Houk claims championship with Kenyon Classic victory

By Ken de la Bastide

ANDERSON, IN – With four drivers vying for the Kenyon Midget Series championship, Ayrton Houk claimed his second title. The series concluded the 2026 season with the Don and Mel Kenyon Classic, the longest race of the year at 75 laps, at Anderson Speedway.

Houk led the point standings for much of the early part of the season before missing the second race at Lincoln Park Speedway for an IMSA race in Virginia. Houk in the Wings and Wheels Foundation entry took the lead on the initial start from the pole position on Saturday, but quickly surrendered the point to K&K Marketing fast qualifier Kyle Sheard.

While running second to Sheard the other contenders for the championship had Dameron Taylor running in third, Evan Hammond in fifth and point leader Isaac Johnson in tenth.

The first caution flag waved on lap four when Conner Baker made contact with the turn two wall.

On the restart Sheard pulled away from the field with the running order remaining unchanged until the second caution flag waved on lap 39 when Seth Tozer spun in turn three.

The restart would change the outcome of the race. Leader Sheard broke the shifter in his midget coming to the green flag and stacked up the field with Hammond barrel rolling into turn one and the melee also knocking out the car of Andrew Wall.

That put Houk on the point chased by Taylor, Eli Fox, Johnson and Redline Ace Rookie of the Year Hunter Peri.

At the finish it was Houk winning by .7-seconds over Fox and Taylor to claim this first Kenyon Classic victory and second championship.

“It was a long race,” Houk said in the Jeff Hill Trailer Sales Victory Lane. “He (Sheard) was the car to beat. Just tried to stay ahead of (Isaac) Johnson.”

When told he won the championship, Houk was a little surprised. “This is my first championship with my dad,” he said. “To win the championship and the race in the same night, especially at Anderson, which is my favorite track.”

Fox said he made a couple of mistakes during the race which cost him a shot at the win, but ran in the top five for the entire race. “We tried to do a few different things that just didn't work out,” he said of the Jeff Hill Trailer Sales entry.

Taylor said the Autotastic Service entry continued to struggle with several handling issues. “The car was good on the restarts, but once the tires heated up we lost the handle,” he said. “It was tight, good racing; probably the best we've had in a long time.”

Peri a teammate to Houk captured the rookie title, said it was fun as he drove to a fourth place finish. “It was our goal,” he said of winning rookie honors. “The Houk's have become like family to me. I'm looking forward to next year.”

Evan Patton earned the Advanced Racing Suspensions Hard Charger award by advancing eight positions in the Peterman Brothers entry finishing seventh.