(Photo: Mark Schwigen)

The 2026 Ignite Challenge Presented by Skip Barber Racing School concluded at Gateway Kartplex in Madison, Illinois, bringing together 72 drivers representing 11 states across 75 entries. As the home of Ignite Karting, Gateway provided a fitting venue for a season finale featuring seven classes, championship battles, and exceptionally close racing.

Ignite’s philosophy is simple: the driver should make the difference, not the size of the budget. By competing on the same specified equipment, drivers benefit from a more level playing field, controlled equipment costs, and racing that rewards skill, racecraft, and consistency.

Ignite 100 Senior & Ignite 100 Masters

Kase Reth (Photo: Mark Schwigen)

The two Ignite 100 classes raced together but were scored separately, bringing close competition and plenty of action to the higher-powered 100cc karts.

Qualifying

Christian Hughes led Ignite 100 Senior with a lap of 38.151 seconds. Gateway veteran Blaine Finnegan topped Ignite 100 Masters at 38.259, followed by Bobby Krug Racing Services’ Sean Scoles at 38.452.

Race 1

Kase Reth won Ignite 100 Senior ahead of Hughes, while Finnegan took the Masters victory ahead of John Hickey and Michael Wirrick. Reth recorded the fastest lap at 37.677 seconds.

Biggest mover: Hickey improved from sixth in qualifying to fourth in Masters, gaining two positions.

Race 2

Reth repeated his performance to sweep the Senior races, with Delmar, Iowa’s Hughes again finishing second. Finnegan completed his Masters sweep, followed by Wirrick, Hickey, and Ivan Demkovitch.

Biggest mover: Wirrick gained two positions in the provisional Race 2 comparison, capping a day-long battle with Hickey. The official starting grid remains to be confirmed.

Ignite Heavy

Ignite Heavy Race 2 photo finish (Photo: Mark Schwigen)

Qualifying

Justice Buttala claimed pole with a 43.502-second lap. Doug Stroud qualified second at 43.589, followed by Logan Matusik, Ryan Pinson, and Michael Smith.

Race 1

Tyler Stroud won ahead of his father, Doug, and Smith. Starting outside the top 10, Tyler delivered one of the weekend’s standout drives, working his way through the field to take the victory.

Biggest mover: Tyler climbed from 11th in qualifying to first at the finish, gaining 10 positions—the largest net gain identified in the Race 1 comparisons.

Race 2

Smith bounced back to win, with Tyler Stroud second and fast qualifier Buttala third. Smith and Stroud recorded remarkably similar best laps of 43.056 and 43.075 seconds.

Biggest mover: Smith’s winning performance was provisionally calculated as a three-position gain from the Race 2 grid, pending confirmation.

Ignite Rookie

Zayden Alexander (Photo: Mark Schwigen)

Qualifying

Zayden Alexander’s dominant 2026 season continued as he led qualifying with a 43.557-second lap. First-time Gateway visitor Colby Neilson impressed in second at 43.794, followed by Caitlyn Dailey and Vincent Bavuso.

Race 1

Alexander converted pole into victory ahead of Dailey and Neilson. Neilson recorded the fastest lap at 43.395 seconds, demonstrating how quickly he adapted to an unfamiliar circuit.

Biggest mover: Dailey continued her recent strong form, moving from third in qualifying to second at the finish.

Race 2

Alexander closed out his Rookie career with a sweep of both races. Neilson finished second and Bavuso third, while Alexander recorded the fastest lap at 43.127 seconds.

With Alexander moving to Ignite Junior, Neilson, Dailey, and Bavuso look set to be Rookie contenders in 2027.

Ignite Masters

Sean Scoles (Photo: Mark Schwigen)

Qualifying

Sean Scoles took pole with a 42.523-second lap. Ryan Whicker qualified second at 43.411, followed by Chris Lang, Paul Pate, and Lawrence Dunlap.

Race 1

Scoles converted pole into victory ahead of Whicker and Lang. Dunlap finished fourth, followed by Pate and Richard Whicker.

Biggest mover: Dunlap advanced from fifth in qualifying to fourth in Race 1, gaining one position.

Race 2

Scoles completed his sweep, with Whicker again second. Lang produced one of the race’s best recoveries: after spinning early and dropping to sixth, he charged back to finish third.

Biggest mover: Scoles provisionally advanced from second on the Race 2 grid to take the win. Lang’s recovery from sixth to third was another highlight.

Ignite Junior

Jacob Modjeski (Photo: Mark Schwigen)

Qualifying

Wisconsin’s Jacob Modjeski earned pole with a 42.542-second lap, narrowly ahead of Tanner Gonzalez at 42.554. Evan Hoke qualified third, followed by Ben Hauhe.

Race 1

Modjeski won ahead of Hauhe and Gonzalez, with the leading drivers demonstrating just how closely matched the Junior field was.

Biggest mover: Greyson Watenpaugh advanced from ninth in qualifying to sixth, gaining three positions.

Race 2

Hauhe took the win ahead of Gonzalez and Hoke. Modjeski finished fourth, while Kieran Mays again secured a top-five result.

Biggest movers: Brian Thompson and Alexander Ceulemans were provisionally identified as gaining three positions each, subject to confirmation of the official Race 2 grid.

Ignite Senior

Aidan Liber (Photo: Mark Schwigen)

Qualifying

Aidan Liber led qualifying with a 42.220-second lap. Sean Scoles was second at 42.239, just 0.019 seconds behind, with Logan Nealis third at 42.273.

Race 1

Liber won ahead of Race Beckman and Nealis, recording the fastest lap at 42.005 seconds.

Biggest mover: Javin Mishra climbed from 26th in qualifying to 18th at the finish, gaining eight positions.

Race 2

Liber completed the Senior sweep, with Nealis second and Vilnai third. Bobby Krug delivered a strong fourth-place finish.

Biggest movers: Owen Neisel and Brody Strong gained three positions apiece.

The 2026 Ignite Challenge finale delivered a fitting close to the season. Tyler Stroud’s 10-position charge to win Ignite Heavy Race 1 and Javin Mishra’s eight-position gain in Senior were standout drives. Three final-event victories decided by less than 0.01 seconds further demonstrated the series’ remarkable competitiveness.

The 2027 Ignite Challenge Presented by Skip Barber Racing School will mark the 11^th season of the regional spec karting championship. The 2027 schedule is still TBA.

Ignite puts the emphasis on the driver, not the equipment budget

By using the same specified equipment, the series helps keep racing affordable and competitive, rewarding racecraft, consistency, and determination. Gateway’s finale showcased exactly what makes Ignite special: accessible competition, close racing, and a place for drivers to develop and prove themselves on track.

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