THE STORY SO FAR…

Preston Carlson’s interest in karting began in February 2024 after a trip to K1 Speed. Despite having never driven anything before, Preston nearly beat his dad his first time behind the wheel. It didn’t take long for a fun outing to turn into something more serious.

A few months later, Preston’s dad challenged him to find a good used Tony Kart, confident that he wouldn’t be able to find one. Preston proved him wrong. Within a week, he found a used Tony Kart on eBay and the two made the purchase while Preston’s mom was out of town. The new kart may have gotten Dad into a little hot water when she returned, but in May 2024, Preston officially began his karting journey.

Preston’s first kart also put him behind the wheel of a KA100, an ambitious place to start for someone with no previous karting or racing experience. The speed and responsiveness of a 100cc two-stroke kart meant there was plenty to learn, but Preston adapted quickly and before long was eager to start competing in local events.

Dad had other plans. Before he would even consider putting Preston on a starting grid with other drivers, he required him to complete 1,500 practice laps. Those laps gave Preston time to learn the kart, develop consistency, understand how it reacted at the limit, and build the fundamentals he would need once he was surrounded by other racers.

In 2025, with those laps and countless hours of practice behind him, Preston made the move into competitive racing at his home track, KCKA in Liberty, Missouri. He now competes in both KA100 and LO206, racing #953 in KA100 and #655 in LO206.

KA100 remains his favorite class, but Preston enjoys racing just about anything on four wheels. His focus for 2026 is gaining race experience, improving his racecraft, and becoming a more complete driver.

Looking ahead to 2027, Preston plans to take the next step by competing in larger regional and national karting events while continuing to develop both on and off the track.