Junior Champ Kart Racing Revs Up for Second Season at Thunder Road
/Thunder Road officials announced today that the Junior Champ Kart summer youth racing series will return for a second season at the speedway. The series for racers ages 6 to 14 debuted in 2016, marking the return of go-karts to Thunder Road after a long hiatus.
This season, teams will be competing on a new go-kart track constructed as part of the recently announced repaving project. The independent oval track sits just inside the backstretch of the larger stock car speedway.
“Having a series like this is needed for the long-term success of a race track,” Thunder Road co-owner and karting director Cris Michaud said. “It’s important for young racers and their families to learn and get experience in an environment that’s fun, inclusive, and affordable. We were really happy with our first season in terms of both turnout and atmosphere, and with the new track slated to debut, we think this year will be even better.”
Thunder Road plans to run Rookie and Pro divisions throughout the season. The rules for each division will be the same, with driver designations based on experience level. Points will not be awarded for either division.
The 10-race Junior Champ Kart series begins Tuesday, June 20 and will compete every Tuesday through August 22, with an off-week for the Independence Day holiday. The first six events will have a 6:30 pm post time with the gates opening at 4:30 pm, while the August 8, 15, and 22 events are slated for a 6:00 pm post time with gates open at 4:00 pm.
The final event of the season will be held Saturday, September 9. The gates for the special event will open at 1:00 pm with racing beginning at 3:00 pm. A season-ending barbeque will directly follow. Admission to all events will be through the pit gate only.
2017 Thunder Road Junior Champ Kart schedule
# DAY DATE Post Time Gates Open
1 Tue Jun 20 6:30pm 4:30pm
2 Tue Jun 27 6:30pm 4:30pm
3 Tue Jul 11 6:30pm 4:30pm
4 Tue Jul 18 6:30pm 4:30pm
5 Tue Jul 25 6:30pm 4:30pm
6 Tue Aug 01 6:30pm 4:30pm
7 Tue Aug 08 6:00pm 4:00pm
8 Tue Aug 15 6:00pm 4:00pm
9 Tue Aug 22 6:00pm 4:00pm
10 Fri Sep 29 TBA 5:00pm
Schedule Subject to Change