Billy Musgrave added a second straight win in DD2 (Photo: EKN)

Action resumed at the Speedsportz Racing Park on Friday for the 2026 Rotax RMC Winter Trophy with Round Two activities that were carried over from the previous weekend. The Sunday action from the opening weekend was postponed due to freezing temperatures, and the Prefinal and Final sessions were moved to Friday of this weekend. This time around, the New Caney, Texas circuit was dry all day with mostly cloudy skies and winds that kept the temperature into the low 50s by the time the main events started. Three of the six classes saw repeat winners from Round One last Saturday, including the debut in DD2 for Factory Karts driver Billy Musgrave, who swept the Round Two action.

Musgrave earned the pole position last weekend in qualifying and translated that to a wire-to-wire victory in Friday’s Prefinal as provisional Round One winner Gianluca Savaglio (REM / Kosmic) applied the pressure. The 20-lap main event saw Matthew Taskinen (Kart CRG USA) step forward as he took over the second spot on the opening circuit. It looked like Taskinen was going to make a charge after the halfway point, that is, before Musgrave dropped his quickest lap of the race to establish a comfortable gap over the trailing duo. The Factory Kart driver maintained that advantage through to the checkered, securing his first on-track victory in DD2 and second straight by a half-second margin. Taskinen drove to second with fellow Canadian Savaglio in third. Theo Kekati (Factory Karts) came from 11th on the grid after contact in the Prefinal, charging up to fourth to finished ahead of Lucas Pernod (PSL / Birelart), who took fifth.

Oliver Hodgson was named winner in Senior MAX following penalties (Photo: EKN)

Former RMC Winter Trophy champion Diego Ramos (PSL / Birelart) suffered the highs and lows of racing on.Friday. The day began with him starting on the pole position after earning fast time in qualifying last weekend. That stint at the front lasted just two laps as he retired with a broken clutch. This allowed Round One winner Macauley Bishop (Pfaff / Gillard) the run to the win over Canadian Ayden Ingratta (REM / Kosmic) and Cameron Nelson (Pfaff / Gillard). The field challenged Bishop throughout the first half of the race with Nelson in the challenge position before Ingratta tried his turn. Eventually, it was Nelson who shuffled up the order to take the lead, which triggered a response from Bishop the next lap. As they came down the long straight into Turn 6, Nelson defended and Bishop put two wheels into the grass to drive inside. They reached the corner and pushed wide, with Bishop maintaining the lead, but a well-timed over / under move allowed a charging Ramos, who was fifth going into the corner, come out in second. Ramos then attacked Bishop for the lead with another over / under move into Turn 8, taking over the lead. The group behind began fighting for position, allowing Ramos to escape with the top spot. Eventually, Oliver Hodgson (Factory Karts) emerged from the battle with the second position, and gained advantage over the group. Up front, Ramos completed the drive from 22nd to first – including fast lap of the race – to take the provisional victory. Unfortunately, a pushback bumper penalty took the win away, dropping him from first to third, promoting four-time RMC Trophy Final winner Hodgson to the top step of the podium. Bishop was promoted to second with Ramos back to third, while Nelson and William Bouthillier (REM / Kosmic) completed the top-five.

Aidan Hammond swept the day in Junior MAX (Photo: EKN)

The Junior MAX category featured another sweep, this time by British driver Aidan Hammond (Prime / Redspeed). The top qualifier from last weekend was able to get away with a big advantage in the Prefinal with the rest of the field battling for the second spot. A jump start infraction still did not take the win away, as he won by 2.5 seconds, enough to cover the penalty. It was a similar result in the 20-lap Final, as Hammond got a clean start and quickly established a lead over the field. He continued consistent lap times up front, eventually taking his first victory by nearly 14 seconds. Once again, the battle for second raged on throughout the main event with Enzo DiGennaro (Parolin Motorsport USA) slipping back at the start of the race, working all the way up to the second spot by the checkered flag. A technical non-compliance disqualification however dropped him out of the results. This would have promoted William Vitor (JHDD / Kart Republic) to second, but five-second penalties for a pushback bumper activation to both Vitor and Olivier Chasse (Prime / Redspeed) shuffled up the order, promoting Benym Abernathy (HDD / Tony Kart) to second and Antoine Bazinet (Pfaff / Gillard) to third. Alex Chandler (IRM / Tony Kart) and Round One winner Leo Da Silva (REM / Kosmic) rounded out the top-five.

Two straight for Gabriel Zughella in Masters MAX (Photo: EKN)

Both races on the day in Masters MAX were a battle to the very end. The Prefinal began with top qualifier Mundy Loyer (Evolution / EOS) getting shuffled back as veteran Billy Cleavelin (REM / Kosmic) led the way. Contact at the end of the straight sent Cleavelin around, allowing Round One winner Gabriel Zughella (HRT / EOS) to take the lead. He kept the field back through the rest of the Prefinal, as Christoper Mann (REM / Kosmic) worked up from the back to second with Cleavelin able to recover up to third after penalties. Zughella and Cleavelin battled once again in the Final with Cleavelin taking the lead once before Zughella returned to the point. In the closing laps, Loyer was able to put himself into the challenge position and, on the final circuit, he and Zughella pushed wide at the end of the straight. This allowed Cleavelin to get back into second and he then tried a move on Zughella the next corner. It did not pan out and Zughella was able to maintain the lead and showed the way through the final corners, securing his second straight victory. Cleavelin fell back to fourth at the line as Mann advanced into second with Loyer placing third. A pushback bumper penalty dropped Cleavelin from fourth to seventh in the final results, promoting Noel Dowler (RPM / Exprit) and Henry Taleb (HRT / Exprit) into the top-five.

Great main event performance put James Roots on top of the Mini MAX podium for a second time (Photo: EKN)

The perfect score is gone but James Roots (Prime / Birelart) enjoyed his second straight victory in Mini MAX. Leading the field to the green flag in the Prefinal, Roots was pressured throughout the race by Mason Brody (RPM / Nitro Kart). With a few laps remaining, Brody made his move on lap 8 to take the lead. The following circuit, Roots tried to reclaim the spot but was pushed wide on the exit of turn seven. This triggered him falling down the order over the next two laps with dirt on his tires, eventually crossing the line in ninth. The battle between the top two allowed Yousef Adi (JHDD / Kart Republic) to go from third to first, taking the win over Brody and Dutch Westbrook (Team Benik). The show in the Final was watching Roots work his way back to the front. Adi established a solid lead over Brody early on, but Roots was on the charge. Into the third spot by lap five, he caught and passed Brody within two laps. He then slowly reeled in Adi, taking the lead on lap 13, going on to secure the victory by half a second. Adi settled for runner-up with Brody on the podium in third. Westbrook was fourth at the line, but a pushback bumper penalty dropped him to seventh, promoting Joshua Wheeler (RPM / Nitro Kart) to fourth and Hudson Howard (JHDD / Kart Republic) to fifth.

Freddie Baker won his first in Micro MAX (Photo: EKN)

The Micro MAX division ended with controversy on the day. Freddie Baker (RCE) entered the day as the top qualifier from last weekend but was overtaken in the Prefinal by Jack Kotowski (TKG / Birelart). The main event began with three drivers at the front, including Kotowski, Baker and Round One winner Arthur Rhodes (RCE). Kotowski was shuffled back before the halfway point, allowing the two British drivers to get away. Rhodes took the lead for one lap but Baker reclaimed the position the following circuit. Baker led the final four laps, holding off Rhodes at the line to take the victory. At the scale line, Baker left the kart before weighing to celebrate the win but was quickly escorted back to the line by officials. After a debrief by the officials, Baker was handed a warning for the infraction and maintained the victory. Kotowski joined Baker and Rhodes on the podium with Tre Sanders (Nash / Energy) up to fourth with Wiley Lee (Team Benik) completing the top five.

Saturday will be back to the regularly scheduled program, with Round Three of the Rotax RMC Winter Trophy program set to be contested. Competitors will take part in warm-up, qualifying, Prefinal and Final on the day to begin the second half of the event.

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