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Sixteen-year-old Sherod Charity is continuing to put Southampton County on the map in the world of karting, as he now is developing an impressive resumé of success at the national level of the sport.

Sherod earned the fourth individual national-level victory of his career this spring when he won the American Kart Racing Alliance (AKRA) national event hosted by the Woodbridge Kart Club at the North Carolina Center for Automotive Research (NCCAR) in Garysburg, North Carolina.

Alfred Charity, Sherod’s father, said, “Sherod pushed his 125cc IAME-powered Formula K kart to speeds of 93 mph to finish 19 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher during the 30-minute race.”

Alfred noted that Sherod was racing in a field of 18 competitors, only four of whom were teenagers, including Sherod. 

“I think the oldest competitor in the race was in his 60s,” Alfred said.

Giving his reaction to Sherod’s performance in the Sunday, May 18, race, Alfred said, “I was very proud of him. He missed a podium finish the previous day because of a mechanical failure. We fixed the issue right after that race and had it ready for the Sunday afternoon. I told him, ‘Don’t wait for anyone, let them catch you if they can.’ I told him his engine is strong enough to lead the whole race, and that’s exactly what he did, winning the race by 19 seconds.

“He rarely shows emotion after a race, but he was pumping his fist as he crossed the finish line,” Alfred added. “Would like to thank Tim and Jody Linthicum of Muddy Cross Racing for giving us a strong engine for the race.”

In a Sunday evening, June 22, interview, Sherod said, “I was happy to have a good race for a change that weekend, and all competitors finished the race safely. I had a good start and pushed hard on the first lap to get the lead, like my dad told me to do, and didn’t let up until the end of the 30-minute race. 

“I want to thank Herman Charity, Randolph Scott, Kurtz Kutz, Muddy Cross Racing, The Baker’s Home and the Charity family for supporting and sponsoring my racing,” he added.

Sherod shared how he got the edge on the competition in the May 18 race.

“The start of the race is key; when you get out front, it is much easier,” he said. “There is no qualifying for the (World Karting Association) WKA or AKRA road races. It’s a standing start, and you are grouped by kart class, so avoiding the slower-starting karts is key. 

“The guys back at the Muddy Cross Racing shop, Tim and Jody, gave me a strong engine,” he continued. “It was good enough for me to win by 19 seconds in my X30 (125cc) Formula K go-kart, which raised a few eyebrows like it did when I won by 30 seconds in my KA100 Kart Republic go-kart at Roebling Road Raceway outside of Savannah, Georgia. Both engines passed technical inspection after each race.”

Alfred said that of Sherod’s four individual national-level wins, two came when he was a junior, at Carolina Motorsports Park and NCCAR, and two have come this year with him as a senior, at Roebling Road Raceway and NCCAR.

Alfred offered his insight into what qualities of Sherod, as a person and a kart racer, were the key ingredients to his achieving his May 18 victory.

“Sherod listens well and applies what he is coached onto the track,” he said. “He is patient when he needs to be, respectful to all fellow racers, sometimes to a fault, because he doesn’t want to tear up anyone’s kart, and it has cost him a few race victories. He has a long memory, and with certain racers, that leeway is gone. He uses the telemetry on his data logger to see where he can be faster and tries different lines to see which is faster.”

Sherod noted that he is still waiting on the World Karting Association to confirm his second-place finish in the series last season. 

“I am the points leader in the Grassroots Karting lo206 light class,” he said. “The races are held at the VIR Kart Track. I might be second or third in the Hampton Roads Kart Club lo206 senior class. I have missed a few races there because of racing in other leagues. 

“We hope to travel to Summit Point Raceway this Sunday for a sprint race with my KA100Compkart,” he continued. “I have had good finishes with WKA this year, but (there has been) no points update this year so far, so I can’t tell you where I stand points-wise for the 2025 season.

“Other than that I’m having fun and appreciate all the support,” he said. “Anyone who wants to be a sponsor can contact my dad at alfred.charity@gmail.com.”