Young racer to compete for $8,000 prize in nationwide go-kart competition
Orange County kart racer Trenton Thomas, 11, will compete for a chance to win $8,000 during the K1 Speed United States Championships Junior Division on April 26 at K1 Speed in Ontario.
The K1 Speed US Championship is a nationwide competition that pits the best racers from K1 Speed indoor go-kart locations across the United States against each other. Racers qualify by competing in a monthly race league at their local K1 Speed center. Those who finish in the top three of the final points standings qualify to move on to the state championships.
Trenton, a Huntington Beach resident who races regularly at K1 Speed Anaheim, qualified for the competition after placing third at the K1 Speed California State Championship at K1 Speed Ontario. If he places in the top three of the United States Championship, he’ll progress to the K1 Speed E-World Championship to compete against top racers from K1 Speed centers in Canada.
Should he win that event, he’d take home $8,000, a larger prize than most professional karting series in the country.
Trenton says he would spend the prize money on a “nice guitar” and save the rest for a car when he is old enough to get a license.
The young racer, who rates Charles Leclerc as his favorite driver, wants to be a car engineer or designer when he graduates from school.
Local racing fans can cheer him on as he competes against the top indoor kart racers from the United States and potentially Canada on the K1 Speed Facebook page during the competitions.
– Submitted by K1 Speed
Buena Park McDonald’s presents $2 million check to Ronald McDonald House Charities
Orange County residents are doing their part to help those in need. McDonald’s of Southern California celebrated Shamrock Shake season by hosting a Shamrock Shake-a-thon.
The event was a way to thank customers and the SoCal community for raising more than $2.3 million in support of Ronald McDonald House Charities Southern California (RMHCSC) through Round Up for RMHC in 2024.
A team from one of the top fundraising restaurants on Beach Boulevard in Buena Park presented a check to RMHCSC.
The celebration included a special visit from Uncle O’Grimacey, a Shamrock Shake-themed dance party, a bubble artist and a magic show for the community and local families supported by RMHCSC.
This Shamrock Season also marks the next chapter of the Gift to RMHC® celebration, honoring the fundraiser that helped open the first Ronald McDonald House® more than 50 years ago.
Since then, McDonald’s and RMHC have had a longstanding partnership to ensure families stay together as their child receives life-saving treatment in local hospitals, including Children’s Hospital of Orange County, with the Ronald McDonald House of Orange County just steps away.
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