Colin Warren won both Senior Light and Senior Medium championships at the CKNA South Division (Photo: AG Digital Content)

The Cup Karts North America program is celebrating its 10th season in 2023. The family-friendly racing series is based around the Briggs & Stratton 206 engine platform which has rejuvenated the grassroots karting movement across North America over the last decade. As the leader in grassroots regional racing, CKNA has grown into four different divisions that run from Eastern Canada down to the southern tip of the United States.

The 2023 schedule began with the South Division, opening up the season with the Winter Nationals before trips to Mississippi, Florida, and South Carolina for the finale. New for the 2023 season was the North East Division, which began at the Spring Nationals in Charlotte. Events in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania highlighted the series’ inaugural season. The ‘OG’ division is the North, which featured four races in four different Great Lakes states. The new-in-2022 Canada Division expanded to three events this year with the season started with a race in Quebec and capped with a pair of events in Ontario.

All the programs and races have helped to build the excitement for the Cup Karts North America Grand Nationals 7, which are set to return to New Castle Motorsports Park in New Castle, Indiana on September 28-October 1. Featuring 385 entries in 2022, the event is expected to break the 400-entry mark this year to make it one of the largest karting events of the season in North America, and around the world.

Before the engines rumble in New Castle for the 2023 CKNA Grand Nationals, EKN would like to recognize a handful of drivers who were able to claim divisional championships.

Cup Karts North America 2023 Champions Profile

South Division: Senior Light and Senior Medium Champion

Colin Warren

Colin Warren (Photo: AG Digital Content)

Hometown: Naples, Florida
Age: 26
Occupation: Driver Coach
Kart: VLR
Sponsors: TS Racing, RLV Tuned Exhaust

The ‘Billy Musgrave’ or ‘Randy Fulks’ of the Cup Karts North America Grand Nationals is Colin Warren. The driver from Florida has garnered seven different victories over the first six years of the CKNA Grand Nationals, dating back to three wins at the inaugural event in 2017. The double round weekend saw Warren sweep the wins in the Senior Medium class (full bodywork) before winning the Sunday main event of the CIK Medium division. He won a third in the Senior Medium the following year before adding his fifth total at the CKNA Grand Nationals with his first victory in Senior Light class in 2020. Warren repeated that win in 2021, which was a double win performance on the weekend with victory in the Senior Medium category to bring his total seven over six years. No other driver has more than two wins at the CKNA Grand Nationals aside from Warren.

Warren came into the 2023 season as the defending champion in both the Senior Light and Senior Medium categories at the Cup Karts North America South Division. Victory at the CKNA Winter Nationals in Jacksonville for the Light class started out a four-win stretch in the championship chase. Colin doubled up in the win column at the Finishline Performance Karting facility in Biloxi, Mississippi. The third event at Monticello Karting facility in northern Florida began with a win before placing second to Dylan Amundsen to end his win streak. A sixth straight podium result at the Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, SC helped to secure another CKNA South Division title.

The Senior Medium championship went down to the wire. Warren opened the season with runner-up to Owen Lloyd at the Winter Nationals. Colin doubled down in Biloxi to take over the championship lead with his only two wins of the season in the category. A rough weekend at Monticello resulted in a best finish of fourth on Saturday before recording 10th place result the following day. Warren came back with a runner-up result at the opening round of the Kershaw weekend before recording another fourth-place result. The South division, counting the best five of seven rounds, went in the favor of Warren as he claimed the championship by 33 points over Lloyd – who had five podium finishes of his own.

1. When and where did you start karting?

CW: I started when I was 4 years old in 2001. The track was West Coast Karting in Naples, Florida.

2. Why do you compete at the CKNA?

CW: I feel like CKNA always has a very high bar in terms of competition. I also feel like the staff that run the series are some of the best and friendliest in karting. It really makes every event very enjoyable and fun to be at.

3. What’s your favorite track to compete at?

CW: I really enjoy New Castle Motorsports Park.

4. Who do you look at as your primary challengers in each event?

CW: Dylan Amundsen, Owen Lloyd, Christopher McKeithan, James Overbeck, Brandon Jarsocrak, Mick Gabriel are some of the names.

5. Are you racing at the CKNA Grand Nationals 7, and if so, what’s your goal for the event?

CW: I will be racing CKNA Grand Nationals in both Senior Light and Senior Medium. My goal is definitely to win both.

Share on Facebook

Tweet