great 2020 West Michigan Kart Racing Season! Congratulations to our Class Champions: Christophe Wakefield (Sportsman Ages 8-12), Jaylynn Kerr (Junior Ages 12-15) and Zach Watts (Adult 4cycle). Special Thanks to our GREAT Sponsors: DeSal Excavating 616-772-6990 in Holland and Keith Cardosa Realtor in Caledonia. Also, all of our volunteers deserve a HUGE Thank You!! Of course we couldn't organize the races without your help! Also a thank you to the East Lansing Kart Track for always providing a wonderful place to race (and the burgers are pretty good too!) It's time for the off season and time to prepare for next year's Kart Racing. Check back to our website and Facebook Page during the winter to get information regarding our annual Winter Rules Meeting. If you are interested in joining the fun, don't hesitate to reach out to us (Contact Us). See You At The Track!! 9/28/20 BB
It was a cool, slippery track to start the race day on Saturday, but the teams quickly dialed in their machines and we had some great kart racing! In the Sportsman Class, Isabella Simpson wins her 3rd Feature Race of the season. Christopher Wakefield finishes in 2nd place and retains the Sportsman Points Lead. Leif Beckwith earned his first podium of the year! Junior Class saw Ben Smith FLYING, taking his 2nd Feature Race of the year, but Jaylynn Kerr retains the JR Class Points Lead with her 2nd place finish. The Adult Class saw 2019 Champion Ben Beckwith win his first race of the season, Zak Watts finished 2nd in the Feature Race and jumps from 3rd to 1st in the Points Standings, Keith Cardosa rounds out the podium. Join us Saturday 9/26/20 for the Final WMKC race of the Season! All 3 classes still have Championships to decide, it will be an exciting day at the races! 9/14/20 BB
Join us Saturday, September 12th for Round #5 of our 2020 Season at East Lansing Kart Track! Gates Open at 10:00am. Race Registration goes from 10am to 11am (be sure to Register at the WMKC Table AND the ELKT Window). Practice Starts at 10am. WMKC races start at 12:00 Noon! See You At The Track!! 9/9/20 BB
We saw 9 Sportsman Karts take the grid Saturday afternoon for Round #4 of the West Michigan Kart Club season! Christopher Wakefield and Isabella Simpson both picked up Heat Race wins, but it was Lincoln Olson taking the Feature Race Win! Christopher Wakefield moves into the Sportsman Class points lead with a 8 point advantage over Brendan Cameron. Ben Smith made a clean sweep of the JR Class on Saturday. In the Adult 4 Cycle Class, Jeff Peoples took his first Feature Win of the season, followed by Brandon Vandermar in 2nd and Ryan Harper rounding out the podium in 3rd.
SPECIAL THANKS to all of our workers on Saturday! Team Simpson, Team Olson, Team Holewski and Team Cameron, THANK YOU for providing Track Side support so we could race safely!!! And of course our regular workers, Team Cardosa and Team Wasson/Kerr make it happen every race weekend for us. Thanks Everyone!!
We take a month off to gear up for our next race on 9/12/20 at East Lansing Kart Track. See You At the Track!! 8/11/20 BB
Please Join us for Round #4 of the 2020 WMKC Season this Saturday August 8th! The weather looks great for raceday! If you are able, Please help work a corner or bring an extra person to the track to help work a corner or score the races. A couple of our Board Members are out this weekend so the staff is going to be pretty thin, please help out if you can. See You At The Track!! 8/6/20 BB
Round #3 of the 2020 season is complete and we had a couple new faces in Victory Lane! In the Sportsman Class, Brendan Cameron and Christopher Wakefield battled hard all day, but it was Brendan Cameron taking his first Feature Win of the season! Christopher Wakfield finished a close 2nd place in the Feature and WMKC newcomer Drew Warner grabbed the final podium spot. Jayelynn Kerr passed EVERYONE in the Junior/Adult combined race and took the overall victory in that run group. Keith Cardosa won the Feature Race for the Adult Class, his first Feature Win in quite some time! Zac Watts Finished 2nd in the Feature Race and has jumped into the Adult Class Points Lead! We have a couple weeks off, but please join us for Round #4 on August 8 at East Lansing Kart Track! 7/20/20 BB
Perfect weather for Round #2 of the 2020 West Michigan Kart Club season saw Jayelynn Kerr and Isabella Simpson SWEEP their respective classes for the day. Ben Smith notched a season high 2nd place in the Junior Feature Race, while Christopher Wakefield and Brendan Cameron rounded out the Sportsman Podium. In the Adult Class, Zach Watts took the Feature win after a fierce battle with eventual 3rd place finisher Ryan Harper. Roger Little scored his best ever finish with a 2nd place in the Adult Class on Saturday! Congratulations to all of our Podium Finishers! The WMKC is back in action on 7/18/20. Please join us for some kart racing fun at East Lansing Kart Track! 6/30/20 BB
It was great to get the 2020 West Michigan Kart Club season started on Saturday! We had great weather and a great field of competitive karts! Congratulations to our Feature winners on the Day, Isabella Simpson (Sportsman), Jayelynn Kerr (Junior) and Liorah Peoples (Adult 4 Cycle)! Each Feature Race came right down to the wire! I would also like to congratulate our Heat Race winners on the day, Brendan Cameron (Sportsman), Christopher Wakefield (Junior) and Jeff Peoples (Adult 4 Cycle). The Championship Points have been updated, it looks like it's going to be a fun year, join us for our next race on 6/27/20 at East Lansing Kart Track! 6/21/20 BB
With Covid-19 Restrictions being lifted, we WILL be able to have our first race of the season on 6/20/20! The WMKC Board has decided that we will not be able to make up the two May races that were lost due to Covid, therefore we will have a 6 Race Championship in 2020 with the best 5 races counting towards the end of season points total. 6/12/20 BB
A Big Thank You to DeSal Excavating of Zeeland MI for once again sponsoring our Sportsman Class for 2020! Call them at 616-772-6990 for all your West Michigan excavating needs. 6/3/20 BB
5/30/20 Race Weekend has been Cancelled and is now a Test and Tune session. Reservations are required for this event as entry is limited due to Covid-19 restrictions. 5/28/20 BB
We are expecting the 5/30/20 Race to be Postponed as the Stay at Home order is still in effect. If you are interested in practice time this Saturday please message me directly. Bennybigb@hotmail.com 5/27/20 BB
The Stay at Home order has been extended in Michigan, and we are unsure how this effects our planned 5/30/20 Race. We are still planning on the 5/30 race and prepping for it, but we hope to make an announcement in a couple days as we find out more regarding if the race is a Go. Stay Tuned... 5/24/20 BB
As of 5/22/20 Things are looking good for our Season to Start on 5/30/20. Stay tuned for Updates right here or on our facebook page, but right now things are looking good for getting our season under way on 5/30/20! 5/22/20 BB
Race #1 is Postponed. With the Stay at Home Order still in effect through May 15th, we will be unable to host our 5/2/20 Kart Race at ELKT. 4/28/20 BB
Rookie Day/Test & Tune Day 2020 has been Cancelled due to Covid-19. Unfortunately due to the recent COVID-19 Pandemic and related Social Restrictions we are forced to cancel our 2020 Rookie Day/Test & Tune that was scheduled for 4/25/20. We still plan to start the season on 5/2/20 depending on the current COVID-19 Situation. Rookies are still very welcome to race with us in 2020, we will spend a little extra time going over the safety rules and procedures with any new Kart Driver or Kart Team. I can't wait to see you all at the track soon! 4/13/20 BB
Rookie Day 2020/Practice Day! Well it has been a crazy 6 weeks since my last entry, but as of today we are planning Rookie Day/Practice Day at East Lansing Kart Track for Saturday 4/25/20. Our Rookie Day event is subject to change based on current COVID-19 Regulations and Safety Guidelines.
In addition to regular practice sessions, The Rookie Day agenda will be learning the flags, learning proper race etiquette. Lots of talk about Safety AND having Fun. When, where and how to enter and exit the track. Tech Inspection Review, Questions and Answers, Kart Maintenance Help and Lots and Lots of seat time! Even if you don't have a kart but are curious about Racing Karts this is a great opportunity to gain a bunch of knowledge about karting! Hope to see you there! And this event is open to Non-Rookies as well. 3/24/20 BB
A Big Thank You to everyone who attended our Winter Rules meeting last night! Here are the details of the meeting; Craig Wasson, Keith Cardosa and Ben Beckwith were reelected as board members. Feature Races are now worth Double Points, so 1st Place=20pts, 2nd Place=18pts, 3rd Place=16pts and so on. Heat Race Points remain the same. The new weight for the Junior class is 310 Pounds. We hope to have a Club Practice Day at ELKT prior to the start of the season, stay tuned for details on that. 2/7/20 BB
2020 Winter Club Meeting has been Scheduled for Thursday, 2/6/2020 at Grand Rapids Grand Prix! Kart Meeting will be at 7:00pm, plan on getting there at 6:30pm if you would like some seat time in the GRGP electric race karts. We should also have time after the meeting to drive the GRGP electric karts. REMEMBER, drivers at GRGP must be 14 years old. Their Kitchen is open until 8:00pm.
On the Agenda we will finish 2019 club business. Elect or Re-elect Officers. Discuss any possible rule changes for the 2020 Season and go over our Club Finance Report. I hope to see you at the meeting and at the track! 1/22/20 BB
The 2020 WMKC Race Schedule has been released. Race #1 is Saturday, 5/2/20 at ELKT! See the Full Schedule on our Calendar Tab. 12/19/19 BB
2019 Season Has Concluded. Thank You to all of our Members, Partners and Racers for making 2019 a Success!
During the off season we will have our Annual Winter meeting to discuss the 2020 season. Please check back to this site or follow us at https://www.facebook.com/RMPKC/ for updates regarding our Winter Meeting. See you at the track in 2020! 10/24/19 BB
9/28/19 Final Race and Season Recap: The West Michigan Kart Club concluded it's 2019 season on a very tricky wet East Lansing Kart Track on Saturday. Sportsman Points Leader Isabella Simpson and Leif Beckwith entered the day separated by a single Championship Point! Isabella was able to stretch her Championship Lead as she won both Heat Races. Leif Beckwith struggled on the Wet Track and was not able to keep pace. The track had mostly dried in time for the Feature Race and Leif regained his form and was able to squeak out the Feature Win with Isabella RIGHT on his bumper. With her two Heat Race wins, Isabella Simpson was able to secure the 2019 Sportsman Championship, winning by 5 points over Leif Beckwith. Nate Cardosa had one of his best races of the year, earning a couple 2nd place finishes in the Heat Races and picking up a Podium Finish in the Feature! Nate Cardosa finished the year 3rd in Points.
The Junior Class saw Jayelynn Kerr win both Heat Races in the rain, but it was Ben Smith taking the Feature Win on the Drying track. Ben Smith wins the 2019 Junior Kart Championship, Jayelyyn Kerr finishes 2nd in the Points and Violet Townsend finishes the year 3rd in Points. Great racing all day in the Adult 4 Cycle Class, with Keith Cardosa continuing his late season rally, earning a Heat Race win. During the Feature Race it was Ben Beckwith coming from behind to win his 50th Feature Race! Keith Cardosa has his best finish of the year placing 2nd and Erick Simpson finishes Third. In the Adult 4 Cycle Points, Ben Beckwith wins the Championship, Erick Simpson finishes 2nd and Keith Cardosa rounds out the top 3. 9/30/19 BB
End of Year Party is Scheduled for 9/28/19 at ELKT, Following our Final Race of the Year! Pot Luck Style Party on 9/28/19 at ELKT! Come out, race and stay for the End of Year Party. If you finished in the top 3 of your Class in the Points Championship, and competed in 5 races, you will be receiving a Trophy! We will have a signup sheet for items that we need, but the Burgers and Brats are all taken care of. For more information email bennybigb@hotmail.com. 9/20/19 BB
9/14/19 Round #7 Race Recap: Another day of great racing and great weather! Karts competed on the East Lansing Kart Track "S Track" configuration for Round #7. After 4 consecutive 2nd Place Finishes, Leif Beckwith was able to pick up his first Feature Win of the Year in the Sportsman Class! Lincoln Olson and Isabella Simpson were a very close 2nd and 3rd in the Feature. With the win, Leif Beckwith is now only 1 point behind Points Leader Isabella Simpson. This championship will be decided on the final race of the season on 9/28/19! In the Junior Class, Ben Smith had an eventful day as he took home the Feature Win and he extends his points lead in the class. In the Adult Classes, Keith Cardosa showed renewed form in his CRG SuperClone, but chain issues kept him out of the winners circle, it was Ben Beckwith scoring the Feature Win with Erik Simpson in 2nd place. Roger Little picks up his first Podium of the year! Join us of for the final race of the season on 9/28/19! 9/17/19 BB
Round #6 Race Recap: Another great day for Kart racing at East Lansing Kart Track! Perfect weather, tight racing and a good grid of karts for Round #6 of the 2019 Season! Super tight racing all day in the Sportsman class eventually saw Brendon Cameron pick up his 1st Feature Win of the season! Leif Beckwith takes 2nd Place in the Feature for the fourth time in a row and cuts the points lead down to 7 points behind Points Leader Isabella Simpson. Nate Cardosa had a good day going in the #25 Clone kart but in the feature he got shuffled back and went on to finish 4th. In the Junior Class Ben Smith ran strong and challenged for the feature win but it was Jayelynn Kerr holding onto the top spot for her first Feature Win of the year! The adult class saw Ben Beckwith take the Feature Win, Erik Simpson and Keith Cardosa battled hard with Simpson earning the runner up position and Cardosa rounding out the Feature Podium. 2 races left to decide this year's championship! 9/3/19 BB
SCHEDULE CHANGE! Round #6 is Rescheduled for 8/31/19! Round #6 has been moved from it's original date of 8/24/19 to the Saturday of 8/31/19! 8/13/19 BB
Round #5 Race Recap: We had PERFECT weather for Round #5 of the WMKC Season! 3 New Drivers (to WMKC) joined the Series' Regular Drivers for a fantastic day of racing! Sportsman Driver and WMKC newcomer #28 Lincoln Olson snapped Isabella Simpson's Feature Win streak in the Sportsman Class. Leif Beckwith notched yet another 2nd place finish in the Feature and Isabella rounded out the Podium. Brendon Cameron and Nate Cardosa finished the day with Top 5 Results. The Junior Class saw #61 Violet Townsend sweep the day and extend her points lead over Ben Smith and an ill Jaylynn Kerr. Speaking of Townsend Sweeps, Chuck Townsend swept the Adult class in his Eagle L206 Kart. Ben Beckwith and Richard Buckley earned podium finishes in the Adult Class. Erik Simpson, Keith Cardosa and Roger Little completed the Adult Feature on Saturday. Join us 8/31/19 for Round #6 of the 2019 Season!!!! 8/13/19 BB
Potential Schedule change for Round #6. Hello WMKC Racers! It looks like we need to move Round #6 away from the original date of 8/24/19. Saturday 8/31/19 appears to be the best replacement date for Round #6. We will be asking for member input at the 8/10/19 Drivings Meeting regarding this Date Change. If you would like, you can also message me at bennybigb@hotmail.com regarding this or any other kart related items. 8/5/19 BB
We had some HOT Racing for Round #4 of the 2019 Season! Saturday was one of the warmest days of the summer, but we still managed to put on some great racing in each of our 3 classes. Isabella Simpson extends her Purple class points lead with a feature win, while Leif Beckwith held off a charging Brendan Cameron to claim 2nd Place in the Feature. We had great racing in the Junior class with Violet Townsend winning the feature race and taking sole position of 1st Place in Junior Points Standings. Jayelynn Kerr scores 2nd place in the feature while Ben Smith brought his kart home 3rd. In the adult race, Chad Overbeek dusted off his #21 Briggs kart and took top points for the day. Ben Beckwith and Erick Simpson took 2nd and 3rd points for the day. We have the next couple weekends off, so get those karts prepped and join us for Round #5 on Saturday August 10th! 7/24/19 BB
Round #3 Results are in from the July 4th weekend race. We had great racing for Round #3 over the July 4th Holiday Weekend. It was great to see Liorah Peoples back in her Yamaha kart and it was great to see the Smith family come out for their first WMKC race in their Junior 4 Cycle Kart! Feature winners on the day were Ben Beckwith in the adult 4 cycle class, Isabella Simpson in the Sportsman 4 cycle class. Ben Smith and Liorah Peoples both took top points in their feature race as well. Join us for Round #4 on July 20th! 7/9/19 BB
Thank you to DeSal Excavating of Zeeland, MI for Sponsoring the Junior Class at WMKC! Call them at 616-772-6990 for all your excavating needs.
Former Ravenna Motor Park Kart Racers are allowed a 2 Race Weekend Exemption on their tires. Just announced this past weekend, if you are a former Ravenna Motor Park Kart Racer, your RMPKC Legal Tires (Vega Red or Dunlop SL4) are allowed a 2 race weekend exemption at ELKT. For your 3rd race weekend you will be required to run the spec MG Red Tire purchased from ELKT. 6/10/19 BB
Round #2 of the 2019 WMKC is complete. Isabella Simpson picks up her 2nd Feature win of the year in the Sportsman Class and Chuck Townsend returns to kart racing to win the Feature race in the Adult 4 Cycle class with his Briggs 206. Our Junior racers took a week off due to some school functions but we look to have a good Junior Grid for Round #3 on July 6th. 6/10/19 BB
Join us this Saturday (6/8/19) for Round 2 of the 2019 WMKC Season! Gates open at 10am at East Lansing Kart Track, races start at 12:00 Noon. We will be hosting 7-12 Year Old 4 cycle kart racing, 12-15 Year Old 4 cycle kart racing, Ages 15 and Older 4 Cycle Kart Racing and Lets Get Our Yamahas Out There This Week! See you at the track!
Round #1 of the 2019 WMKC Season is in the books! Congrats to our Feature race winners, Isabella Simpson (Sportsman 7-12), Violet Townsend (Junior 12-15) and Erick Simpson (4 Cycle Adult). The points standings are updated, Round #2 is Saturday June 8th. Lets get more karts on track for round #2!
First Race of the Season is this Saturday, May 18th! Gates Open at 10:00am, Pre-Race Tech is at 11:00-11:30am. Mandatory Drivers Meeting is at 11:40am. Racing Starts at 12:00 Noon and Concludes at 3:00pm. Open Practice from 3:00pm to 5:00pm. See you at the Track!
Join members from the West Michigan Kart Club this weekend on Saturday, May 11 at the East Lansing Kart Track for a session of test and tune and let us go through your kart with you to make sure you are ready to race this season. Open practice is from 10am - 5pm. We will be offering a bit of a "pre tech" session to see if there are any safety concerns that might be present on your equipment and give you an opportunity to correct, or if you have any set-up issues to resolve we can work on those with you as well.
WMKC members will be at East Lansing Kart Track on 5/4/19 and 5/11/19 for practice.
If you have any questions about the club, the classes or joining us for some races please look for Ben or Craig at the track. We can also help you get your young "Rookie" driver ready for racing with us, by going over rules and the flags with them. Season starts in 3 weeks!
The 2019 Season begins May 18, 2019 at East Lansing Kart Track!
Gates open at 10am race day morning.
Practice from 10am-11:40am
Pre-Race Tech at 11am
Drivers Meeting at 11:40am
Races start at 12:00 Noon.
For Pricing Information please see the "Calendar" Tab.
We have an 8 race championship planned for 2019 with races scheduled at East Lansing Kart Track.