It’s time for the big one. The finale of all the finals. Where championships will be decided. The Race 8 Season Finale is October 5th at Canaan Motor Club. Make sure you register soon, the deadline is October 1 at 11:59pm. www.bikereg.com/nhka

If the clean, tight racing we saw in so many classes at the last event was any indication, the 2024 Season Finale is going to be incredibly competitive. Stay tuned to the NHKA website for the latest event updates and the annual Races to Watch feature story. But first…

A word about what makes this club what it is. That word is “you.” While we are incredibly grateful for your support and proud to earn it, what you put into this club goes way, way beyond a simple fee-for-service transaction.

You all invest so much inspiring passion, which escalates the competition and elevates everyone’s experience. You all commit so many days at the track and nights in the garage, plus equipment, tools, and haulers. Some of you have even invested in businesses that serve karters here and beyond. You all invest so much of yourselves into this community. You bring your friends, family, and extended family. You bring your guitars, your best recipes, your favorite drinks, and your damn funny stories. What you get back is friendship, generosity, and belonging. Not to mention you get to pursue the coolest hobby ever.

Many of you recognize just how rare and valuable this thing we share is and how deeply you’re invested, so you put in the work to preserve it. You take personal responsibility for the club as a whole – not just yourself. You’re first with your hand up to volunteer, you clean your pit area and grab any other trash you see, you keep your emotions in check because you like that there’s a high expectation for respectful behavior. You never forget how incredibly fortunate we are to have Canaan.

We have a very, very good thing. It took each of you to make it this way, and it’ll take each of you to keep it this way. So let’s do that!

Registrations are in. Race control is ready. The weather looks great. Everything is in place for an awesome day of racing counterclockwise on Half-Track 1. Thank you for being part of the fun. First, a few reminders…

Trash: Please do not leave behind any fuel cans, tires, wrecked canopies, or other large trash when you leave – take them home. The track’s dumpster company does not accept these items. Also, please pick up around your pit area and any trash you see beyond it. There is no clean-up staff at the track aside from Dave. The property is clean when we arrive so it should be at least that clean when we go. This has been the NHKA’s reputation with the track, and why we are invited back every season. Each of us must take personal responsibility for the care of the property to maintain our good standing so we can continue racing at this fantastic facility.

Porta Potties: Please, do not toss trash such as water bottles or anything else not related to their clear purpose into the porta potties. This can damage or clog the pump truck. As for the bathroom in the building, we have had no issues since reserving it for the ladies, so we will continue with that arrangement.

On Friday the gate will be open 5-8pm. No late arrivals. Saturday morning the gate will reopen at 6:30am and close at 12pm. Please ask any guests to arrive before noon. All guests should be parking along the rope near the gatehouse (or in the field across the access road) and walking into the pit area.

Friday Night
5-8pm Pit pass sales, driver check-in, trailer drop off, camping setup, kart safety inspections.

Saturday Morning
6:30am-Noon Gate opens. Pit pass sales, driver check-in, kart safety inspections. No parking on the street if you are early.
8:15am Drivers meeting.
8:45am Kid Karts on track.
9:00am Practice by groups.
Two rounds of practice by groups
One round of qualifying.
Lunch break.
Racing in the afternoon.

Practice and Race Order
1 Kid Karts Kid Karts will run their final before the lunch break.
2 206 Cadet
3 206 Medium
4 206 Junior
5 TaG Masters
6 World Formula
7 TaG Senior / DD2
8 206 Masters
9 206 Senior

Finally!!! Amazing weather all weekend for our doubleheader. We had lots of fun spending time with you all. Thank you!!!

Race 7 is right around the corner on September 14 and registration is open at www.bikereg.com/nhka. Track layout and race details will be announced shortly.

Trash Reminder: There was a broken canopy and an empty fuel can left at the track’s dumpster. The trash company will not accept either of those things or tires – you must take them with you. Also, please clean up your pit areas. This includes zip ties, cigarette butts, bits of paper and tape, but most especially sharp things like safety wire and bottle caps. Other clubs work on their cars and motorcycles in the same paddock we do, but on the ground. Not one of you would ever want to cause a flat that costs someone a race or a wreck. So please, take a few minutes before you head home to pick up around your pit area. Thank you.

Everything is ready to go!!! Are You??? 120 entrants will compete on each day. A solid field once again. Thank you all!!!!!! OH, and the weather looks fantastic!!!

As mentioned before, we will only allow tow vehicles in the paddock area. We mean the vehicle that pulled your trailer or the pickup truck, van, or station wagon that you used to get your kart to the track. If you have guests in a separate vehicle it will need to be parked out near the booth. We will reconfigure the cones blocking off the grid and pit-in to ensure no vehicles can get near those areas at any time. 

Everyone seemed to like the F1-style starts. We will be doing more of that.

Friday Night
5pm: Gate open for check-in, pit pass sales, trailer drop off, pit set up, camping, and kart safety inspections. Camping is $25 for the weekend.
8pm: Gate closes. No entry after 8pm. 

Saturday
6:30am-12pm: Gate open. As always, do not park on the street if you are early. No pit pass sales or entry after.
8:15am: Mandatory drivers meeting. 
8:45am: Kid Karts on track. (Saturday only.)
9:00am: Group practice.
Two rounds of practice, then a five minute qualifying session. 2nd practice session timed to set starting order for qualifying. 
Lunch break.
Final races in the afternoon.
5pm-8pm: Gate open for Sunday-only entrants.

Sunday
6:30am-12pm: Gate open. 
8:15am: Drivers meeting.
9:00am:  Group practice.
Two rounds of practice and one qualifying session–same as Saturday. 
Lunch break. 
Finals in the afternoon. 

Group Order
1    Kid Karts (Saturday Only)
2    206 Cadet
3   206 Medium
4   206 Junior
5   TaG Masters
6   World Formula
7   TaG Senior / DD2
8   206 Masters
9   206 Senior
Subject to change.

We’re looking forward to seeing everyone for two beautiful days of racing fun!!!!

Race 5 and 6, our last doubleheader weekend of the season, is only a week away. That means the registration deadline is this Tuesday August 20 at 11:59pm. Don’t forget!!! Get yourself over to www.bikereg.com/nhka now!

You’ll see categories for two-day and Sunday-only registrations. If you are racing on Saturday only, please do this: (1) Register for your class in the Sunday-only category. (2) Shoot a quick note to nhkaracingseries@gmail.com so we know to switch your Sunday-only registration to Saturday-only.

We will use Half Track 1 both days, clockwise Saturday and counterclockwise Sunday. The race format for both days will be back to the usual two rounds of group practice in the morning followed immediately by a five-minute qualifying session, lunch break, then a final race in the afternoon.

BTW, the forecast looks perfect. We say this knowing we’re still a week out, but it’s a good story so we’re sticking to it.

Thank you to all who attended Kartmania and joined us for the cookout – especially everyone who donated delicious side dishes, desserts, and watermelon.

We’re fortunate to be at Canaan Motor Club with its smart, flexible layout. We were able to change up the course to suit the conditions and keep racing. We’ll take that any day over standing around looking at the sky hoping to race. Yes, it’s a ton of extra work, particularly for the drivers and mechanics making wholesale on-the-fly set-up changes. As always, we appreciate everyone’s efforts and cooperation to keep things moving.

Update on the injured driver: He is doing OK. He came back to the track before the racing was complete and was in good spirits. He has some minor injuries but will make a quick recovery.

Ready to do it again? Registration for the Race 5/6 weekend August 24/25 is open at www.bikereg.com/NHKA

There have been lots of questions about this weekend’s race and the weather. Here’s the most important thing to know: No matter what, we’re racing!

The plan is to race on the full track going clockwise and using the chicane. However, we cannot race on the road course if it is wet. If it’s raining early on Saturday, we might wait it out if we think it’ll clear and dry out. If it looks like the rain is gonna stick around into Sunday, we’ll switch to Half Track 1 clockwise for the remainder of the weekend. The forecast isn’t promising, but it isn’t terrible either, so we’ll just have to see. Either way, Kid Karts will be on the kart track and Cadets will be on Half Track 1. Everyone else will be on the full road course in the dry, or Half Track 1 in the wet. And of course, we will adjust the race-day schedule as needed.

Important Reminder About Guests Who are Minors
All guests under 18 must be with a parent or you must have a temporary guardianship letter with the signature of their parent notarized. NO exceptions. Click here to download the letter.

Friday Night
5-8pm: Gate open. No entry after 8pm.
$25 camping fee and guest pit pass sales (cash only.)
Trailer drop off, pit set up, kart safety inspection, and tire order pick up are available.
NO engines may be started Friday night.

Saturday
6:30am-12pm: Gate open. No guests may arrive after noon.
If you are early, DO NOT park on the street or in front of the transfer station gate.
NO engines may be started until after the drivers meeting.
8:15am: Mandatory drivers meeting.
8:45am: Kid Karts on track.
9am: Group 2 practice.
Practice by groups all day.
Qualifying for Sunday will be the last session of the day.

5pm (approx.): We will start gathering the food to start cooking. Bring your dishes and or meats to grill with us – heck, bring a grill if you have one! Also, some help setting up canopies and tables during the day, then with clean up after would be greatly appreciated! No pressure. We have plenty of time for putting stuff away.

Sunday
6:30am: Gate opens.
8:15am: Mandatory drivers meeting.
9am: Group 2 practice.

Practice Group Order – Saturday
1 Kid Kart (Saturday Only)
2 206 Cadet (Track 1 Clockwise)
3 206 Junior
4 206 Medium
5 TaG Senior / TaG Masters / DD2
6 World Formula Light / Heavy
7 206 Senior / Masters

Race Group Order – Saturday Qualifying & Sunday Races
2 206 Cadet (Track 1 Clockwise)
3 206 Junior
4 206 Medium
5 TaG Senior / TaG Masters / DD2
6 World Formula Light / Heavy
7 206 Senior
8 206 Masters

Contact Us
Just a reminder that we will not be checking email Thursday evening through the race weekend. If you need to contact us you can do so via Facebook or text.

See you all at the track!

With 132 drivers signed up at the close of registration, Kartmania 8 will be our largest crowd of the season so far. With that many competitors, we’re expecting total attendance to be around 300 people on the property at any given time. How many will hang around for the cookout Saturday night? Maybe 200? Definitely a lot!!! LOL!! NHKA will supply burgers, dogs, rolls, and condiments, but we’re counting on some help from our members with sides and other grilled meats. So far we have folks bringing watermelon, mac and cheese, chili, pasta salad, and cookies. But we could use more cookout favorites like potato and garden salads, coleslaw, chips, and brownies. Nobody expects you to bring enough for hundreds of people, nor do you have to tell us what you’re bringing, but it would help with planning. Thanks to all for chipping in to make it a fun treat-filled evening!

Saturday Schedule and Class Lineup
The 1.4-mile road course is certainly large enough to accommodate bigger groups than usual. So we’ll combine some classes to allow more track time: Four 10-minute practice sessions per group, plus a 5-minute qualifying session (no prequalifying this event.) As always, we’ll monitor the situation out on the track and make any necessary adjustments.

Kid Karts (Saturday Only)
206 Cadet (Track 1 Clockwise)
206 Junior
206 Medium
TaG Senior / TaG Masters / DD2
World Formula Light / Heavy
206 Senior / Masters

Please keep in mind that we have several drivers racing in two classes. This is the best lineup to avoid classes back to back, but still, please show them some consideration in the scale line so long as they ask nicely.

Kartmania is always one of our most fun-filled weekends. It’s also our fastest, being on the full road course. You definitely don’t want to miss it! So get yourself over to www.bikereg.com and register today.

Pit Decorating Contest Rules
Yes, there must be rules for everything! But don’t worry, they’re pretty simple:
1. Keep it in your pit only.
2. Keep it family-friendly.
3. No loud music or noises.
4. Let’s stay away from the political mess to avoid arguments.
5. Judging will be done from the paddock roadway.
6. Bribes are allowed, but there’s no guarantee they’ll work.
7. The winner gets a nice trophy.

Some suggestions to get the creative juices flowing… Favorite race team, sports team, rock band, TV show, video game, or Movie (C’mon Barbie!) Maybe Halloween or Christmas in the summer.

New NHKA T-Shirts!!
We mentioned at the last race we had new t-shirts, but nobody had time to sell them. We have recruited a couple of very nice ladies to help us out at Kartmania. We will let you know where to get them at the track.

Thank you all for a fun weekend of hot weather and hot racing! We will be updating the points very soon.

Kartmania 8/Race 4 is only three weeks away. Registration is open at www.bikereg.com/nhka until Tuesday July 30 at midnight. That is only 14 DAYS! So click the link to sign up now!

Kartmania is your once-a-year shot at the high-speed, drafting that is the full 1.4-mile road course. It’s our Talladega! We’ll be racing clockwise with the chicane. Saturday will be a full day of practice that wraps up with qualifying to set the grid for NHKA Race 4 on Sunday. This event is for experienced drivers only, so there will be no Karting Safety Course. 206 Cadet will race clockwise on Half-Track 1. PLUS! As a special treat for Saturday only, we’ve invited 4- and 2-cycle vintage karts to put on an exhibition race on the short karting course.

Kartmania is one of our most popular events because it’s just as fun off the track as it is on. Saturday evening NHKA will break out our grills to cook up burgers and dogs for everyone. But this year we also want to see (and taste!) what you can do. So we’re inviting our racers and guests to show off their grill-skill with a friendly cook-off. We’re also asking folks to bring their favorite side dishes and desserts to share. Or maybe you have some special home-brewed beverage you’d like to pass around. Just let us know what you plan to bring by sending a quick note to nhkaracingseries@gmail.com. Another fun Kartmania tradition is the friendly cornhole competition. We will set up multiple boards so pick a partner and join in. What’s more, new this year, Paul Bowin and Greg Clear are promoting a pit decorating contest. We will pull together a totally biased, bribe-accepting committee to recognize the most amazing and amusing pit in the paddock. Saturday night at Kartmania is always a memorable great time for all. To keep the party going, we will make whatever adjustments necessary to accommodate guests coming and going throughout the evening.

There will be many emails and FB messages to keep everyone up to date on the latest Kartmania 8 news. Stay tuned and go register now! www.bikereg.com/nhka