Canadians Invading Cup Karts Grand Nationals…Again!

Back home again, in Indiana, for Cup Karts North America.

Next week, the biggest four-cycle karting event in the world will take to the track at New Castle Motorsports Park in Indiana, USA, for the ninth time.

Cup Karts North America’s Grand Nationals 9 will once again fill the massive paddock at NCMP, and once again, Canadian karters are making their way south for this special event. It’s a little earlier in the season this time around, too, putting it just before the end of the Canadian karting season, which may be the reason there’s a slightly smaller contingent of Canadians competing this time around.

As of the time of writing, there are 534 entries registered for the event, with several categories sold out, including Senior Medium, which has a whopping 102 drivers. ENTRY LIST

Canadian racers are no strangers to the Grands, with CKNA setting up ‘Canada Corner’ in the paddock for the Canadian drivers and teams to set up their pit spots. This year, there are currently 87 Canadian entries for the event, just shy of 20% of the grand total. We’ve also secured a number of victories at the event over the years, including Jayden Francisco last year in an epic Briggs Cadet Feature.

The CKNA Grands welcomes grassroots racers from all four corners of North America and pits them all together for one massive event that everyone wants to be a part of. Briggs & Stratton is always a huge part of the event as well, helping produce some special events during the race, including the Out of the Box challenge, where teams are given a brand new engine, and they have to prepare it as fast as possible before taking to the track for a showcase race. Last year, a team unboxed and bolted on a race-ready engine in less than 3 minutes.

The week also features hundreds of door prizes raffled off to the racers, one of the highlights of every Cup Karts event, as a way of giving back to all of the racers who support an event, whether they finish on the podium or not.

The Cup Karts Canada Division will also highlight its top finishers on Thursday at the annual CKNA Championship banquet, celebrating all four of the CKNA regional divisions and handing out a ton of great prizes and trophies.

Racers will get the opportunity to race under the lights again at New Castle. The class groups will rotate on Friday and Saturday, giving everyone the chance to drive the NCMP circuit during the daytime and evening hours, although Friday night’s sessions will run later into the night than Saturday’s, as the event makes room for the Briggs Out of the Box Challenge Saturday night.

One of the coolest new opportunities this week comes from the sponsorship of Toyota Gazoo Racing North America. As the presenting sponsor of Grand Nationals 9, a number of racers will win an amazing opportunity. The top 3 finishers in Senior Light and Senior Medium will be invited to the “GR Cup Racer Camp”, a 3-day training experience hosted by Toyota Racing Development in Mooresville, North Carolina, to assess every aspect of the motorsports athlete. In the camp, racers will be tested in real-world settings for strength, reactions, heat, and stamina. Full story on these awards can be found here.

Move in for the event starts on Wednesday, September 24. Thursday will feature a full day of practice for everyone. Friday and Saturday will see racers qualify and run through a number of heat races setting up for championship Sunday, which will start with the Last Chance Qualifiers followed by a full day of Championship Finals to determine the 2025 CKNA Grand National Champions. EVENT SCHEDULE V1

For those who can’t make it to Indiana, CKNA Grand Nationals 9 will air on Kart Chaser. Friday and Saturday will be free to watch on YouTube, while Sunday’s races will be available to KC Premium members. https://www.youtube.com/@KartChaser

Special Canadian Driver Digital Photo Service Available from CKN!

Racers, you won’t want to forget your trip to New Castle to compete in the biggest Briggs race of the season.

Included in the package is a wide variety of digital photos delivered to you daily from the Grand Nationals at New Castle Motorsports Park.

Photos will be available through Dropbox for easy access and sharing.

As this event is massive, PLEASE PRE-ORDER online or by email to ensure the best selection of images from the race weekend.

Order here: https://www.canadiankartingnews.com/store/2025-CKNA-GRAND-NATIONALS-9-PHOTO-SERVICE-p782135865

Canadian driver line up for CKNA Grand Nationals 9