Among the drivers competing at Goodwood Kartways this weekend for round one of the Ontario Inter-Club Challenge is rookie Briggs Senior driver, Nathan Wilkie. For many drivers, their journey to Briggs Senior usually comes through racing in Junior categories or from one of the various Arrive and Drive programs throughout the province. For Nathan, his journey to Briggs Senior came from a slightly different path – indoor karting.
“I’ve always believed in myself, and I am excited that after twelve years, I am finally able to race against the best drivers in the province and build my way up to competing at the top.“
Nathan’s racing journey began twelve years ago in 2013; it was then that he took his first step into an Arrive and Drive kart. It was at that moment he was hooked. For Nathan, the track wasn’t just a casual activity, it was a place of escape, an outlet for him and his mom to decompress and spend time together. As he continued competing sporadically in Arrive and Drive, he grew to appreciate many of the competitive aspects of the sport – “I’ve always loved the speed, precision, focus, consistency and discipline that went into karting”. Finally, in 2022, he had the chance to put these into practice when he began competing at K1 Speed in Mississauga.
Little did Nathan know, but his move to K1 Speed and the indoor karting scene was a pivotal moment in his career. Arriving on the scene at K1, Nathan was met with overwhelming support for his skills behind the wheel. This positive environment was just what Nathan needed as both his new K1 friendships and rivalries pushed him to new limits and drove his driver development. This proved to be a difference maker for Nathan, as after six months competing indoors, he was swiftly crowned the K1 Speed Canadian Champion. However, his indoor prowess didn’t end there; he proceeded to double up on his dominance, adding a second Canadian title to his repertoire. Nathan’s domestic success finally came to a head when he qualified for the 2025 K1 Speed World Championship in California, where he finished a phenomenal third place.
“I’ve made great friendships and rivalries along the way that pushed me to be better and kept me in the karting world. This is significant to my racing career because without this, I probably wouldn’t still be karting.“
Accomplishing pretty much everything a driver could hope for at K1 Speed, Nathan finally made the big decision to take his talents back outdoors to compete in one of Canada’s most competitive karting classes, Briggs Senior. Although the style of racing was significantly different compared to what Nathan was familiar with, he was confident that his years building consistency, discipline and mental fortitude at K1 Speed would be the difference maker as he navigates the challenges of learning this new class.
“I’ve always wanted to race in my own kart against the best drivers, but have been limited financially. We have been saving for so long to be here in this moment now. I lost my passion and spark in the arrive and drive league, I knew I had so much more to give.“
When it came to adjusting to Briggs Senior, progression in the category has pushed Nathan to the absolute limit. For Nathan, there’s been a steep learning curve between the K1 Speed karts and his 2025 Birel ART AM 29. Speaking on his adjustment to the new kart – “Indoor karting is substantially different in terms of handling, speed, and weight of the kart, so it’s a steep learning curve. Before, I was constantly used to having to adapt to different karts that I was assigned. Now, I have the feeling that the kart is “Too Good”. I am not used to the kart doing exactly what I want, when I want it, and with the steering and brakes being super sensitive as well, it is very difficult to adjust to. This has been an ongoing battle throughout the start of the season, but I have been making steady progress in adjusting to the nature of the kart, as well as working with my mom on making optimal setup adjustments to suit my style of driving.”
Along with getting to grips with the new handling characteristics, the racing competition has also proved to be a new challenge for the K1 Speed Champion. Although Nathan has only raced in a handful of HRKC races and the first round of Kartstars at Goodwood Kartways, navigating the large, aggressive fields and longer races has proved to be a nuanced challenge for the twenty-two-year-old. However, this hasn’t dampened Nathan’s spirits as he’s already started seeing consistent progression throughout the last HRKC events and is more motivated than ever to keep pushing towards the front.
“With everyone being super talented, the challenge has been fueling me, and I promise you I will rise to the challenge and be racing at the top soon enough.“
A possible aid to his Briggs Senior progression is his experience as a driver coach for both indoor karting and Arrive and Drive. – “I think my experience as a coach has definitely helped me as a driver. I had always struggled with putting into words what I am doing on the track, but coaching has really pushed me to work on that skillset and helps me conceptualize and solidify my understanding of what I am talking about.” Coaching has also helped Nathan improve his communication skills, particularly in terms of collaborating with his mom and mechanic on setup direction and strategy.
With his first regional race of Kartstars in the rear-view mirror, Nathan’s sights are on the Ontario Inter-Club Race this weekend at Goodwood Kartways. Supporting him this weekend is the group at Prime Powerteam, which Nathan had been impressed with so far. Knowing that he has the support of the Prime team behind him, providing him with set-up direction, data coaching, and detailed analysis of his driving made a significant difference for him last weekend, and he’s excited about the continued support into this weekend’s Inter-Club race.
Reflecting on his personal goals entering this weekend and beyond, Nathan is looking to push himself harder every race and continue to prove himself and the karting world that he belongs at the sharp end of competition.
We’re excited to keep up with Nathan on his karting journey and are keen to track his improvement throughout the rest of this Canadian Karting season.
