Taking a Leap: Our Move to the Kenyon Midget Series

Landon Brown Racing made a pivotal move from Briggs 206 karting at New Castle Motorsports Park to pavement midget competition in the Kenyon Midget Series. What began as a leap of faith quickly became a defining step in Landon Brown’s racing development, blending years of karting experience with the challenges of sprint midget oval racing and laying the foundation for future success.

In the fall of 2022, we made a decision that would permanently change the direction of our racing journey. After six seasons competing in Briggs 206 karting at New Castle Motorsports Park, we chose to step away from the karting world and dive into the faster, more demanding environment of pavement midget racing.

Those six years in karting were invaluable. They provided Landon and me with far more than just race results. Karting taught us racecraft, discipline, mechanical fundamentals, preparation, and how to navigate both the highs and lows of competitive racing. New Castle became our classroom, shaping our understanding of what it takes to compete—and persist—at a high level.

Our introduction to the Kenyon Midget Series came through a fellow karting competitor, Kyle Ford, who had made the move into the series a year earlier. Hearing about his experience immediately piqued our interest. As we researched further, we discovered that several other drivers from our karting community had already taken similar steps, while others were actively considering it. The more we learned, the more it felt like the right next challenge.

Then something happened that felt like divine timing.

A pair of Kenyon Midgets appeared for sale on Facebook Marketplace. Without overthinking it, I reached out to the seller and ultimately took a leap of faith by purchasing both cars. Almost immediately, reality set in—we only owned a small trailer, and it simply wouldn’t accommodate two midgets.

That problem led us to Jeff Hill, owner of Jeff Hill Trailer Sales, a fellow racer and longtime member of the karting community. What I didn’t know at the time was that Jeff had been looking at the very same midgets we had just agreed to buy. Jeff is located in Modoc, Indiana, and we’re based in Louisville, Kentucky, so we met halfway—fittingly, in the parking lot of Comet Kart Sales—to finalize the trailer purchase.

With a new trailer in tow, we headed to meet the Prickett family, from whom we purchased the midgets. At that point, our mechanical knowledge—especially of these new machines—was limited. We knew the learning curve would be steep. The cars were taken to Mel and Don Kenyon to be thoroughly gone through and prepared for the upcoming season. When the cars were ready, the Kenyons graciously spent time walking us through them and offering advice and guidance. We learned a great deal in a short time, but we were still very green.

The following season began with a mix of excitement and uncertainty. Landon piloted the No. 15, while I ran the No. 51. Our first race came at Anderson Speedway. With significant help from Brad Hayes Racing, who now owns and operates the series, we were able to get on track. That night remains surreal. Father and son completed all the laps and finished ninth and tenth—still trying to figure out what we were doing. It’s a moment I will never forget.

Our next race at Speedrome started just as successfully, but quickly turned when my engine failed and caught fire. That incident ended my time behind the wheel of a midget and shifted my focus entirely to managing the program and supporting Landon’s racing.

That season, Landon competed in only five Kenyon races while still running karts part time. But in 2024, everything came full circle.

Jeff Hill Trailer Sales offered us the opportunity to become part of their team and compete full time in the series. That support changed everything. It provided transportation, mechanical support, and race-day setup guidance from Dave Simmermon, along with a tight-knit group of racers who—coincidentally, or perhaps not—had all come up racing karts at New Castle Motorsports Park.

With prior experience and the backing of the Jeff Hill Trailer Sales team, Landon launched into a full-time rookie season in 2024. The results spoke for themselves. He earned his first podium finish, captured Kenyon Midget Series Rookie of the Year honors, and was voted Hoosier Auto Racing Fans (HARF) Rookie of the Year across all racing series statewide.

The best—and the worst—was still to come.

Ken de la Bastide with the Kenyon Midget Series published a great article about our move to the series.