The second weekend of the 2026 Rotax RMC Winter Trophy is set to be contested on January 30-February 1 at the Speedsportz Racing Park. The second half of a back-to-back weekend championship program will feature three rounds of racing over three days at the New Caney, Texas facility. The Round Two action from last weekend was postponed to Friday, January 30 due to the freezing temperatures that hit the Texas region. The four round, best three of four championship format will conclude this weekend with six tickets to the 2026 Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals on the line for the six class champions.

2025 RMC Grand Finals winner Macauley Bishop seeks a return to the ‘Olympics of Karting’ in Senior MAX (Photo: Ken Johnson – Studio52.us)

The format for the weekend will see the unofficial practice on Thursday, January 29 managed by the Speedsportz facility. Race Rotax and SRA Karting have released the remaining schedule to include Round Two action on Friday, including warm-up, Prefinal and Final utilizing qualifying sessions and tires from January 23. Saturday, January 30 will host Round Three, including warm-up, qualifying, Prefinal and Final before Sunday, February 1 will see Round Four action contested with warm-up, qualifying, Prefinal and Final.

The Senior MAX category in Round One saw a wet weather clinic put in by 2025 Rotax Grand Finals winner Macauley Bishop (Pfaff / Gillard). The British driver, making his first USA start, won the Prefinal and Final to lead the championship standings by 25 points over Wales driver Cameron Nelson (Pfaff / Gillard). Brazilian and former RMC Winter Trophy champion Diego Ramos (PSL / Birelart) finished third to the duo, and sits third in standings back by 50 points. Four-time RMC Trophy Final winner Oliver Hodgson (Factory Karts) holds fourth with Canadian Ayden Ingratta (REM / Kosmic) sitting fifth heading into the final three rounds.

The DD2 division featured history as Billy Musgrave helped to give Factory Karts its first category victory in its debut in Round One. The six-time SKUSA SuperNationals winner and reigning SKUSA Pro Tour champion holds a 25 point lead over provisional Round One winner Gianluca Savaglio (REM / Kosmic). Musgrave holds the advantage heading into Round Two, setting fast time in qualifying while Savaglio starts the opening Prefinal from P4. Fellow Canadian Lucas Pernod (PSL / Birelart) sits third in the standings over Arnaud Sabourin (Prime / Tony Kart) and Senior rookie Alexis Baillargeon (Platto / CS55).

Leo Da Silva swept the opening round in Junior MAX (Photo: Ken Johnson – Studio52.us)

The opening round in Junior MAX was a dominant sweep by Canadian Leo Da Silva (REM / Kosmic). Da Silva won by over 35 seconds in the Final, and leads the championship standings by 75 points over Antoine Bazinet (Pfaff / Gillard), who finished third in the Round One main event. Canada drivers fill up four of the top five in the standings, including Olivier Chasse (Prime / Redspeed) in third and Marco Fazari (REM / Kosmic) in fifth, while USA driver and Round One runner-up Alex Chandler (IRM / Tony Kart) is fourth. A handful of drivers who had issues in the opening day of action are looking for redemption in the final three rounds, including Round Two top qualifier and British driver Aidan Hammond (Prime / Redspeed), last year’s Mini MAX champion Enzo DiGennaro (Parolin Motorsport USA), and Benym Abernethy (HDD / Tony Kart).

Two drivers are locked at the top spot after one round in Masters MAX. Gabriel Zughella (HRT / EOS) came out of the opening day of racing as the driver to beat in the wet weather, scoring the Final victory. Top qualifier and Prefinal winner Christopher Mann (REM / Kosmic) was second, and the two enter the second round tied in the championship standings. Dominic Legrand (PSL / Birelart) and Noel Dowler (RPM / Tony Kart) remain within reach of the top two. Mundy Loyer (Evolution / OTK), Billy Clevelin (REM / Kosmic) and Henry Taleb (HRT / Tony Kart) are looking to bounce back in the final three rounds, and are 1-2-3 in qualifying for Round Two.

British driver James Root is the only driver with a perfect score, leading the way in Mini MAX (Photo: Ken Johnson – Studio52.us)

The only driver to have a perfect score through the first four sessions of the RMC Winter Trophy is James Roots (Prime / Birelart). The British driver swept the action in Round One comfortably and then went on to set fast time in Round Two qualifying by over three tenths. Christopher Simon (Premier / Tony Kart) and Cristobal Ricci (Orsolon / Tony Kart) and Yousef Adi (JHDD / Kart Republic) are second through fourth in the standings. Mason Brody (RPM / Nitro Kart) qualified second for Round Two, with Dutch Westbrook (Team Benik) in third seeking to rebound in the final three rounds.

Three drivers showed the way throughout the opening round in Micro MAX. Freddie Baker (RCE) set fast time in qualifying before Jack Kotowski (TKG / Birelart) won the Prefinal. He took the provisional win in the Final before a penalty dropped him to third, moving Arthur Rhodes (RCE) to the top of the podium ahead of Baker. It is Rhodes, Baker, and Kotowski in the championship standings heading into Round Two where Baker has the top qualifier honor with Kotowski second and Rhodes back in P5.

EKN will have complete trackside coverage throughout the three days of racing at Speedsportz Racing Park for the 2026 Rotax RMC Winter Trophy. Daily report each day along with photos, results, videos and more through the EKN social media channels.

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