WKA Master Track Spotlight: G & J Kartway

Located among the cornfields and pastures of Southwestern Ohio lies a WKA Master Track known as G & J Kartway. The track entrance is marked by the silos used by Barnets Inc. which is owned and operated by track owner Gary Gregg.

G & J Kartway was built by Gary’s father, Bill, in 1958 and was used by Gary, his sister and other local karters as a fun track for several years. Initially, a 1/7-mile dirt track, it was paved in 1962 and expanded to a 1/4-mile in 1966. Now in its 62nd year of operation, G & J Kartway has been the home of the Ohio Valley Karting Association since 1964.

In 1968, the track was expanded to its current 1/2-mile, 9-turn configuration. For many years the distinguishing feature of G & J was the Monza-style turn at the end of the back straight-away. This high-banked left-hand corner was removed in 1973.

Located in rural Preble County, the track is within 60 miles of Dayton and Cincinnati and less than two hours from Columbus, Ohio, drawing karters primarily from Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. The track is home of Ohio Valley Karting Association (OVKA), a 200+ member kart racing club.

The track has hosted events for the World Karting Association, Great Lakes Sprint Series, former Ohio Sprint Series and SKUSA, in addition to numerous driving schools and non-karting events. The WKA Gold Cup held in July of 2004 saw in excess of 400 participants, one of the largest summer national events for this series and the largest G & J has hosted.

Current WKA racers include Derrick Hughes, James Overbeck, Makala Parsons, Jack Sullivan, Cash Wyke and Beckham Lewis.

G & J Kartway has had a rich history of participation in the preparation of many nationally known drivers. Tom Cruise participated in a driving school at G & J Kartway in preparation for his role as Cole Trickle in Days of Thunder.

Professional drivers who have raced at G & J Kartway include Lake Speed, Tony Stewart, Scott Goodyear, Ernie Irvin, Sara Fisher and Sam Hornish to name a few.

Notable Drivers that have raced or practiced at G & J Kartway, Camden, OH since 1958:
Scott PruettScott GoodyearErine Irving
Tony StewartSarah FisherDanica Patrick
Sam HornishPaul DanaLake Speed
Bobby RahalGraham RahalMemo Gidley
Connor DalyMark Dismore SrMark Dismore Jr
Tom CruiseScott BraytonChristian Payhud
Scott RettichRichy HendricksBJ Zachariah
Lynn HaddockScott MearsShawn Bayliff
Travis GreggJason GreggRyan Myers
AR GardnerCody GardnerBrian Sellers
Brad JaggersNick BussellBoston Reid
Faye PiersonJeff BrownCaudice Jolly
Mike ShankScott Parker*Cody Robinson
Dakota PesekJason Welage

Facility Features:

  • Track Length: ½-mile, 9-turn configuration
  • Different Layouts: 9 total configurations
  • Snack Bars: Home of the famous race burger
  • Kart Shop: Slattery Racing
  • Rental karts: Not Available

2020 Schedule: Combined OVKA/G&J 2020 Schedule is available to view at http://www.gandjkartway.com/schedulehotels.html

Normal Hours of Operation: In addition to hosting many races this season, G & J Kartway is open for practice throughout the year, weather permitting. The practice fee is $10.00 for unlimited track time, one of the best values in karting. So, if you’re in Southwest Ohio and looking for a great track, make your way to Camden, Ohio and look for the silos…there is a true gem of a track waiting for you. Directions and schedules can be found at ovka.com and at gandjkartway.com.

Upcoming Events:

  • OVKA Championship
  • BKC
  • Vintage race

Past Events:

  • WKA
  • SKUSA
  • GLSS
  • CKNA

Contact:
1619 Barnets Mill Road
Camden, OH 45311
(937) 452-1218
www.gandjkartway.com

A message from OVKA President/Vice President:

On behalf of Ohio Valley Karting Association we would like to say thank you to World Karting Association for all you do for the sport of kart racing and racing community during this difficult time. Like many of you we at OVKA cannot wait to get back on track. We are honored and humbled to be a part of the WKA track spotlight. G & J Kartway is our home and we couldn't be more blessed having the best track owners in the country, The Gregg family along with our many sponsors. OVKA maintains a website along with a Facebook page. Please look us up for any information including contact numbers for both of us and the entire Board of Directors. An opportunity to see what OVKA is about is coming up the weekend of July 4th - 5th. This is a 2 day race event with qualifying Saturday and racing on Sunday. OVKA Memorial Championship race weekend includes trophies, catered grill out, skydivers, corn-hole tournaments, bike races, give-a-ways and activities for all age groups. We look forward to the start of the race season and welcome all of you to come and race with us.

Sincerely,