June 30, 2025

Carts buzz the local track in competition

By Jocelyn Sheets
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A little old-school — Larry Killam of Ankeny (right) and Drew Janssen of Pella (left) kneel by Killam’s original 1978 Yamah go-cart which he brought to the Newton Kart Klub track this week during the 2013 IKF 2-Cycle Grand Nationals. They had it on the track Thursday during a break in the competition. Janssen is a two-time IKF champion driver and Killam owns Killam Racing and Killam Engines. (Jocelyn Sheets)

Going old-school a bit, go-cart veteran Larry Killam brought out his 1978 Yamaha cart and put it through a few rounds of the Newton Kart Klub race track Thursday afternoon. Killam, who owns Killam Racing and Killam Engines in Ankeny, and others were here for the 2013 International Kart Federation 2-Cycle Grand Nationals.

"I was just trying to remember when," Killam said. "This is an original 1978 Yamaha cart with the Yamaha engine as they came from the factory.

"The differences from today's carts are this engine is on backwards with the exhaust on the front like they came off the motorcycles. Also the technology of the sport has come a hundred miles since then."

Killam has been involved in go-cart racing since 1982.

The top drivers in the two-cycle speedway classes were winding up four days of competition in the IKS 2-Cycle Grand Nationals at the local go-cart track. The Newton Kart Klub entered its 40th year of operation as a family-owned business this year.

The Newton track is on East Fifth Street South. The Newton Kart Klub was founed in 1974 by Ed and Dixie Peterson. It is now owned by Wes Stierwald and operated by promoter Josh Peterson, grandson of the track’s founders.