For the past five generations racing has been a passion for the Karklin family!

 

It all began in 1950 with great-grandfather, Carl Karklin, and his father. Their passion with racing started with the ARDC Midgets Racing and from there they passed down the torch to my grandfather, John Karklin, Sr. He continued with the midget racing where he created the Karklin Falcon Race Team with the SMRC Midget Club during the late 1960's into the 1970's. From there my grandfather led the family into the Sprint Car racing world in the late 1980's. It was there that my dad, John Karklin, Jr. took over the torch and started running his own sprint car.  And that is where my love for the sport was ignited. Growing up watching my dad allowed me to see first-hand the hard work, commitment and focus needed to be the best. It also helped me to realize at a very early age that I was going to work as hard as I could to make my dream of becoming a winning race car driver a reality. 

 

At eight years old I started racing Quarter Midgets in Salisbury, NC. I was

off to a great start winning 11 out of 15 of my races which allowed me

to move up in classes racing with kids much older.  I continued to race in

this arena for a few years until one day I made the decision to make a change.  It was time to focus on my dream of racing a sprint car. In my first year I won three races, was honored as Rookie of the Year, and won a championship. Then in 2019 I had one of the greatest honors when I had the chance to race with my hero, my dad. While we finished 1st and 2nd and I added another championship to my credentials, that memory with my dad was the honestly the greatest prize. In 2021 I ran with the Empire Super Sprints and won Rookie of the Year. This was another goal of mine, and great honor, as it was the same club my father and grandfather raced with in the 90's and early 2000's.

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My goal for 2022 is to continue to lead the Karklin Racing Team to

victory lane with the same passion and determination as the inspiring five generations before me, while finding creative ways to give back to the community. I'm excited about my philanthropic efforts as they will be focused on supporting funding for children living with Juvenile Arthritis to attend local week-long, overnight summer camps. These camps provide a life-changing, fun experience for kids and teens where they can relax, meet new friends, connect with other families, and make new memories!

 

 I'm proud to be part of this great sport and am committed 

to working hard to make my dreams come true while helping the youth in our community live their best lives!