July 2017 Driver Feature – BLAKE BOON

Rochester, New York’s Blake Boon first sat behind the wheel of a racing go-kart in 2013 and age 5 after his father, Matt, did some internet research on racing available to young children. Matt found the historic Genesee Valley Kart Club (GVKC) in nearby Avon, NY, and soon after learned of Coyote Motorsports in Spencerport and our reputation as one of America’s most experienced and respected kart chassis and parts manufacturers.

Matt would pull the trigger and purchase a Coyote Kryptonite kart and the necessary racing equipment to get Blake on track. The 5-year-old immediately showed driving talent, focus and the competitive spirit needed to be a successful racer.

After gaining experience during the summer of 2013 at GVKC, Blake attended his first WKA Gold Cup national event in October 2013 at Carolina Motorsports Park in South Carolina, and became a regular on the national series in 2014 competing in the Briggs LO206 Kid Kart division. Boon would have a super impressive season in 2014, winning four of eight Kid Kart features in the national series, including a WKA Grand National win at CMP in October which saw one of the largest Briggs Kid Kart fields ever in the Gold Cup Series.

Blake competed one more year in the Kid Karts in 2015 before moving to the tough LO206 and Pro Gas Animal Sportsman divisions in ’16. The faster speeds the Sportsman divisions offer appeared to be just what Blake needed to progress his driving career.

In Gold Cup, Boon raced his #22 Coyote to a pair of national wins and a national championship in the Sportsman Pro Gas Animal Lite division. He would also finish third in the final Sportsman LO206 standings.

In the AKRA American Sprint Cup Series, Boon dominated the Briggs Cadet categories, racing to nine feature wins in 12 starts and winning the 206 Cadet and Pro Gas Cadet “Northern Tour” series championships over some stiff competition.

In 2017 Boon has continued his status as one of the top 4-cycle junior drivers in the country. At the Gold Cup opener in Jacksonville, Fla., in March, Blake raced to a a pair of feature wins and a second-place finish in four starts. At the AKRA Northern Tour event at Avon in June, Boon swept all four Cadet main events for the second consecutive year at his home track.

The remainder of this year will see Blake and the Boon & Sons family team compete in WKA and AKRA events with hopes of adding to his national championship total.

Everyone at Coyote Motorsports wishes to thank Blake and the Boon family for their support over the last several years, and we all look forward to helping Blake toward more success in kart racing in the coming years!

Here’s a Q and A with Blake to highlight him as this month's Coyote Driver Feature!

CoyoteKarts.com:  What year did you start racing karts?

Blake:  "2013"

CoyoteKarts.com:  How did you first get involved in karting?

Blake: "I liked to drive my power wheels when I was 3 and 4, so my dad Googled what I could drive fast at 5 years old and GVKC came up. My dad called for more information, and we started racing."

CoyoteKarts.com:  What is your favorite track to race? 

Blake:  "Jacksonville, FL - North Florida Kart Club because it has a big bowl, and a long straight away."

CoyoteKarts.com: What do you like best about kart racing?

Blake:  ""I like that I get to go fast and sit behind a wheel."

CoyoteKarts.com: What are your most memorable moments in karting?

Blake:
"1. Pitting with the Coyote team.
2. Having the older racers give me good advice and helping me.
3. Winning my first Eagle trophy."

CoyoteKarts.com: What are you hoping to accomplish in your karting career?

Blake:  "Getting faster and working on better race strategies."

CoyoteKarts.com:  Future karting and/or racing plans? 

Blake:  "Move up in classes and work toward becoming a professional race driver."