IKF · America’s oldest karting body
IKF Grand Nationals And the Duffy, karting’s oldest trophy
One weekend a year where every IKF sprint class crowns a national champion, and the winner takes home a bronze statuette named for one of the people who started karting. The host track changes every year. In 2026 Tri-C ran it at Spring Mountain.
The short version
What are the IKF Grand Nationals?
The International Kart Federation is the oldest karting organization in the US, founded in 1957. Its Sprint Grand Nationals is a single weekend that crowns a national champion in each class. It isn’t a series and there’s no points season leading into it: you enter, race three days, and the Grand Final decides it.
Every year a different club hosts it at a different track. Tri-C Karters, the SoCal club, hosted the 2026 event at Spring Mountain in Pahrump. It doesn’t count toward the Tri-C season, but it ran on Tri-C’s format, officials and Discord, so it felt familiar to Tri-C families.
Where the Duffy comes from
What is the Duffy award?
The Duffy is a 12-inch solid bronze statuette that IKF gives every Grand National Champion. Before 1976, champions got a TV set or a placard. IKF’s administrative director, Bob Graham, showed the board a model of the statuette in April 1976, and it was handed out for the first time at that year’s Grand Nationals. The artist Pete Millar designed the figure.
For its first five years it was the “Joe Karter” award. In January 1981 IKF renamed it for Frank “Duffy” Livingstone, who had just retired from IKF after years as a driver, mechanic, board member and past president. Livingstone was also one of the founders of Go Kart Manufacturing, one of the first companies to build karts.
From IKF’s own history page. A class needs at least 10 entries to be eligible for a Duffy.
Where it’s been
Recent IKF Sprint Grand Nationals
The host track moves every year, so this list reads straight from our SoCal karting calendar and IKF’s announcements. If a date ever disagrees, IKF is right.
- 2024Amarillo Kart Complex, Texas. Aug 2–4, nearly 130 entries in 9 classes, triple-digit heat.
- 2025K1 Circuit, Winchester. Oct 3–5, run by SKUSA. $649 entry with Friday practice and a tire set.
- 2026Spring Mountain, Pahrump. Oct 16–18, hosted by Tri-C on the full track counter-clockwise. 142 finals entries.
What a Grand Nationals weekend looks like
The 2026 Grand Nationals, hour by hour
The 2026 schedule from Tri-C (updated Oct 3), shown for 100cc KA100 Senior. Heats are 7 minutes plus a lap, the Super Heat 13 minutes plus 2 laps, the Grand Final 18 minutes plus 2 laps.
Wednesday & ThursdayMove in and sign in
- Wed 1 pmMove-in opens. Camping is allowed and the main gate is open 24 hours.
- Thu 9–4Spring Mountain’s own track practice.
- Thu 3–6Registration and transponder pick-up. Fri–Sun, 7 am–4 pm.
- Gate$20 a person for the whole event.
FridayPractice & qualifying
- 9:20Practice 17 min
- 10:00Tires must be scanned at registration, 10 am–2:45 pm, or you lose your fast qualifying lap.
- 10:50Practice 2Number panels checked from here
- 12:20Practice 3Transponder mandatory
- 12:50Drivers’ meeting. Mandatory. Micro, Mini, Cadet and Junior drivers bring a parent or mechanic.
- 2:50Practice 4Sets the qualifying grid
- 4:20Qualifying7 min · fastest gets 5 bonus points
SaturdayThree heats
- 9:04Warm-up5 min
- 10:48Heat 1Gridded by qualifying
- Lunch at noon · 60 minutes
- 1:36Heat 2Gridded by qualifying
- 2 h 54 m
- 4:30Super HeatGridded by Heat 1 + 2 points
SundayGrand Final
- 9:04Warm-up
- 3 h 30 m
- 12:35Grand Final18 min + 2 laps · for the Duffy
- 2:00Podiums for every class. Return the transponder.
How the format works
IKF Grand Nationals format: points work the other way round
At SKUSA and ROK, low points are good. At this Grand Nationals they’re high-is-good, and the Super Heat counts double. Only the Grand Final finish decides the Duffy.
1 · Qualifying
Fastest gets 5 points
Practice 4 sets the qualifying order. Qualifying sets the grid for Heats 1 and 2, and the top qualifier gets 5 bonus points.
2 · Heats 1 and 2
100 for a win
A heat win is 100 points, 2nd 95, 3rd 90, then 88, 86 and down. Points from both heats grid the Super Heat, most points at the front.
3 · Super Heat
Worth double
The Super Heat pays 200 for a win, 190 for 2nd, 180 for 3rd. All three heats plus the bonus set the Grand Final grid.
4 · Grand Final
Only this race counts
Points just set the grid. The Grand Final finishing order alone decides the champion. Ties are broken by qualifying.
What gets you penalized
Grand Nationals penalties in plain English
From the 2026 event regulations. Most of the expensive ones are about the kart, not the driving, and a parent can prevent them on Friday.
| In practice or qualifying | In a race | |
|---|---|---|
| Underweight, or didn’t weigh | Disqualified from the session | Disqualified from the session |
| Tires not scanned before qualifying | Lose your fast qualifying lap | Wrong race tires: disqualified |
| Lost chain guard, battery, wheel or camera | Lose your fast qualifying lap | Disqualified from the session |
| Battery or weight without the kart number | Lose your fast qualifying lap | 10 seconds |
| Approved engine or chassis change | 10 seconds in the next race | 10 seconds in the next race |
| Unapproved engine change | Disqualified from every earlier session, plus 10 seconds | |
| Contact you caused | Lose your fast lap | 5 s careless · 10 s reckless · DQ dangerous |
| Passing under yellow | Lose your fast qualifying lap | 15 seconds |
| Jump start or pushing at the start | – | At least 6 seconds |
| Blocking | – | At least 5 seconds |
To challenge a penalty, a guardian files in writing within 30 minutes of the official results, with the driver present. One review per race day. To report something that wasn’t called, it’s 15 minutes. Video has to be cued up on your own laptop or tablet.
2026 classes
Grand Nationals classes and ages
The nine classes Tri-C ran in 2026: IAME Swift and KA100, and Briggs LO206. A driver’s age is their age on Dec 31 of the race year.
Fuel is Sunoco Supreme 112 for the 2-strokes, with your own Elf HTX909 oil, and Sunoco 91 for the LO206s. Both sold at the track.
Finals entries by class, 2026
From the official Grand Final results. LO206 Senior was the biggest field at 39.
Who raced
Who won the 2026 Grand Finals
Seven teams split the nine Grand Finals; the table lists those seven. 26 entries, about one in five, came without a team, and three of them reached the podium.
| Team | Finals entries | Wins | Podiums |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nash Motorsportz | 9 | 1 | 2 |
| Axis Kartsport | 8 | 1 | 3 |
| Precision Works Racing | 5 | 1 | 3 |
| Hotz Driver Development | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Burly Racing | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Forward Direction Motorsports | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| No team (privateers) | 26 | 0 | 3 |
Team links come from the RaceSelect entry lists. Every SoCal team’s profile is on our Teams page.
What it costs
How much is the IKF Grand Nationals?
The host club sets the entry each year. When SKUSA ran it at K1 in 2025, entry was $649 for any class, with Friday practice and a set of SKUSA’s Evinco tires. In 2026 at Spring Mountain it was one set of Vega tires for the weekend, scanned at registration.
Race-weekend tips
Grand Nationals tips the schedule won’t tell you
Follow IKF
Where IKF posts
IKF doesn’t run a race-week channel. During the Grand Nationals, updates come from the host club: in 2026 that was the Tri-C Karters Discord and the scoring app.
FAQ
IKF Grand Nationals FAQ
What is the Duffy award in karting?
The Duffy is a 12-inch solid bronze statuette that the International Kart Federation gives each Grand National Champion. It was first handed out in 1976 as the "Joe Karter" award and renamed in 1981 for Frank "Duffy" Livingstone, a former IKF president.
What is the IKF?
The International Kart Federation, founded in 1957, was the first kart racing organization and sanctioning body in the United States. Tri-C Karters, a SoCal club, hosted the 2026 Grand Nationals.
Where is the 2027 IKF Sprint Grand Nationals?
IKF hasn't announced the 2027 host or dates yet. The event moves every year: Amarillo, Texas in 2024, K1 Circuit in Winchester in 2025, and Spring Mountain in Pahrump, Nevada in 2026.
Does the IKF Grand Nationals count toward the Tri-C season?
No. Tri-C hosted the 2026 Sprint Grand Nationals, but its regulations say the event doesn't award points toward the regular Tri-C season.
What classes race the IKF Sprint Grand Nationals?
In 2026: Micro Swift (7–10), Mini Swift (8–13), KA100 Junior (12–16), Senior (15+) and Master (30+), and LO206 Cadet (7–12), Junior (11–15), Senior (15+) and Master (30+). Age is the driver's age on Dec 31.
How does the Grand Nationals format work?
Friday is four practices and qualifying. Saturday is two heats gridded by qualifying and a Super Heat gridded by heat points. Sunday's Grand Final is gridded by total points, and its finishing order alone decides the champion.
What tires and fuel does the IKF Grand Nationals use?
Vega is the spec tire: the green XH4 for the IAME 2-stroke classes and the red VAH for LO206. One set for the event, scanned at registration. Fuel is Sunoco Supreme 112 with Elf HTX909 oil for 2-strokes and Sunoco 91 for LO206.
How do you challenge a penalty at the Grand Nationals?
A driver 18 or older, or a minor's guardian or mechanic with the driver present, files a written penalty review within 30 minutes of official results. Each competitor gets one review per race day.
The 2026 host: Tri-C Karters. Something wrong? Email kartingsocal@gmail.com.