“Hold the gas down and go” – Third-generation dirt track driver makes name for himself

Beckie Boyd
September 4, 2023

KERENS – Dirt track driving is so much more than hitting the gas pedal and turning left. Upshur County is the home to a number of dirt track race car drivers who find themselves at Elkins Raceway week after week.

Buckhannon native Kristopher Wyatt is no stranger to life at the race track. As a third-generation driver, let’s reflect on the past, present and future of the Wyatt Motorsports racing team.

The first chapter of this story begins in 2018 when Wyatt first strapped into a Mini Wedge car. While nerves and excitement brewed within his heart in anticipation for his first race, the cheers from the racing fans in the grandstands quickly eased his mind.

“We couldn’t get him out of [the Mini Wedge],” said Doug Wyatt, Kristopher’s father. “We came over here [to Elkins Raceway] for practice night, [Kristopher] took off and he was flying.”

Throughout his five years of performance behind the wheel, Wyatt has achieved nine feature race wins within the Mini Wedge division at Elkins Raceway and won the 2020 Mini Wedge Championship.

“I just like racing,” said Wyatt. “I like the action, the speed.”

*Kristopher and his father, Doug, celebrate another feature win / Photo submitted by Jodi Carpenter Wyatt*

Each week, fans in the grandstands will see drivers zooming past fellow competitors at full throttle. However, what many racing fans do not see is the hours spent in the garage in preparation for the next week’s races.

Kristopher and his family will work in the garage for hours to strip the car down, wash the car, clean bearings, change the oil and fix any damages between each and every race.

“I think that’s the key to being good because if you’re not doing any preventative maintenance [after each race], you may have a bearing rusted up or anything like that,” Doug said. “I think the maintenance program is what really helps.”

Kristopher does not only drive the #1 Mini Wedge at Elkins Raceway. Fans can also find the Wyatt Motorsports racing team behind the wheel of the #39 flat car at MK Speedway in Anmoore, West Virginia.

*#39 Kristopher Wyatt wins the 2023 MDK Memorial Race in the Junior Pro division at MK Speedway / Photo submitted by Jodi Carpenter Wyatt*

“The number 39 derives from in the 1960s Kristopher’s grandfather [Marvin Wyatt] drove the number 30, and in the 1990s I drove the number 9,” Doug said. “That’s how we came up with [Kristopher’s] number that when we started.”

For aspiring Mini Wedge drivers looking to strap in and race, Wyatt strongly suggests to “hold the gas down and go.”

Looking ahead to the future of Wyatt Motorsports, Wyatt expressed great interest in one day driving a UMP Modified car at local dirt tracks.

“He’s already way better than I ever was,” Doug said about his son with tears in his eyes. “He just does a good job, and I love to watch him do it. I guess I’m living vicariously through him.”

A huge thank you goes out to the Wyatt Motorsports racing team sponsors Missile Chassis, Mountain State Brewing Company, Buccaneer Hauling Inc., Xtreme Design & Graphics, Burnside Hauling, TriState Exterminating, and Martin Built Clutches for their support of the future of Wyatt Motorsports.