4/4/2026
Black Canyon Raceway
Black Canyon Raceway Kicks Off Season with Action-Packed Opening Night
Despite a week of heavy rainfall that left the infield waterlogged and pit area saturated, Black Canyon Raceway officials worked diligently to prepare the racing surface, allowing opening night to proceed successfully. Their efforts paid off, as 50 karts signed in to compete in an exciting start to the season.
In the Restricted Box Stock division, Neva Crow set the pace in qualifying with a lap time of 15.22 seconds. Skylar Tweedie carried strong momentum into the heat race, capturing the win, and continued that dominance in the main event. Tweedie secured the victory, followed by Crow in second and Kobe Burman in third.
The K1 RaceGear Box Stock class saw Reed Gaythwaite deliver an impressive performance in qualifying, setting a new track record with a time of 13.13 seconds. Heat race wins were split between Blake Rollag and Levi Green. In the main event, Green took control early, seizing the lead on lap one and maintaining it for all 20 laps to claim the victory. Gaythwaite finished second, with Jayce Stephenson rounding out the podium in third.
In the Hammer Down Trucking 250 division, Bryce Tomassi established a new track record in qualifying with a blistering 11.104-second lap. Mason Martin won the heat race and carried that momentum into the main event, where he captured the win. Tomassi finished second, while Mason Green completed the top three.
The Bell Helmets Open 500 class featured a strong turnout for opening night. Matt Crace earned quick time honors with an 11.141-second lap, while heat race victories went to Kyle Tellstrom and Crace in caution-filled preliminaries. The main event delivered high drama, as early contact between Mason Muraia and Kyle Tellstrom resulted in Muraia’s kart flipping. Both drivers recovered and rejoined at the rear of the field. After multiple cautions and a late decision to finish with a green-white-checkered restart, Bentley Hull led the field to green. Tellstrom challenged on the outside and, on the final lap, drove deep into turn three to complete the pass and secure the win. Hull finished second, with Muraia charging back to an impressive third-place finish.
In the Caged Clone division, Troy Blanton topped qualifying with a lap time of 13.784 seconds against a field of 16 competitors. Kyle Tellstrom won the first heat after starting from the rear, while Tillie Blanton captured the second heat. The main event featured an intense battle at the front, particularly between Kyle Tellstrom and Casey Tillman. The two drivers raced side by side for nearly half the event, constantly trading positions while working both the inside and outside grooves. Each line proved effective at different points in the race, making for a highly competitive and technical duel. Tellstrom ultimately gained the advantage and secured the lead, fending off continued challenges from Tillman and Lucas Tellstrom. At the checkered flag, Kyle Tellstrom took the win, followed by Casey Tillman in second and Lucas Tellstrom in third. Troy Blanton recovered from an early setback to finish fourth, while Tillie Blanton rounded out the top five.
Black Canyon Raceway is off next week and returns to action April 17th.
Submitted By: Andrew Richardson