eKartingNews.com is proud to present our Preview Series for the ROK Vegas 2026 presented by ROK Cup USA. Leading up to the on-track action scheduled for October 28-November 1 outside the Rio Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, EKN will preview each of the 12 categories with four articles, including the provisional entry list for each division that includes over 350 entries representing 25 countries.

Trackside coverage is set to begin on Wednesday, October 28 with Paddock Insider and social media content as karts hit the track for the first time. EKN Live begins Thursday, October 29 with qualifying. Listen LIVE to the four rounds of heat races and LCQs throughout Friday and Saturday. That sets the stage for the action on Sunday with nine main events for the 12 divisions. Listen at eKartingNews.com/live and eKartingNews.com/radio

Complete coverage of the ROK Vegas 2026 can be found at the EKN EVENT PAGE.

ROK SV Senior

Caden McQueen attempting to repeat in ROK SV Senior (Photo: EKN)

The ROK SV Senior category made its debut at ROK Vegas last year, welcoming 50 drivers to this new engine platform featuring engine raffle conducted by ROK Cup USA. The program returns with another sold out 50 driver field, featuring 14 drivers returning from a year ago. Among them are the top two finishers from 2025 – defending winner Caden McQueen (Velocity / Sodikart) and runner-up Jake Drew (RPG / Kosmic). McQueen used the victory last year to finish #2 in the EKN TaG Driver Rankings, sitting seventh after an up and down 2026 season. Drew, who raced with Formula Works / GFC last year, is into his fifth month with Rolison Performance Group and still seeking that first win with the team.

Drew is among the seven former ROK Vegas event winners in the field, having won ROK GP Senior in 2020. Blake Nash (Nash / EOS) is another top contender making a return in the ROK SV category after finishing sixth a year ago. Nash has won in Vegas, taking the ROK VLR Senior win in 2021. Current Indy NXT driver Alessandro de Tullio (RRC / LN Kart) was among the contenders last year, ending up 14th. The Florida driver won the ROK GP Junior category in 2020. Canadian Ayden Ingratta (REM / Kosmic) scored the Junior victory in 2021, and is set to make a return back to ROK Vegas, making his SV debut this year.

Stephen Eisert (SpeedSense / Exprit) is another former ROK VLR Senior winner in the field, having won the class in 2023. The California driver finished 11th in the inaugural SV category a year ago. McQueen is not the only driver to win last year in the ROK SV Senior class. ROK VLR Junior winner from 2025 Isaac Malcuit (Orsolon / Tony Kart) is making his Senior debut at ROK Vegas. Charlie Fonseca (AKT / OTK) was the ROK VLR Masters winner a year ago as well, set for a second start in the ROK SV category after finishing 28th as the eldest driver in the field.

Those looking for improvement from the 2025 finish in the ROK SV class include Davin Roberts (RPM / Tony Kart), Keagan Kaminski (FW / GFC) and Chase Hand (GFC Karting). International drivers Ruben Moya (FDM / Pantano) and Donovan Bonilla (RPG / Kosmic) will be making their first SV starts at ROK Vegas, along with veteran USA drivers James Overbeck (BJR / LN Kart), Oliver Calvo (CDD / Gillard) and Louis Pagano (SpeedSense / Exprit). Only four drivers are making the jump from a Junior class last year into the ROK SV Senior category for 2026. Along with Malcuit, Cole Anderson (GFC Karting), Jose Alejandro Halpen (RPG / Kosmic) and Hector Iturriaga (BJR / LN Kart) are graduating to Senior competition this year.

ROK Vegas Stats

4 – Drivers moving up from Junior last year

8 – Former ROK Vegas event winner

10 – Different countries represented

14 – Drivers returning from last year’s field

50 – Entries as of October 19

ROK Vegas ROK SV Senior Winners

Caden McQueen (2025)

ROK Vegas ROK GP Pro Winners

Ryan MacDermid (2018)
Diego Ramos (2019)
Jake Drew (2020)
Nate Cicero (2021)
Ryan Norberg (2022)
Matheus Morgatto (2023)
Steven Miller (2024)

ROK VLR Senior

Jeremy Fletcher dominated ROK VLR Senior one year ago (Photo: EKN)

The largest category of ROK Vegas 2026 is ROK VLR Senior at 68 drivers. Like last year, drivers will miss the main event so gathering successful results through the heat races will be key, reaching the top 30 in points to avoid the Last Chance Qualifier. Last year’s story for winner Jeremy Fletcher was a last minute substitution that led to a dominating performance. Fletcher was recruited by Mike Manning Karting to sub for a driver that was unable to make the trip to Vegas. Fletcher went wire-to-wire in the Final to record his first career ROK Vegas victory. He’ll look for a repeat in 2026, having not raced in karts all season after running the Mazda MX-5 Cup program along with other car programs.

Four of the top five from last year is returning, including Collin Lloyd (HDD / Tony Kart), Chase Hand (GFC Karting) and Jonathan Portz (NRC / Gillard). Lloyd was runner-up a year ago and has spent the season racing both karts and cars, coming off a SKUSA Winter Series title at the start of the year. Hand will be among the 12 drivers racing both SV and VLR, seeking to better a third in this class from a year ago. Portz was the top qualifier in 2025 and should be among the top contenders once again.

There are 15 drivers returning from a year ago that are among the list of contenders, including Gavin McCuen (Nash / EOS), Caleb Gafrarar (FDM / Pantano), Chris Harrower (BJR / LN Kart) and Jackson Menchu (SCR / Gillard). Donovan Bonilla (RPG / Kosmic) is another double duty driver to be considered for a podium result in both, as is Alan Isambard (RRC / LN Kart) who withdrew last year due to injury. The Florida driver is coming off victory at the ROK Cup Superfinal in the Senior ROK division. Also on the podium in Italy was Enzo Vidmontiene (SLA / Kart Republic) – who finished runner-up in the new ROK VLR Senior class at South Garda Karting facility. Among the crop of Senior rookies include Sebastian Hauser (HRT / Kosmic), Jose Alejandro Halpen (RPG / Kosmic) and Cole Anderson (GFC Karting).

ROK Vegas Stats

5 – Former ROK Vegas event winner

8 – Different countries represented

9 – Drivers moving up from Junior

15 – Drivers returning from last year’s field

12 – Drivers racing both ROK SV and ROK VLR

68 – Entries as of October 19

ROK Vegas ROK VLR Senior Winners

Jenson Altzman (2018-2019)
Nick Ramirez (2020)
Blake Nash (2021)
Chase Jones (2022)
Stephen Eisert (2023)
Josh Campbell (2024)
Jeremy Fletcher (2025)

ROK Shifter

Massimo Valiante had a breakthrough performance last year at ROK Vegas (Photo: EKN)

Senior shifterkart competition at ROK Vegas will be split into two categories for the first time. The ROK Shifter category has only seen one driver repeat in its eight year history – Danny Formal winning in 2019 and 2021. No former winners of the class are in the field with the split.

The top returning driver is Massimo Valiante (IM / Italkart), finishing runner-up a year ago. He and fellow Canadian Erik Hermansen (IM / Italkart) are the only returning drivers from last year, with Hermansen finishing ninth. Erik Doan (WCM / Birelart) is among the rookies in the field, having won the ROK GP Junior category last year. Vincenzo Sarracino (Velocity / Sodikart) will be making his ROK Vegas debut as well, and should be among those in contention for the victory on Sunday.

ROK Vegas Stats

1 – Former ROK Vegas event winners in the field

2 – Different countries represented

7 – Different chassis in field represented

8 – Entries as of October 19

ROK Vegas ROK Shifter Pro Winners

Mathias Ramirez (2018)
Daniel Formal (2019, 2021)
Oliver Askew (2020)
Marijn Kremers (2022)
Kyle Wick (2023)
Daniel Vasile (2024)
Jacob Gulick (2025)

KZ Shifter

Jacob Gulick took the victory in ROK Shifter Pro one year ago (Photo: EKN)

The new category for ROK Vegas is KZ Shifter. The FIA Karting engine platform will make its debut with 13 drivers seeking to become the inaugural winner. Jacob Gulick (GFC Karting) could make it two straight wins at ROK Vegas, coming off the victory last year in ROK Shifter. He and Matheus Morgatto (Velocity / Sodikart) are the only two former ROK Vegas winners in the field. The Brazilian won ROK GP Senior back in 2023, a year after winning the FIA Karting World Championship.

The field is full of potential first time winners, including British driver Harley Keeble (MSRT / Kart Republic), set to make his shifter debut at ROK Vegas after racing ROK GP Senior back in 2023. Cooper Becklin (PSL / Birelart) was seventh last year in the ROK Shifter category, coming off victory at the Cascadia Karting Cup in Oregon this month. Anthony Freese (WCM / Birelart) and Ayrton Littel (Scuderia Littel / GFC) will be among the contenders.

ROK Vegas Stats

2 – Former ROK Vegas event winners in the field

3 – Different countries represented

7 – Different chassis in field represented

13 – Entries as of October 19

Provisional ROK SV Senior Entry List – as of October 19

Provisional ROK VLR Senior Entry List – as of October 19

Provisional ROK Shifter Entry List – as of October 19

Provisional KZ Shifter Entry List – as of October 19

Share on Facebook

Tweet