CHESTERTOWN – On Saturday night at Nicholson Speedway, an asphalt track tucked among the fields in Chestertown, Maryland, locals showed up to the World Karting Association (WKA) races held there to watch their favorite drivers compete. Few in Cecil and surrounding counties know about this fast-paced sport, and fewer know that it exists on the local scene. Some drivers are hobbyists, while others take inspiration from karting legends who went on to become NASCAR drivers such as Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano, Kyle Larson, and Kyle Busch.
One local karting team, Liam Anderson Motorsports, LLC, is racing to bring exposure to the local karting world. Their Kart & Crew Chief, Shawn Anderson, said that karting is just as important a sport as any other, and it involves much more than getting behind the wheel and hitting the gas. “Racing is a STEM field, there are many components that have to come together to win,” said Shawn. STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Shawn stated that karting is an ideal sport in which to get kids involved, both for competition and education.
He and Liam Anderson, Shawn’s 11-year-old son and the driver of the team’s #18 Coyote chassis, have to communicate every aspect of the kart’s functionality before and after each race to make the kart do what Liam needs for improvement. For example, this Saturday night, Shawn had to prep the k-member on the chassis to create more flexibility, which helped Liam’s steering become more responsive. “The car felt better when my dad made the adjustment. The steering reacted faster, and I gained almost a half a second,” Liam said.
While Liam was not competing for positions, since he normally races in the Sportsman 206 class and raced with the Cadet class due to low attendance, he did beat his fastest lap time at Nicholson, coming in at 22.5 seconds, down from 22.9 seconds. In racing, drivers are competing with themselves as much as with other drivers, celebrating each improvement.
The improvements to Liam’s kart are made with the help of local sponsorship funding, specialty tools, and advice from other drivers, engineers, and the Coyote Motorsports family. His sponsors and donors include Crouse Auto Body, Miller’s Property Management, LLC, and Kirby’s Relic Recovery. To learn more about local kart racing, Liam Anderson Motorsports, LLC, or any of their sponsors, visit www.shopliam18.com.
