Get to Know the 2025 K1 Speed Adult E-World Podium

Adult Podium Features

In this article, we focus on highlighting the stories of racers who made the podium in the 2025 K1 Speed Adult E-World Championship (K1 Speed’s go kart championship). Read on to learn about their unique stories and what it takes to take home part of the $47,500 adult prize pool and how you can join next year!

Garrett Manes – $25,000

K1 Speed E-World Champion, K1 Speed U.S. National Runner-Up

The 2025 K1 Speed Adult E-World Champion and winner of $25,000, Garrett Manes, is impressive to say the least — 6 years as a professional sim racer, an entertaining streamer, and experience racing Spec E30 are just a few highlights on his resume. 

Early Beginnings

Manes got his start in racing with an indoor arena mini cup series near Richmond, Virginia. The series was a popular off-season option for drivers of all disciplines, most notably pulling in competitors like Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart.

From there, Manes gained experience driving Legends cars at 14, running his first race at the Charlotte Summer Shootout: “The test day for summer shootout was rained out, and so never having driven a car with a clutch before, we rolled out on race day,” Manes described with a smile. As he put more time behind the wheel, Manes moved up the ranks in the pro division and was a consistent top-five weekly finisher. 

Unlike many K1 Speed E-World Championship competitors, who start karting with our indoor tracks, Manes’ first karting experience was in a shifter kart. “It was a huge wake-up call because I had run some faster race cars before, but nothing throws your neck back quite like that,” Manes said. “As soon as you hit the throttle, you realize what you’re driving.”

The driving style required to compete at K1 Circuit Winchester felt familiar to Manes because of his many hours spent on the simulator. “Sim racing was my outlet into race courses and into karting as well,” Manes said. “Specifically at K1 Circuit, I felt like the fact that we had front brakes really changed the racing style. There was a learning curve for a lot of people there, but because I had done it on the sim so much, the trail braking that was required was very familiar to me.”

Simulator Experience

When he’s not tearing up tracks (physical or virtual), Manes works at Sim Seats, a company that specializes in making high-quality racing simulators. Manes’ job has allowed him to preview new products coming to market, ensuring he always has the best possible setup. 

Manes first started competing in the iRacing Rallycross series in 2019, going wheel-to-wheel with the likes of Mitchell DeJong. From 2021-2024, Manes found himself racing in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series for teams like Elliott Sadler eSports and fgrACCEL. 

In the past year, Manes has transitioned from oval tracks to road courses like the one at K1 Circuit Winchester. Manes started racing Spec E30 in August of 2024 and has gained valuable mechanical experience alongside his father, who used to be a mechanic at Honda. 

“Now that I’m old enough to understand what I’m doing, I don’t just sit in the car while he sets the tow,” Manes said about his father’s involvement. “It’s a good learning experience on how to work on this stuff and how to be involved, so when I get to the track, I’m not just twiddling my thumbs.” 

A Competitor’s Approach

Manes approaches big race weekends with a calm, collected mindset. “There was nothing special that I did before the [K1 Speed U.S.] nationals race,” Manes said. “I went into it with the mentality that it was going to be a good time. I just went out there to have some fun.” 

With so much experience in iRacing series, Manes has taken on coaching other sim hopefuls as a side gig. A true advocate for learning via simulator, Manes’ success at the K1 Speed E-World Championship speaks volumes to the transferability of skills from simulator to track. 

“Knowing the track in real life is 80% of the battle,” Manes said. “You can be super familiar with the car, but if you go to the track and don’t know where to put your car, that’s going to hinder your performance… Really, the only difference between the line that I run on the simulator and the line that I run in real life is I know that if I hit the curbs like that in real life, I’m going to be fixing something later.”

Manes will continue to race Spec E30 and is always open to new opportunities that may advance his career. Manes has a unique story to tell, and we at K1 Speed are happy to get the chance to do so. To keep up with Manes’ racing career, you can follow him @garrettmanes1 on Instagram.

Giovanni Perez D’Amico – $15,000

K1 Speed U.S. National Champion, K1 Speed E-World Runner-Up

Giovanni Perez D’Amico took home the 2025 K1 Speed Adult U.S. National Championship and was runner-up in the 2025 K1 Speed Adult E-World Championship, earning a nice payday of $15,000. We got the chance to sit down with Perez D’Amico to discuss his experience at K1 Circuit Winchester and his aspirations for future racing. 

Perez D’Amico was first exposed to racing during the COVID-19 pandemic, playing Forza on his XBOX. Currently a sophomore mechanical engineering student at Arizona State University, Perez D’Amico described karting as a combination of two passions: racing and physics. Interestingly,  Perez D’Amico’s first experience with karting was at K1 Speed Carlsbad (our original location) during his family’s trip to Legoland. 

“As soon as I came back from that trip I was like, ‘I need to race more,’ so I went to K1 Speed Phoenix, started racing there, and I was introduced to their league… somehow I got third in my first league race, which probably shouldn’t have happened,” described Perez D’Amico. 

Family Support

K1 Speed Phoenix opened back up after the pandemic, and Perez D’Amico hasn’t looked back since. A consistent driver in K1 Speed Phoenix’s Challenge GP, Perez D’Amico is now in his fifth year of competitive karting. The Perez D’Amico family happily supports Giovanni’s racing and sees karting as a way for him to return to competitive sport, having previously played soccer. 

“They went with me every day to go practice and help me improve on track. They’re not from a big racing background, but my parents put a lot of time and effort into learning with me,” Perez D’Amico said about his parents’ involvement. 

A well-known driver at K1 Speed Phoenix, Perez D’Amico, gave credit to the Phoenix staff for helping him “learn what was going on with the karts mechanically. They really helped me dive deep into how I can improve. They were instrumental.”

As the proud owner of a Rotax 2-stroke kart, Perez D’Amico has started to advance his expertise in an outdoor setting. Perez D’Amico’s journey from indoor karting at K1 Speed to outdoor at K1 Circuit, and his subsequent outdoor racing of Rotax 2-stroke, is truly a model we hope others can embody — master the basics at an indoor center, practice your skills with outdoor rental karts, and use those skills to place well in race series like Tri-C, Route 66, and SKUSA. 

When asked about his favorite track, Perez D’Amico was quick to answer K1 Circuit Winchester. “It is amazing. As much as I do love our local [outdoor] track, it’s a very bumpy track that degrades tires really quickly. I love the smooth and flowy nature of K1 Circuit,” Perez D’Amico said. 

Friendly Competition Between Peers

Perez D’Amico is truly one of K1 Speed’s most dedicated drivers. Monthly, he makes the trip from Arizona to K1 Circuit Winchester to compete in the K1 Circuit Semi-Pro Series. The series allows Perez D’Amico to race amongst the most serious of competitors. It’s important to note that he doesn’t make the trip alone — Perez D’Amico carpools with three other drivers, including Connor Vickers, who also represented K1 Speed Phoenix at the K1 Speed E-World Championship. 

“We are very competitive out there, but I pride ourselves on our sense of community,” Perez D’Amico said about K1 Speed Phoenix’s camaraderie among drivers. “We really just focus on improving from the last time.” 

The tight-knit nature of the competitive scene at K1 Speed Phoenix was evident during the E-World Championship, showcased by each competitor’s yellow and red “Team AZ” jersey.

Coincidentally, a lot of the K1 Speed Phoenix drivers attend ASU and study engineering, just like Perez D’Amico. This has allowed the group to become even closer, bonding over studies as well as the desire to win against one another. 

Perez D’Amico and K1 Speed Phoenix’s competitive yet friendly atmosphere is one that we hope other K1 Speed centers can embody in the future. We look forward to watching Perez D’Amico’s racing career reach new heights. To keep up with Perez D’Amico, you can follow him @giovanniperezdamico on Instagram.

Nathan Wilkie – $7,500

K1 Speed E-World Championship 3rd Place Finisher

Nathan Wilkie represented K1 Speed Mississauga in the 2025 K1 Speed Adult E-World Championship and put up an impressive performance, finishing on the podium in third. Wilkie earned $7,500 for his efforts at K1 Circuit Winchester, improving from his performance in the 2023 edition of the K1 Speed E-World Championship. 

Family History

Wilkie started karting at the young age of 10, influenced by his mother’s karting history. When asked about his first karting experience, Wilkie answered honestly: “I was pretty scared, I went around the first lap very slow. It took like two minutes on a 20-second track, but then I started picking up speed, and I started to really like it once I felt comfortable in the kart.”  

Wilkie credits his mom as his biggest racing inspiration, a very competitive racer in her own right. “She taught me everything I know,” Wilkie said. Wilkie’s mother accompanied him to K1 Circuit Winchester, helping him visualize the track before it was time for qualifying.

“Karting is the purest form of racing,” according to Wilkie. He prides himself on mental fortitude, especially when one small mistake could mean dropping multiple places. 

“It’s so mentally exhausting, it’s always wheel-to-wheel racing. There’s no time to sulk about mistakes because then you’re going to start driving much worse,” Wilkie said.  

When preparing for new circuits, Wilkie prioritizes track walks and viewing as much video as possible. This preparation allows Wilkie to show up at new tracks with confidence, giving him an edge over many competitors. 

A strong work ethic and an innate drive to improve have helped Wilkie land a spot on Prime Powerteam, one of Canada’s elite karting organizations. Still in his first year as a kart owner, Wilkie has already helped others get better, coaching locals in the pursuit of pure racing.

Toronto’s Most Dedicated

Wilkie’s dedication to karting stands out when compared to others in the Toronto scene: “I’m at the track four times a week,” Wilkie said. “I don’t really see anyone else come out more than once every two weeks at most. I know that I’m not there yet in terms of pace. I’m one of those people who’s going to keep going and going until I’m there… and then keep going after that. I’ve been waiting for a moment like this for 12 years. I have a machine that can compete, and I have more resources now than I did for a long time.”

In the future, Wilkie hopes to continue his involvement in the world of motorsport in some regard, whether it be driving, coaching, or owning a track of his own. Currently, Wilkie is employed at a track, which helps him balance work and his racing. “Things kind of work hand-in-hand, I practice in the morning and then work in the evening,” Wilkie said. 

When asked what most people misunderstand about karting, Wilkie emphasized: “Most people don’t understand how much skill it takes at the highest levels and how strong you need to be mentally as well as physically to drive for 20 laps, wheel to wheel. These karts are not very friendly on your body; you have to shift your weight in every corner, and it hurts because the seats are so tight. It puts a tremendous amount of strain on your body.” 

K1 Speed is proud to have Wilkie in our E-World Championship, and we recognize his impressive drive to succeed as an example for other E-World Championship hopefuls to follow. To keep up with Wilkie’s career, visit @risewilkiekarting on Instagram.