K-Gene Racing
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K-Gene Racing is a family based race team lead by Driver Karson Elkins.
🏁 IT’S RACE DAY! 🏁
The day we’ve been waiting for is finally here — Midwest Nationals! 🔥
Karson will be competing today in both the High School Class and Jr. Dragster as we get closer to the end of his Jr. Dragster career.
If you’re here at the track, come say hi! 👋 We’ll be doing autograph sessions throughout the day, except when we’re on the track racing.
Come find us, grab a picture, get an autograph, and cheer Karson on! 🏁🔥
K-Gene Racing #1423
#1423
09/27/2026
STORY TIME:
The Midwest Nationals was me and Karsons boys’ trip. This is where it all began. ❤️🏁
When Karson was little, he and I would go every year. He used to tell me, “Dad, I’m going to be a racer one day.”
I would always tell him, “Yes, buddy. You can do anything you put your mind to.”
But honestly, I never really thought I would see that dream come true.
Back then, we would sit in the stands and bet on which lane would win. We didn’t even understand what all the numbers on the scoreboard meant besides MPH. 😂 We were just two guys enjoying the races together.
Fast-forward several years, and Karson came to me and asked if he could drag race.
I had absolutely no idea what I was doing or what any of it meant. So I started researching. The more I learned, the more I realized how serious the sport was about safety and how much safety equipment was required. That helped sway his mom and me into starting the search for a car.
We eventually found one in Columbus, Ohio and made the trip.
That trip changed everything.
The junior dragster dad we bought the car from spent time explaining what to do and how to drive the car. I took pages of notes and recorded videos of him explaining how everything worked.
When we left Ohio, I’m not going to lie I still had no idea what I was doing.
But I knew one thing…
We were going to figure it out together.
I reached out to an old high school friend who had grown up racing junior dragsters. She told me to call Cameron Thomas.
So I called him, not really knowing what to expect.
He instantly became a friend, a mentor, and someone who helped guide us through those early days. I learned a tremendous amount in a very short time.
Then the years started flying by.
And now, here we are.
I can proudly sit here and say that Karson has qualified to race at the NHRA Midwest Nationals three years in a row.
And this year, during his final season before aging out of Junior Dragster, he can proudly hold his head high as the NHRA Jr. Lightning Champion. 🏆
The amount of work, dedication, sacrifice, late nights, early mornings, victories, losses, broken parts, lessons learned, and memories that went into making this happen is something I will cherish forever.
I am proud beyond words of the young man I have watched grow up right in front of me.
I watched him find his passion.
I watched him chase it.
And most importantly, I watched him exceed his own expectations and shine.
Karson, I am truly proud of you.
I will always be your biggest fan, no matter what you do or where this road takes you. ❤️
I’m going to miss the Junior Dragster days more than I can probably put into words. The little car, the trailer, the long weekends, the pits, the friendships, the wins, the losses -all of it.
But as hard as it is to see this chapter coming to an end, I’m even more excited to see what the next chapter brings.
From a little boy sitting beside his dad in the stands, dreaming about becoming a racer…
To the NHRA Jr. Lightning Champion.
What a ride it has been.
And the best part?
We’re not done yet.
🏁❤️🏆
09/24/2026
🏁 7 DAYS UNTIL MIDWEST NATIONALS!
We are officially one week away from the biggest event of the year!
Karson has worked incredibly hard all season to qualify for the opportunity to race with some of the best in the world at the NHRA Midwest Nationals. This will be his second-to-last race in a Jr. Dragster, as he is quickly approaching the age-out.
We were also invited to run the High School class at this event, which makes this weekend even more special.
It’s crazy to think about where this all started. Midwest Nationals is where Karson and I saw our very first Jr. Dragster. At the time, we never could have imagined that years later, we would actually be part of the show, racing alongside some of the best racers in the world. It’s still surreal.
This journey has given us so many incredible experiences, friendships, memories, wins, losses, and lessons that we will carry with us forever. ❤️🏁
Next year, we’ll be on the other side of the fence watching the races instead of being part of the Jr. Dragster show. Karson is ready for the next adventure in his S-10, and we couldn’t be more excited to see where that takes him.
October is going to be a busy month!
➡️ Midwest Nationals
➡️ Karson starts college
➡️ He’s chasing the final TRG Motorsports 7.90 Heads-Up Championship
He is currently tied for 1st place with his girlfriend, Tori. Karson has decided he wants to run the 7.0 class on the final weekend of the racing season!
A lot is happening, and we’re going to enjoy every second of it.
For now, here’s a photo dump from the last few races that I never got around to posting. The last few weeks have been absolutely crazy busy, but we wouldn’t trade it for anything.
7 days… and we’ll be back at Midwest Nationals.
From watching our first Jr. Dragster there to now getting the opportunity to race on that same stage — what a ride it has been. 🏁❤️
LET’S GO, KARSON! #1423
K-Gene Racing 🏁🔥
🏁 IT’S RACE WEEKEND! 🏁
We’re headed to Sikeston Dragway for another weekend of racing! 🔥
After this weekend, there will be just TWO WEEKEND RACES LEFT in Karson’s final Junior Dragster season. It’s definitely bittersweet watching this chapter of his racing career come to an end. So many memories, friendships, wins, losses, late nights, early mornings, and countless hours at the track have brought us to this point. ❤️🏁
But before we close the book on Junior Dragsters, there’s still plenty of racing left!
🔥 NEXT UP — NHRA MIDWEST NATIONALS
📅 October 2–4
📍 World Wide Technology Raceway
Karson has worked all season long to earn the opportunity to qualify and race at the NHRA Midwest Nationals—in front of tens of thousands of fans, surrounded by some of the best racers in the world. 🤘🔥
Getting to experience the atmosphere of an NHRA national event and compete alongside the top names in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and more is something we’ll never forget.
From a kid starting out in a Junior Dragster to now preparing to race on one of the biggest stages in drag racing…
What a journey it has been. 🏁❤️
Two Junior Dragster races left.
One incredible chapter coming to an end.
And a whole new chapter waiting around the corner.
Let’s go racing! 🔥🏁
#1423
🏁 IT’S RACE DAY! 🏁
After today, we’ll have just 3 races left until Karson’s final Jr. Dragster season comes to an end! 🏆🔥(Video from final bracket points race)
What a season it has been. From the highs and lows, tough rounds, broken parts, close points battles, and championship pressure we’ve made memories that will last a lifetime.
Now it’s time to enjoy these final races and make every pass count. 💪🏼
The bracket racing championship may be locked in, but we’re not done yet! 😈🏁 We have one more points championship to win.
Let’s go, Karson! Get up there, stay focused, make clean passes, and let’s go racing!
K-Gene Racing Team #1423
🏆 2026 NHRA Jr. Lightning Champion
🏆 2026 No Box Nationals Champion
🏁 6 Wins on season
3 races left in the Jr. Dragster journey.
08/25/2026
4 FINAL JR RACES BEFORE RETIREMENT. 2 MORE GOALS LEFT- WIN MIDWEST NATIONALS AND THE TRG HEADS UP CHAMPIONSHIP POINT SERIES.
Saturday August 29th -TGR Motorsports 7.90 Heads Up Mafia Index Points Race
Saturday, September 12-Sunday September 14th Skelton Raceway Jr Race
Friday, October 2-Sunday October 4th - NHRA Midwest Nationals Final
Friday, October 23-Saturday October 24th-Championship Finals for TGR Motorsports 7.90 Heads Up Mafia Index Points Race
🏆 2026 JR LIGHTING CHAMPIONS! 🏆
KARSON DID IT! He is officially the 2026 Jr Lighting Champion! 🏆🏁
It wasn’t easy. Not even close. This video is one to remember. The very moment we 💯 secured the championship.
Saturday started with our time runs being cut short by what we thought was a coil malfunction. We managed to make it through a few rounds, putting ourselves in a great position to potentially secure the championship by winning two rounds.
But the current 3rd-place points leader had other plans. He went on to win the entire event, leaving only a handful of points between him and Karson heading into Sunday.
Sunday morning, we knew exactly what we had to do is stay a few rounds ahead and keep our focus.
Time runs went perfectly. Then came 1st round.
The car sputtered all the way down the track, and Karson lost.
Suddenly, the stress level went through the roof.
We went over the entire car and couldn’t find the problem. Then, during the first call for 2nd round, the car wouldn’t even start.
I decided to check the coil one more time.
And there it was.
The coil we put on Saturday was BAD. That was the problem all along.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have another high-performance coil with us. But giving up has never been an option.
I had a new coil that wasn’t even designed for a high-performance go-kart motor. I threw it on anyway.
The car fired.
We had no RPM reading, so Karson had to go strictly by the sound of the motor.
We made it to the 2nd round chip draw and saw something that immediately caught our attention—the 2nd and 3rd place points leaders were racing each other.
Karson pulled up to the starting line and did what he had to do.
WIN. 🏁
Then our biggest threat went down the track against the other points contender—and LOST.
That was an emotional moment.
We knew one more round would officially clinch the championship.
Karson went back up and WON AGAIN. 🔥
And then came the moment that makes a dad incredibly proud…
Karson drove himself into the Jr Lighting final.
Under all the pressure, with a championship on the line, a car that had fought us all weekend, no RPM reading, and everything riding on every pass—he kept his composure and executed.
He finished with 2nd place points for the day, securing the 2026 JR LIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP! 🏆🏆🏆
What a way to finish it.
This one is definitely bittersweet. This was Karson’s final season in the Jr Lighting division, and what a way to close the chapter.
He didn’t just win a championship.
He showed us what he is made of when everything went wrong.
He stayed calm. He trusted his car. He trusted himself. And most importantly HE NEVER GAVE UP.
I couldn’t be more proud of you, Karson. ❤️
🏆 2026 JR LIGHTING CHAMPION 🏆
One division down.
ONE MORE TO GO. (TRG 7.90 HEADS UP INDEX)
And in about 5 weeks, we’ll be heading to the NHRA Midwest Nationals to chase that next goal. 🏁🔥
Thank you to everyone who has supported or helped out Karson, K-Gene Racing Team, and our family throughout this journey. We couldn’t do it without you.
THE KING HAS BEEN CROWNED. 👑🏆
08/23/2026
I present to you, the Jr Lighting 2026 Champion Karson Elkins. What an emotional day!
Yesterday was a day full of ups and downs! 🏁
During our first time run, we broke down on the track. Then, during our second time run, we broke right at the starting line. After going through everything and chasing the issue down, we finally found the problem — the coil!
We changed it out and got back after it, making it through the 1st and 2nd rounds. Unfortunately, we came up short in the 3rd round, which made the championship points VERY close! 😬
Today is the final day, and to secure the championship, we need to win 3 rounds. 🏆
Anything can happen in racing, and we know there are no guarantees. We just need to stay calm, stay focused, and take it one round at a time.
Time to put it all on the line. 💪🔥
LET’S GO KARSON! 🏁🏆
08/22/2026
🏆 CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND IS HERE! 🏁🔥
It’s finally here! The weekend we’ve been waiting for all season. Who will be crowned champion?
Will Karson finally capture the championship? 🏆 Or will another racer make a late-season charge and steal it away? This weekend, we find out!
Karson has had an incredible final Jr. Dragster season. He has been sitting #1 in points all season long, but the championship is far from over. Several racers are within striking distance, and every single round this weekend could change everything.
We are running High School Division today as well. Karson is currently sitting tied for 3rd place!
We’ve also got more racing on the schedule with the Midwest Nationals in beginning of October and three more races for the TRG 7.90 Heads-Up Series.
This is what we’ve worked for all year. 💪🏁
One final weekend. One final push. Leave it all on the track.
Let’s see if Karson can finish his final Jr. Dragster season as a Lightning Jr Series CHAMPION! 🏆🔥
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Alton, IL
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