ROK Cup Superfinal 2026: Saturday Report
Isambard, Westbrook and Ardiles win for ROK Cup USA in Italy
The ROK Cup Superfinal is the year-end event for drivers from around the world in the ROK category, meeting at the historic South Garda Karting facility in Lonato, Italy over October 13-17. More than 400 drivers from over 35 different countries are set to compete in the 10 categories.
Drivers from the United States have gained success over the event that has been running since the mid-2000s. Drivers to win includes Derek Wang (Expert Plus – 2024), Ariel Castro (Expert Plus – 2023), Vivek Kanthan (Mini ROK – 2022), Renato Jader David (Expert – 2022/2020), Alex Powell (Mini ROK – 2019), and current NASCAR driver Connor Zilisch (Mini ROK – 2017). Canada has seen its share of success, including victories by Jayden Francisco (Mini ROK U10) last year and Jensen Burnett (Mini ROK – 2021).
The ROK Cup Superfinal 2026 begins on October 13 with four rounds of practice for all 10 classes. Wednesday features one official practice, followed by qualifying and the opening round of heat races. Heat races continue Thursday and Friday before grids are set for the Prefinals Sunday morning. The main events will then be held on Sunday afternoon.
EKN will have recaps for each USA and Canada driver, who are part of the more than 60 drivers representing ROK Cup USA, each day to allow viewers to follow their progress at the ROK Cup Superfinal 2026. Below are results from Saturday action.
Saturday Recap:
VLR ROK inaugural winner Diego Ardiles (Photo: Cody Schindel – CKN)
A total of 14 drivers represented ROK Cup USA in the new to the event VLR ROK category. Four of the top five were racing under ROK Cup USA banner, including former SKUSA and USPKS champion Diego Ardiles from Costa Rica. USA driver Enzo Vidmontiene was runner-up with Xavier Suarez from Chile making up the top three. In total, 8 of the top 10 represented ROK Cup USA.
Over 60% of the VLR Junior ROK class were from ROK Cup USA, representing nine different countries. Izko Alonso (CHI) was top driver with runner-up finish. Lawrence Peremen was the top driver from the USA in fifth while fellow USA driver Colton Schniegenberg fought back to eighth after getting spun on the opening lap. Gabriel De Lucca (ARG) was the top representative for ROK Cup USA in Expert ROK Plus with a fifth place finish.
Four of the top 10 were from the USA and Canada in Mini ROK U10. Dutch Westbrook and Zev Godschalk led the way for USA with a 1-2 finish in the Final. Canadian Jayden Francisco – the defending ROK Cup Superfinal winner – had fast lap of the race in sixth while Florida Winter Tour 2026 champion Jack Kotowski made it up to eighth, all finishing within one second of the checkered flag. Costa Rican driver Samuel Chaverri led the way for the ROK Cup USA contingent in Mini ROK. His eighth place finish was best of the nine drivers in the field.
While not representing ROK Cup USA, Josh Bergman from the United States was a wild card entry for the event, finishing 17th for the best result for a North American driver in the Junior field. USA driver Blake Nash was the lone ROK Cup USA representative in the Super ROK division. Contact on the opening lap put him behind half the track after the opening lap.
Florida driver Alan Isambard led 15 of the 20 laps to claim the Senior ROK victory, becoming the first USA driver to do so in the 24-year history of the event. Fellow Florida driver Dominik Karai – Florida Winter Tour 2026 champion – recorded a top 10 finish in Shifter ROK, placing seventh.
VLR ROK:
Enzo Vidmontiene (Photo: Cody Schindel – CKN)
#960 – Roman Doria (CAN)
Qualifying: 1st – 51.443 +0.094
Heat Points: 11th – 45 points
Final Points: 13th – 67 points
Warm Up: DNS
Final: 6th +3.171 – 52.290
#958 – Dante Rodriguez (USA)
Qualifying: 18th – 52.403 +0.960
Heat Points: 10th – 43 points
Final Points: 8th – 53 points
Warm Up: 9th – 52.853 +0.576
Final: 15th +12.929 – 52.626
#951 – Enzo Vidmontiene (USA)
Qualifying: 9th – 51.953 +0.510
Heat Points: 7th – 31 points
Final Points: 7th – 34 points
Warm Up: 2nd – 52.517 +0.240
Final: 2nd +0.163 – 52.128
VLR Junior ROK:
Lawrence Peremen (Photo: Cody Schindel – CKN)
#908 – Roy Chang (CAN)
Qualifying: 9th – 53.190 +0.462
Heat Points: 6th – 35 points
Final Points: 6th – 43 points
Warm Up: 14th – 54.284 +1.015
Final: 14th +10.031 – 52.988
#903 – Thomas Du (CAN)
Qualifying: 12th – 53.453 +0.725
Heat Points: 19th – 68 points
Final Points: 19th – 86 points
Warm Up: 13th – 54.156 +0.887
Final: 16th +14.601 – 52.929 (Penalty)
#902 – Lawrence Peremen (USA)
Qualifying: 14th – 53.757 +1.029
Heat Points: 4th – 17 points
Final Points: 4th – 21 points
Warm Up: 10th – 53.993 +0.724
Final: 5th +5.407 – 52.702
#909 – Colton Schniegenberg (USA)
Qualifying: 6th – 53.116 +0.388
Heat Points: 2nd – 10 points
Final Points: 2nd – 12 points
Warm Up: 5th – 53.556 +0.287
Final: 8th +7.159 – 52.685
Expert ROK:
#721 – Kevin Ye (CAN)
Qualifying: 12th – 49.488 +0.936
Heat Points: 14th – 55 points
Final Points: 15th – 73 points
Warm Up: 15th – 51.383 +1.782
Final: 14th +38.588 – 50.093
Mini ROK U10:
Dutch Westbrook (Photo: Cody Schindel – CKN)
#38 – Brody Brown (USA)
Qualifying (Overall): 20th
Heat Race Group D
Heat Points: 9th – 21 points
Warm Up (Group A): 15th – 57.831 +1.141
Prefinal A: 20th +38.046 – 57.190
Final Points: 15th – 41 points
Final: 25th +6.196 – 56.738 (Penalty)
#28 – Dan Duculescu (USA)
Qualifying (Overall): 14th
Heat Race Group B
Heat Points: 24th – 39 points
Warm Up (Group B): 7th – 57.179 +0.571
Prefinal B: 10th +11.244 – 57.791
Final Points: 22nd – 49 points
Final: 32nd +13.186 – 56.836
#51 – Jayden Francisco (CAN)
Qualifying (Overall): 2nd
Heat Race Group B
Heat Points: 13th – 25 points
Warm Up (Group A): 1st – 56.690 +0.320
Prefinal A: 5th +1.599 – 55.967
Final Points: 8th – 30 points
Final: 6th +0.465 – 56.605
#48 – Zev Godschalk (USA)
Zev Godschalk (Photo: Cody Schindel – CKN)
Qualifying (Overall): 9th
Heat Race Group A
Heat Points: 1st – 2 points
Warm Up (Group A): 7th – 57.352 +0.662
Prefinal A: 3rd +0.106 – 56.853
Final Points: 1st – 5 points
Final: 2nd +0.142 – 56.964
#18 – Jack Kotowski (USA)
Qualifying (Overall): 7th
Heat Race Group C
Heat Points: 16th – 27 points
Warm Up (Group B): 1st – 56.608 +0.248
Prefinal B: 4th +5.835 – 56.505 (Penalty)
Final Points: 9th – 31 points
Final: 8th +0.857 – 56.650
#44 – Bret ‘Dutch’ Westbrook (USA)
Qualifying (Overall): 1st
Heat Race Group A
Heat Points: 3rd – 11 points
Warm Up (Group A): 2nd – 57.010 +0.320
Prefinal A: 22nd +7 Laps – 1:11.701
Final Points: 11th – 33 points
Final: 1st +0.142 – 56.635
Mini ROK:
#138 – Luke Bulpitt (CAN)
Qualifying (Overall): 37th
Heat Race Group A
Heat Points: 28th – 43 points
Warm Up (Group B): 14th – 56.426 +0.801
Prefinal B: 12th +7.490 – 56.520
Final Points: 24th – 55 points
Final: 36th +47.877 – 56.501
#110 – Lucas Tarango (USA)
Qualifying (Overall): 13th
Heat Race Group A
Heat Points: 21st – 37 points
Warm Up (Group A): 18th – 56.835 +1.178
Prefinal A: 23rd +17.188 – 56.843
Final Points: 27th – 60 points
Final: 28th +23.112 – 56.238
Junior ROK:
#232 – Josh Bergman (USA)
Qualifying (Overall): 27th
Heat Race Group B
Heat Points: 28th – 51 points (Prefinal B)
Warm Up (Group B): 4th – 51.469 +0.679
Prefinal B: 15th +13.520 – 50.564 (Penalty)
Final Points: 29th – 66 points
Final: 17th +21.762 – 50.027 (Penalty)
#250 – Cason Hodge (USA)
Qualifying (Overall): 21st
Heat Race Group A
Heat Points: 25th – 47 points (Prefinal A)
Warm Up (Prefinal A): 6th – 51.407 +0.412
Prefinal A: 12th +12.033 – 50.369
Final Points: 27th – 59 points
Final: 22nd +25.601 – 49.906 (Penalty)
#209 – Nicholas Kotowski (USA)
Qualifying (Overall): 10th
Heat Race Group E
Heat Points: 6th – 15 points (Prefinal B)
Warm Up (Group B): 21st – 52.057
Prefinal B: 2nd +3.807 – 50.114
Final Points: 5th – 17 points
Final: 33rd +10 Laps – 51.121
#233 – Robert Tronchi (CAN)
Qualifying (Overall): 15th
Heat Race Group E
Heat Points: 19th – 36 points (Prefinal A)
Warm Up (Group A): 21st – 52.470 +1.475
Prefinal A: 11th +10.303 – 50.097
Final Points: 17th – 47 points
Final: 24th +28.719 – 50.210
Super ROK:
#627 – Blake Nash (USA)
Qualifying: 8th – 47.448 +0.295
Heat Points: 5th – 34 points
Warm Up: 1st – 49.103 +0.117
Prefinal: DNS
Final Points: 12th – 63 points
Final: 27th +7 Laps – 47.679
Senior ROK:
Alan Isambard (Photo: Cody Schindel – CKN)
#404 – Stephen Eisert (USA)
Qualifying (Overall): 33rd
Heat Race Group C
Heat Points: 27th – 42 points (Prefinal A)
Warm Up (Group A): 10th – 49.589 +0.525
Prefinal A: 9th +11.710 – 48.534
Final Points: 22nd – 51 points
Final: 30th +11 Laps – 48.849
#462 – Alan Isambard (USA)
Qualifying (Overall): 3rd
Heat Race Group C
Heat Points: 2nd – 7 points (Prefinal B)
Warm Up (Group B): 3rd – 48.644 +0.187
Prefinal B: 1st +1.347 – 48.166
Final Points: 2nd – 7 points
Final: 1st +2.038 – 48.148
Shifter ROK:
#814 – Dominik Karai (USA)
Qualifying: 10th – 47.154 +0.864
Heat Points: 10th – 40 points
Warm Up: 6th – 48.251 +0.434
Prefinal: 10th +8.675 – 47.571 (Penalty)
Final Points: 11th – 50 points
Final: 7th +12.768 – 47.409
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