WEEDSPORT, NY (June 16, 2026) – Weedsport Kartway will return to action on Sunday, June 28 with the Pencils Down Showdown. The kartway’s third event of the season will also feature a new tire rule for all divisions.
Following qualifying for all divisions, tires will be impounded in the kartway’s tech building. Teams will then put those same tires back on their karts just prior to their feature event, limiting teams to only one set of competition tires per class.
No cleaning or wiping of tires will be permitted following qualifying, or prior to the main event, only tire pressure adjustments will be permitted. A complete and detailed listing of the new rules can be found at https://www.weedsportspeedway.com/kartway/.
The annual Pencils Down Showdown will feature 10 divisions in action including a $100 PRO Jr. Blue Clone main and a $500 PRO Clone 375 finale.
Seven divisions including Jr. Red Clone, Jr. Green Clone, Jr. Purple Clone, Jr. Blue Clone, Clone Light, Clone Heavy and Clone Super Heavy will also contend in points racing for the Weedsport Kartway championship leather jacket, presented by Independent Pizzeria and Infinit Technology Solutions.
The Jr. Red Clone division is currently lead by recent feature winner, Julian Gamble. Gamble leads Bryce Bartlett by just 9-points with Austin Shutts, Brantley Waldron, Alex Nutting and Colton Baldwin close behind.
Jr. Green Clone currently sees four drivers within 9-points of the top spot, currently held by Nolan Schroy. Defending Red Clone champion, Maximus Wallace, rides second ahead of Michael Kapuscinski, Owen Alger and Jackson Knight in the front five positions.
Mason Sharts leads Jr. Purple Clone after May 31 with Mason Kiah and Rory Yaw in tow.
Kaleb Kiah holds the lead in Jr. Blue Clone ahead of Laina Stewart, Landon Levey and Dodge Smith.
Seth Whitney is the current leader in Clone Light and Clone Heavy with Adam Kouk riding as the high point main in Clone Super Heavy.
Rookie Red Clone will also return to the weekly lineup, with FREE driver entry, although they will not contend for points during the season.
Pre-Registration for Sunday’s event is available online by visiting https://weedsportspeedway.ticketspice.com/2026-pencils-down-showdown.
Points class pre-registration is $35, PRO Jr. Blue is $40, with PRO Clone 375 set at $50. Entry fees go up $10 if registering on the day of the event. Member driver pit passes are $10, non-member driver pit passes are $15, with spectator/crew passes set at $20.
Pit gates will open on Sunday at 8:30 a.m. with the driver’s meeting set for 10:30 a.m. and hot laps at 11 a.m. Qualifying will begin at approximately Noon. Rookie Red Clone and Jr. Red Clone will qualify through heat races, while all other classes will time trial.
Teams are encouraged to visit the kartway’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/weedsportkartway to utilize the online link for membership. Membership for each class is once again $50 and drivers must be a paid member to compete for points this season.
Memberships are also available for Rookie Red Clone, despite not competing for points in 2026.
Member prize giveaways will continue in 2026, with gift cards provided by the Pit Stop Convenience Store along with tires from Burris Racing Tire.
Further questions in regards to the 2026 Weedsport Kartway season can be directed to Bob Thurston via email at bob@weedsportspeedway.com.
Visit www.weedsportspeedway.com or follow Weedsport Kartway via Facebook at www.facebook.com/weedsportkartway and Twitter @WeedsportSpdwy for more information.
Sunday, June 28 – Pencils Down Showdown
Rookie Red Clone
Points Races (7 classes)
PRO Blue $100 to win
PRO 375 $500 to win
Sunday, July 19 – Summer Nationals
Rookie Red Clone
Points Races (7 classes)
PRO Purple $100 to win
PRO 375 $500 to win
Sunday, August 30 – Short Port Shootout
Rookie Red Clone
Points Races (7 classes)
PRO Green $100 to win
PRO 375 $500 to win
Sunday, September 20 – James Shutts Memorial
Rookie Red Clone
Points Races (7 classes)
PRO Blue $100 to win
PRO 375 $500 to win
PRO Super Heavy $1,000 to win
Saturday, October 17 – Octoberfest (Rain Date: October 18)
Rookie Red Clone
Points Races (7 classes)
PRO Green, Purple, Blue $100 to win
PRO Super Heavy $500 to win
PRO 375 $1,000 to win
Points Classes:
Jr. Red Clone (5-8 yrs. old, 225 lbs.) – Big Pipe, Open Clutch
Jr. Green Clone (7-10 yrs. old, 250 lbs.) – Big Pipe, Open Clutch
Jr. Purple Clone (9-13 yrs. old, 275 lbs.) – Big Pipe, Open Clutch
Jr. Blue Clone (12-15 yrs. old, 310 lbs.) – Big Pipe, Open Clutch
Clone Light (15 & up, 340 lbs.) – Big Pipe, Open Clutch
Clone Heavy (15 & up, 375 lbs.) – Big Pipe, Open Clutch
Clone Super Heavy (15 & up, Driver 200 lbs. w/gear – overall 400 lbs.) – Big Pipe, Open Clutch
PRO Classes:
PRO Jr. Green Clone (7-10 yrs. old, 250 lbs.) – Big Pipe, Open Clutch
PRO Jr. Purple Clone (9-13 yrs. old, 275 lbs.) – Big Pipe, Open Clutch
PRO Jr. Blue Clone (12-15 yrs. old, 310 lbs.) – Big Pipe, Open Clutch
PRO Clone 375 (15 & up, 375 lbs.) – Big Pipe, Open Clutch
Rookie Class:
Rookie Jr. Red Clone (4-7 yrs. old, 225 lbs.) – Big Pipe, Open Clutch, 14-58 Gear Rule
All regular Weedsport classes will compete using the Burris 33A tire.
About Weedsport Speedway: Officially opened for the first time on July 24, 1955 – the Weedsport Speedway 3/8 mile dirt oval has produced a legendary list of drivers and champions including Will Cagle, Danny Johnson, Bob McCreadie, Alan Johnson, Jack Johnson, and Dave Lape to name a few. In 2018, Weedsport introduced the all-new Weedsport Kartway, just outside of the Speedway’s main pit area, to begin to foster the next generation of racers, crew members and race fans. Couple the racing with state-of-the-art camping and track amenities, unmatched on-site television production capabilities, plus the ability for large scale concert productions and Weedsport is one of the marquee entertainment venues in the country.