Championship on the line in Kenyon Classic
The four drivers fighting for the title this Saturday: Isaac Johnson, Ayrton Houk, Evan Hammond, Dameron Taylor.
By Ken de la Bastide
With four drivers battling for the Kenyon Midget Series Championship, the competitors will be racing in the longest race of the season. This Saturday at Anderson Speedway is the tenth running of the 75-lap Don and Mel Kenyon Classic with a maximum of 270 points available.
Isaac Johnson is the current point leader holding a 26-point margin over Ayrton Houk with Evan Hammond 67-points out of the title and defending champion Dameron Taylor still in contention 116 markers behind Johnson.
Houk won the first race at Anderson Speedway picking up the K&K Marketing Fast Qualifier honors and a win in the KRJ Race Products heat race. Hammond came home in second with Johnson finishing sixth and Taylor 17th.
Taylor won for the 19th time at Anderson Speedway in the second race on the high-banked quarter-mile oval with Houk finishing second again setting fast time and a heat win.
Taylor won three Anderson races one year ago, including his third victory in the Kenyon Classic.
Johnson recorded a fourth and fifth place finish a year ago, but also finished 15th in one of the four races and didn't start one event.
Hammond finished three times in the top ten with a best of third a year ago.
Houk didn't compete at Anderson Speedway in 2025.
“I wouldn't say I feel like I have a target on my back,” Johnson said leading up to the final race of 2026. “We just have to prepare a good race car in the shop this week and execute on race day.”
Houk said he is “stoked” about getting back to Anderson and is coming off a strong season. “We have a good set-up for Anderson and have always been strong there,” he said. “I will need a good pill draw for the invert. It's really tight this year; it will be a lot of fun. The team with the best run could leave Anderson with the championship,” Houk said.
Hammond said they're working to improve the team's set-up at Anderson. “We've been making progress and I'm feeling more comfortable,” he said. “I think we can make the car a lot better, so I can fight up front. It's always tough competition at Anderson,” Hammond said.
Taylor said they are working on the race car in an effort to determine if there is a mechanical problem that has plagued them on the flat tracks. “The car has been good at Anderson,” he said. “We're still in the championship battle. Isaac (Johnson) has struggled at Anderson, but Ayrton (Houk) is always fast there. There could be five or six cars battling for the win,” Taylor said. “It would be cool to get my 40th win and 20th at Anderson.”
Hunter Peri continues to lead the Redline Ace Rookie of the Year standings by 188 points over Seth Tozer.
Previous Kenyon Classic winners: 2017-Trey Osborne; 2018 – Dameron Taylor; 2019 – Tommy Kouns; 2020 – Chris Lamb; 2021 – Colin Grissom; 2022 – Grissom; 2023 – Colton Bettis; 2024 – Taylor; 2025 - Taylor