Go-kart racers compete at K1 Speed for state title
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Hilliard's K1 Speed hosts Ohio's state championship races this weekend. Photo: Courtesy of K1 Speed
As our roads recover from the winter storm, some of Central Ohio's fastest driving may come indoors at Hilliard's K1 Speed this weekend.
Driving the news: The track hosts Ohio's 2026 state championship Saturday, a chance for the state's best kart racers to punch their tickets to the national championship in California.
- There, they'll compete for a shot at qualification for the E-World Championship, which boasts a $79,000 prize pool and a chance to draw Porsche Motorsport eyeballs.
How it works: These aren't the karts from your local putt-putt course. They're light and nimble, with instantly delivered electric power topping out at 45 mph.
- Despite their speed, anyone can drive these quick karts — on a trip to K1, you'll see adults and kids alike whipping around the track, the latter often leading.
Case in point: One of the fastest locals is 16-year-old Hilliard Bradley sophomore Ace Roland, who got into karting in 2022 because he liked watching NASCAR.
- The expensive, exclusive world of motorsports is notoriously difficult to break into for the average person — but at K1, Roland has found his way into racing.
- A regular at K1's leagues, he hopes to qualify for California this weekend.
What they're saying: The state championship is a "chance to prove myself on a big stage," Roland tells Axios — one of the best parts about a sport that's all about winning.
- "You can jump right in and race," he says. "You can join the leagues — you can go through these steps I'm going through, from the leagues to the states to going to California. Anybody can do this, if you're good enough."
📍 Stop by: Races begin at 8am Saturday, 3700 Fishinger Blvd., Hilliard.
- You can watch for free.
Finding pure bliss on the track
Roland is right, anybody can drive these karts — so I took them for a spin and had a revelatory time.
The intrigue: I'm no racing enthusiast, but I enjoy a sense of speed and had had fun driving go-karts before, so I wanted to get the K1 experience.
What's inside: I signed up for three races (12 laps each) and got a quick tutorial as general manager Michael Wilson and his team showed me the ropes.
- With the right racing line, you can take the track without braking, they told me — if you're brave enough.
By my second race, I had unlocked some kind of flow state.
- I had cut my 34-second lap down to 32. I wasn't braking anymore. My hands ached from gripping the wheel too tightly and my face hurt from beaming under my helmet.
- Karts are so much faster than you think, and with no power steering and no cushion, you will feel the strain and any bumps against the wall.
Between the lines: Instructor Michael Kinney gave me a lesson for my final race, showing me his ideal racing line.
- I improved my best time to 30.5 seconds, which might as well have been 20 minutes slower than Roland's 28.6, the fastest of the week.
💭 My thought bubble: I grew up with go-karts at Magic Mountain (RIP) and had no idea how much fun I'd have at K1.
- It helped to race on a nearly empty track and have someone instructing me, but the experience genuinely made me consider joining K1's adult leagues.
🏎️ If you go: To race, a required $8.50 annual license gets you stats and use of rental equipment, with various racing packages ranging from $28 to $68.
