Ford impressive in claiming 2023 championship

Kyle Ford celebrates closing out his championship season with a win at Anderson Speedway on October 7. (Aaron Skillman photo)

By Ken de la Bastide

After winning the rookie of the year honors with the Kenyon Midget Series in 2022, Kyle Ford entered this year wanting to contend for the championship. Coming off a strong second-half of the 2022 season, Ford 19, showed he was going to be a contender for the championship from the start of the season. After fourth and fifth place runs to open the season, Ford won for the first time at the Berlin Raceway, from there he posted three more race wins and eight podium finishes in nine races.

He took over the championship point lead from defending champion Dameron Taylor after the fourth race of the year. “I had a lot of confidence coming into the 2023 season,” Ford said. “Switching to a different car for the year that I knew was capable of being competitive. Brad (Hayes) puts together an incredible car and I knew I could grow as a racer and a person at the track,” he said.

Ford said he entered the year wanting to be consistent at every race and knew Taylor would provide tough competition all year. “Everything just went our way,” he said of 2023. “I was more confident racing side by side against other drivers and what the car was capable of doing.”

Ford said his plans for 2024 have not been finalized but is looking to take the next step up the racing ladder dependent on funding and available opportunities.

A year ago Ford claimed the rookie honors and finished third in the points with only one result outside of the top ten. He came to the Kenyon Midget Series with three championships under his belt in karting. Ford started karting in 2009 and won championships in 2017, 2018 and 2019. He was named the junior driver of the year in 2018 at the road course karting track in New Castle.