Pauly Massimino earned the pole position for the main event in X30 Pro (Photo: EKN)

The first day of racing took place Saturday for the 2026 United States Pro Kart Series Ohio Grand Prix. Weather on Friday at the Motorsports Country Club of Cincinnati cut the day short, with only two classes getting through Happy Hour before storms rolled through the Batavia, Ohio region. This pushed Qualifying to Saturday morning, with every race group going on track five times today with warm up/happy hour, qualifying, Heat One, Heat Two and the Super Heat. The day went from 8am on track to 6:30pm with high humidity once again with water sitting atop the ground at different portions of the facility. All the action on the day sets up the action for the main events on Sunday to complete the third round of this year’s championship.

Pauly Massimino (BJR / LN Kart) began the day as the driver to beat in the X30 Pro presented by Rolison Performance Group. A fast time of 55.439 secured him the pole position for the two heat races, edging out Davin Roberts (RPM / Tony Kart) by only 67 thousandths. Massimino was able to get away to a one-second advantage after 12 laps in the opening heat race with Blake Nash (Nash / Factory Kart) up from fifth to second as Roberts fell to fourth behind John Antonino (MPG / Kart Republic). James Overbeck (BJR / Tony Kart) added his name into the chat, making a last lap move to edge out Massimino for the win in Heat Two, reaching the line first by 57 thousandths as Roberts was third. Massimino and Roberts led the field to the green flag for the 15-lap Super Heat. They ran 1-2 for the first six laps before a charging Jake Drew (RPG / Kosmic) took second after starting eighth. Four laps later, Drew grabbed the lead and showed the way to the checkered flag. Massimino was second with Overbeck a close third after starting seventh. Roberts and Antonino made contact on the final lap racing for fourth, allowing Alan Isambard (RRC / LN Kart) to take the position ahead of Fion Shi (RPG / Kosmic). Massimino and Drew will make up the front row for the Final with Isambard and Overbeck in row two. Bonilla and Nash make up row three. Roberts will now start 11th after the Super Heat contact took away valuable points.

Adrien Renaudin to launch from P1 in Pro Shifter (Photo: EKN)

Nearly everyone at the front of Pro Shifter presented by Velocity Racing had an issue on the day, except for Round One winner Adrien Renaudin (Carblos / Sodikart). He qualified third behind Estonian Markus Kajak (McCrone / Formula K) and Gavin Bayliff (TKG / Birelart), who were separated by only 23 thousandths in fast time. Kajak’s pace of 52.401 kept him at the front in the opening heat after opening lap battle with Bayliff. After three laps, however Bayliff pulled off with a mechanical issue. Kajak went on to win with Renaudin in second and Justin White (Carblos / Maranello). Heat Two saw contact racing for position between Bayliff and Kajak once again, this time resulting in a flat tire for the international driver. Bayliff took advantage, driving away to a five-second gap over Renaudin for the win. The three drivers squared off in the Super Heat after White had to pull over and reattach his fuel pump line to the carburetor, dropping from second to fifth. Renaudin led nine circuits until Kajak grabbed the lead. He held on through the end to take the win ahead of Bayliff and Renaudin. Kajak was handed a three position penalty for driving down on a driver, thus putting him back to fourth and giving Bayliff the race win while promoting Renaudin to second and Matteo Papis (TKG / Birelart) to third. Renaudin and Bayliff will launch from the front row for the main event while Papis and White start from row two. Kajak starts fifth alongside Riley Pegram (TKG / Birelart).

Heat One and Super Heat wins give Caden McQueen the pole position in KA100 Senior (Photo: EKN)

On paper, KA100 Senior presented by Brandon Jarsocrak Racing is a three driver fight, however, it could all change in the main event on Sunday. Round Two winner Pauly Massimino (BJR / LN Kart) set fast time of 57.809 to clear the 41-driver field by nearly two tenths. Fourth in the order was Caden McQueen (Velocity / Sodikart) as the British driver knifed his way to the front, making a great outside move to take the lead late for the race win ahead of Massimino and point leader James Overbeck (BJR / Tony Kart). The three were at the front in Heat Two, this time led by Overbeck to the checkered flag ahead of Massimino with McQueen in third. All three led at one point during the 15-lap Super Heat. Massimino led the first seven laps before McQueen took the point. Overbeck grabbed the spot on lap 12 with two more lead changes, including the final lap for McQueen to take the win over Massimino and Overbeck. McQueen and Massimino start from the front row with Donovan Bonilla (RPG / Kosmic) on the outside of Overbeck in row two. Edgar Rodriguez (BJR/ LN Kart) and Isaac Malcuit (Orsolon / Tony Kart) start from row three.

Travis Pettit was consistent on the day in KA100 Junior (Photo: Studio52.us)

Multiple drivers ended up at the top of the order throughout the day in the KA100 Junior presented by BBS Race Engines. Travis Pettit (BJR / LN Kart) was quickest in qualifying with a 58.611 to edge out Nico Kotowski (TKG / Birelart) by a mere 24 thousandths. Kotowski was able to take the lead late to earn the Heat One win over Pettit before Marco Sammut (BJR / LN Kart) did the same thing in Heat Two for the top spot after 12 laps. Pettit led the first two laps of the Super Heat before Braydon Wagner (RPG / Kosmic) took the spot. He showed the way for four laps until Lucas Palacio (RPG / Kosmic) took his turn at the point. A defensive line for much of the race kept the field tight and bunched up, allowing him to navigate the remaining laps to earn the win. Pettit was second with Wagner third. Pettit and Palacio start from the front row with Tristan Murphy (RPM / Tony Kart) and Braydon Wagner (RPG / Kosmic) from row two. Sammut is joined by Darren Kidd (HDD / Tony Kart) in row three.

Travis Pettit led much of the day in X30 Junior (Photo: EKN)

Travis Pettit (BJR / LN Kart) swept the day in X30 Junior presented by Speed Concepts Racing. A lap of 56.365 led the way in qualifying for Pettit to double up on the fast time awards in the Junior categories. Both heat races were won convincingly, winning by two seconds in the first heat and gaining a four second advantage in the second moto. Lucas Palacio (RPG / Kosmic) challenged Pettit in the first half of the Super Heat with the two exchanging the lead multiple times. Eventually, Pettit grabbed the spot on lap 10 and led the rest of the distance, getting help from Marco Sammut (BJR / LN Kart) at the end to go 1-2 ahead of Palacio. Pettit and Sammut fill out the front row with Tristan Murphy (RPM / Tony Kart) on the inside of Palacio in row two. Nico Kotowski (TKG / Birelart) and Royce Vega (RPM / Tony Kart) make up row three.

MCC local driver Andy Kutcher starts the Final from the pole position after two wins on the day (Photo: EKN)

Three drivers showed the way all day in the Nash Motorsportz KA100 Masters group. Renato Jader David (Orsolon / Tony Kart) opened his first start of the season with fast time in qualifying with a lap of 59.635. Andy Kutcher (Redspeed) and Mike Rolison (RPG / Kosmic) joined RJD as the only drivers under the 1-minute mark. Kutscher got the first strike, winning Heat One ahead of Jader David and Rolison. RJD came back to win the second moto ahead of Kutscher with Rolison classified sixth with a pushback bumper penalty. Super Heat was a repeat of the first heat as Kutscher held off Jader David and Rolison. They start the main event that way with Enrique Baca (BJR / LN Kart) starting fourth, Scot Carapellatti (Kosmic) fifth and Paul Elefonte (RRC / LN Kart) in sixth. The Orsolon Racing Masters Shifter class was led by Larry Pegram (TKG / Birelart) in three of the four sessions. After setting fast time in qualifying and winning the opening heat, contact at the start collected both Pegram and Bradley Danoff (Carblos / Maranello), allowing Yevhenii Panenko (KartFreedom / CKR) the win. Pegram won the Super Heat ahead of Panenko and Danoff.

Dutch Westbrook was the driver to beat on the day in Mini Swift (Photo: EKN)

The action in Mini Swift presented by Parolin Motorsport USA was led by multiple drivers with Dutch Westbrook (Team Benik) the only driver to come out at the top in multiple sessions. Jake Manalio (RPM / Nitro Kart) set the fast time in qualifying, edging out Mason Brody (SCR / Nitro Kart) and Liam Francisco (RPM / Nitro Kart) by 81 thousandths. Westbrook was fourth in the session and worked his way up to the win in the opening heat, bringing Aidan Go (Parolin Motorsport USA) with him to end in a photo finish, separated by 26 thousandths. Brody fought off Manalio and Westbrook for the win in Heat Two before a last lap battle put Westbrook at the top of the order in the Super Heat. He and Francisco were able to get by Brody for the top two positions on that final circuit. Westbrook earned the pole position for the main event with Brody to start P2 once again. Manalio drops to third on the grid with Slate Harrell (MPG / Alonso Kart) improving to start fourth. Francisco drops to fifth with Zev Godschalk (Team Benik) going from sixth.

Super Heat win puts Dusty Strayer on the pole position in Micro Swift (Photo: EKN)

Much of the day in Micro Swift presented by Team Ferris was led by Beau Wyatt (Team Benik). The top four drivers in qualifying were separated by only 97 thousandths with Wyatt securing the fast time over Emmett Dalton (Kidix / Kart Republic), Dusty Strayer (SCR / Nitro Kart) and Kip Knaus (RPM / Nitro Kart). A photo finish ended the opening heat with Wyatt holding off Tristan Francisco (RPM / Nitro Kart) – coming up from seventh – by one thousandth of a second at the line. Wyatt was able to get away from the field in Heat Two for the win by over two seconds. He was shuffled back to third when contact dropped him down the order and out of the Super Heat. This allowed Braxton Shiflett (Parolin Motorsport USA) and Strayer to get away. At the line, Strayer took the win over Shiflett with Jack Kotowski (TKG / Birelart) up to third ahead of Liam Compitiello (RPM / Nitro Kart). Stayer and Shiflett earn the first row starting spots with Kotowski and Compitiello in row two. Francisco and Tre Sanders (RPM / Nitro Kart) go from row three as Wyatt will start P9 for the main event.

After a long day on Saturday, the action on Sunday will be quick as warm-up is followed by the main events with all the action set to be done by 1pm. 18 laps is the distance for the Cadet categories, 20 laps for the Junior, Senior and Masters with the Pro divisions going 22 circuits around the MCC circuit to decide the winners of the 2026 USPKS Ohio Grand Prix.

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