Ten-year-old Pierce Joy described his first time driving a go-kart at K1 Speed in suburban Addison, Ill., as “chaos.”

“I was so scared,” he said of that 2020 drive. “Everybody was passing me and there were so many people.”

After all, these go-karts are no kiddie ride. They’re powered by electric motors, and even the junior-sized karts reach speeds of 20 miles per hour. Collisions happen. Drivers wear racing helmets reminiscent of what you’d see on a NASCAR track.

Still, the Oak Park fourth grader was undeterred. In September 2022, when Pierce learned K1 Speed ran a competitive league for kids under age 13, he told his parents he saw himself climbing to first place in one year’s time.

But it only took a month to see results.

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“He placed on the podium, like, in the first league night,” said Kerri Joy, Pierce’s mother. “And we kind of looked at each other, like, maybe there’s something here.”

This past winter, Pierce won the city championship in Addison, then advanced to the state championship in Buffalo Grove. After a qualifying round, the young drivers raced a final time to decide the podium.

“On the last lap, I looked over my shoulder,” Pierce said. “I was like, phew, I’m in first. And they were all far behind me.”

Pierce’s mother said there were some tears shed.

“I think in his heart and mind, he knew what he could do,” Kerri said. “And he did it.”

Now, the Illinois state champion is headed to the K1 Speed national championship in Ontario, Calif. Ryan Jurnecka, a content marketing manager with K1 Speed and an organizer of the contest, said 42 kids from 18 states are slated to contend for the trophy this Saturday.

The world championship is Sunday, when the top three U.S. finishers will face off against three racers from Canada.

“The ultimate champion is getting $8,000,” Jurnecka said, “… which is a lot of money for a kid.”

Later this year, teen and adult drivers will compete in their own championships, where Jurnecka said they’ll race faster go-karts on an outdoor track. The goal is to encourage people to move up the pipeline into the world of professional racing.

“F1 drivers, NASCAR drivers, IndyCar drivers — they all start at a go-kart level,” Jurnecka said.

For Pierce Joy, NASCAR is the dream. Before he sat behind the wheel of a K1 go-kart, he would watch auto racing on television with his grandfather, marvelling at the high speeds. Making it to the professional circuit would be a full-circle journey.

But first, Pierce has his sights set on a national go-kart title.

“If I get in the top three in California, my celebration plan is I’m going to make my dad get me a Lego set,” he said.

Asked if he would uphold his end of the bargain, his father, Branden Joy, agreed.

“I think we can do that,” he laughed.

Lauren Frost is WBEZ’s afternoon news producer. Follow her @frostlaur.