Pigeon Post - May Race Report

That is a wrap on another instalment of the 2026 season. 4 out of 9 rounds completed, but also the conclusion of the Wessex Challenge 2026.

A very competitive grid from all classes on the weekend. With our biggest grid this year from Intermax with 19, which is fantastic to see, and another large grid in Senior Rotax.

So here is our new segment for each round which is our RACE REPORT. Let's go through this weekend!

Starting with Honda Cadet!

With a split grid taking to track, we had 4 Honda Cadet drivers fighting for the WC plate.

Heat 1 saw Zach Service taking P1 with the fastest lap during that heat in their class of a 39.87, finishing 6.13 seconds ahead of Callum Gaine who came 2nd after penalties. Service being 4th overall in the cadet race and Gaine being 8th overall.

Heat 2 a swap between the two, finishing closer on the road both finishing 7th and 8th overall. But this time Gaine being ahead of Zach Service.

Heat 3 swapping positions once again with Zach Service being the winner of that heat for the Honda Cadets. Service P1, Gaine P2.

So this lead into the Final with them both on the front row in their class. Split grid meaning they were starting behind the Rotax Cadets. Zach Service was on pole meaning having the inside line in to Billy's Blind. Callum on P2. After 16 laps battling through the grid of Rotax Cadets, Zach Service won for the Honda Cadets coming 5th overall.

With that, Zach Service was our Wessex Challenge Champion for 2026! He now holds the WC plate which he can run for the rest of this season and up until next year's Wessex Challenge!

To the championship standings then. The top 3 remain unchanged with Callum Gaine extending his lead to Rio Fry in the championship. Elliott Dowling stays 3rd with 2 new entries to of Zach Service and Francesca Cridge moving onto the table after becoming new members with us.

Click HERE for the championship standings.

Rotax Cadet:

Following up from the Honda Cadets we move to the Rotax Cadet. Split grids this time 10 drivers competing.

Jonny Butterfill being the fastest in Heat 1, boasting a 40.01 second lap time put him to the front. But this wasn't a solo battle. Oliver Daniels being a close competitor in this race, finishing 1 tenth behind Butterfill. Both drivers quick in Heat 1 meaning they finished 14 seconds ahead of the field. Butterfill P1, Daniels P2. Haines finishing P3.

To Heat 2 where it's just like the Rotax Cadet story. Both drivers even quicker this race, but both still close. Butterfill with a 39.76 second lap time being ever so quicker than Daniels who was 7 hundredths slower. That's not much! With that being said, it was Daniels who took the win for Heat 2, with Butterfill finishing 1.04 seconds behind.

Jonny Butterfill pulled out the strings for Heat 3, where he finished 3.51 seconds ahead of the grid. Showing he's still got plenty of go. Daniels setting the quickest lap time again with a 39.88. Jonah Allen takes P3 this time finishing 5 seconds behind our eventual winner.

With these battles between Butterfill and Daniels, what did this do for the final? Grid was Daniels on Pole with Butterfill alongside. There was definitely a battle to be had for this one. Lap times consistent between the two of the drivers, only 0.02 difference on their best times. With a finish of 0.24 second gap, we eventually got our winner.

Jonny Butterfill wins for the Rotax Cadets meaning he is now our Wessex Champion for 2026, and now holds the WC plate for the next year!

3 new entries to the championship with Jonny Butterfill, Jackson Haines and Alfie Mullet join the championship battle. Radoicovici extends his lead with 311 points to count for this season so far.

Click HERE for the championship tables for Rotax Cadet

Intermax:

Onto Intermax now with the biggest grid from the class this season with the CPKC of 19, and didn't we get a show!

Starting off with Heat 1. Ethan Coupland, last year's 183Xperience Intermax Champion, is back on the grid. Taking the fastest lap of the race of a 36.69 seconds being slightly quicker than Nikita Roberts and Oscar Churches. A great race by the Novice Amelia Hay starting 15th climbing close to the front into P6. Very well done! This being said Coupland was the winner of Heat 1, beating Roberts by 3.22 seconds and securing the win. Roberts P2, Oscar Churches P3 (4.41 seconds behind) and Ben Hunt just a smidge behind in P4.

Heat 2 then. With Roberts starting down at P11 she had some racing to do. Previous race winner Coupland starting P7 and Churches starting P9 they were on the hunt to pole... quite literally, Ben Hunt being on Pole, we had a race on our hands. The 4 drivers being close together by the end of the race, Hunt started pole and finished P1, Churches finishing 2.76 seconds down the road for P2, Roberts climbing 8 places for P3 and Ethan Coupland finishing P4. That being said we had a rare occurrence of identical lap times from both Hunt and Coupland of a 37.03. Both charging during that race. Once again mentioning Hay, she climbed 9 positions that race starting from 18th and being top novice that race.

Onto Heat 3 where we have another new race winner. Similar story of Pole position finishing 1st. Nikita Roberts finishing P1 but only by the smallest margin of 0.08! Oscar Churches started P3 to battle with Roberts for the win, with the fastest lap time of that race of a 37.05. Managing P2 at the line. Coupland unable to reach the front of the grid, however competing all the way to P7, which will spice things up for the Final grids. Ben Hunt took P3 only 2 tenths behind our front runners.

Grid then for the Final saw Roberts on Pole, Churches alongside on the front row with Hunt and Coupland starting P3 and P4 respectively. This brought us a great race for the WC plate. With the 4 drivers at the front, it was anyone's race. A random fact from this race is that Churches, Roberts and Coupland all identical in Sector 3 of Clay Pigeon Raceway with a 9.06 sector time. This said Hunt was the quicker of the 4 drivers with a 37.06. After the lengthy final, Hunt was our winner outdoing Churches by 3 tenths, Roberts for P3 and Coupland for 4th.

This means that Ben Hunt is our Wessex Champion for Intermax and can now run the WC plate for the next year at Clay Pigeon.

The championship standings saw plenty of changes. Ben Hunt retains his lead on the championship with 679 points to count. Thomas Roscorla moves up to 2nd with 527 slightly ahead of Harrison Randall with 514. Roberts up to 4th with 455 points.

To see the championship for Intermax click HERE.

Junior Rotax:

A battle of two tails for Junior Rotax. The top 4 consistent throughout the day.

Quickest on Heat 1 went to Jake Cossey sporting a 34.20 second lap time. Only 7 hundredths quicker than Alfred Matthews who was the Heat 1 winner. P2 went to Sammy Churchill 1.29 seconds after Matthews took the chequered flag. Jake Cossey P3 followed by Jayden Shearing P4. Elsie Bonning 5th after penalties from other drivers, her first race for a few months absence in karting.

Heat 2 then, and the same top 4 once again battling through the grid. Matthews quickest this time with a 34.43 lap time, the only one that race to get into the 34.4's. Matthews again winner of Heat 2 by 2 seconds to Shearing in P2. Cossy P3 and Sammy Churchill P4.

Pip Palmer started P13 for Heat 3, starting at the front of the Novice grid. This race saw him climb from the back to near our front runners sporting a respectful P4 overall with lap times similar to our front runners. Those front runners were Cossey and Matthews, with a close finish at the line crossing with a gap of 0.11, Jake Cossey P1, Alfred Matthews P2. Top 7 all within 1 second for the finish with Elsie Bonning rounding out at P7.

The final is where it all took place for the Juniors. With Matthews on Pole position with Cossey alongside, anything could happen. After 19 laps it was Alfred Matthews who crossed the line P1, with Cossey not far behind. Jayden shearing P3 and Kirk Caplen crossing the line at P4. With that said, due to a Scrutineer Non-Compliance report for the race winner, a disqualification from the final was handed to Matthews promoting Cossey to P1, Shearing to P2, and Caplen to P3.

Jake Cossey now holds the WC plate until next year with the CPKC.

To the championship. Kirk Caplen now takes back the lead of the championship with 587, with Sammy Churchill not to far behind in 2nd with 583 points, Matthews down to 3rd wth 567. Whilst changes near 7th and 8th with Elliot Bennet in 7th with 258 points, and Toby Hembrough down to 8th with 250 points.

See the Junior Rotax championship standings by clicking ME!

Senior Rotax:

To the Senior Rotax now with 19 Seniors and one 177 driver on track. Let's see how this one went.

Starting with Heat 1, Bertie Wellesley starting on the front row alongside Chase Rainsbury. Geno Cook P8 and Luke Richards P9. These two to keep an eye on through the heats. We also had Josh Robinson P17 starting 2nd in the novice grid. 16 laps were driven for Heat 1, which saw Geno Cook come through the grid to take the win for Heat 1. He did had Wellesley right behind as a gap of 0.16 seconds at the line saw him take P2. Luke Richards quickest with a 33.45 second lap time in P3. Robinson flying up 9 positions to P8 overall.

Onto Heat 2. Robinson starting at the back of the grid at P19. Meanwhile Richards on Pole with Asa Pinder alongside. Cook P15. Another quick drive from Richards setting a 33.76 over the 16 laps, passing the finish line P1. Archie Dyson P2 3.53 seconds behind. Wellesley was P6 after starting 9th. Geno Cook didn't start the race after an injury after the chequered on Heat 1. Meanwhile Robinson P14 after a hard fought battle at the rear of the grid.

Geno returned! For some of the race anyway. Started on Pole for this race alongside Billy Edgecombe. Wellesley P13 and Richards P14 and Robinson P16. Only 15 laps covered this heat, with an unfortunate DNF from Cook having to retire 3 laps before the chequered flag. The driver crossing the line this time was Maxim Smith for P1, Edgecombe for P2. Wellesley with an incredible drive moving up 10 places for a strong finish in P3. Robinson top novice again crossing the line P14.

After the strong performances from the drivers, Richards starting on Pole with Maxim Smith alongside. Wellesley behind starting 3rd with Edgecombe P4. Robinson starting 12th. After a 19 lap final, Richards came over the line P1, Smith P2 and Wellesley P3. Josh Robinson finishing P8 for Top Novice!

This means that Luke Richards now holds the WC plate for the next year!

Moving to the championship and no changes in the order from the top 6. Luke Richards holds his lead ahead of Wellesley 2nd in the Championship. Lucas Reeves and Curtis Dewane enter 7th and 8th.

See the championship table by clicking HERE.

Tillotson T4 Junior:

It's the turn of the Tillotson T4 Juniors now. With 6 drivers entered for this one.

Angus Langley started 3rd for this race, with David Welsh alongside. Out in front is Jenson Turnock, the only non-noivce driver on the grid, alongside Majka Domagala. 14 laps and a quick lap from Langley of a 38.59, he wins for Heat 1. 5 Seconds ahead of Leo Belimenko. Domagala not present for the first heat. Ivan Masliakovas disqualified after being underweight. Jenson Turnock with a DNF 1 lap in.

To Heat 2, where Turnock is once again on pole. Being the only non-noivce he will be on pole for all heats. Alongside him this time is Leo Belimenko. Langley P4. Once again showing his pace, Langley crosses the line 1st after 14 laps with the fastest lap of a 38.53, quicker than Heat 1 by 0.06! Belimenko P2 with Turnock finishing P3.

Heat 3 was another win for Langley. Starting 6th, he was able to battle to the front to finish P1 with an even quicker lap time of 38.45. This time only 0.25 ahead of the field as Belimenko finishes 2nd and David Welsh P3. Unfortunately for Turnock, another DNF.

A very close finish for the final in the T4 Juniors! Angus Langley after a strong performance starting 1st with Belimenko alongside. 17 laps and a battle between Langley and Belimenko we eventually got our clostest finish in the T4 Juniors this year... A gap of 0.05 at the line with Langley just getting the win! Belimenko P2 but can claim the fastest lap of a 38.68. Domagala 3rd.

The Championship with plenty of movement. Langley stays out in front with a huge lead of 630 points. Belimenko moves up to P2 with 518. Jenson Turnock P3.

See the championship table HERE.

Tillotson T4 Senior:

A quick summery of the T4 Seniors then, with on 3 drivers this meeting. Who knows what would happen.

Starting with Heat 1, Amelie Acketts (aka the Queen of Clay) on pole, T4 Champion Olly Cooper-Welton P2 and Mr Prokart Engineerig himself, Jeffrey Johnson P3. It was a win for Cooper-Welton finishing 3 tenths ahead of Acketts. These two would be battling it out for the rest of the day. With Jeff bringing the rear in 3rd 3 tenths behind Amelie.

Heat 2 saw Johnson on pole, Cooper-Welton P2 and Acketts P3. Close finish for Cooper-Welton and Acketts, finishing 0.15 between the two. Just like Heat 1 though, same finishing order with Acketts 2nd.

Heat 3 once again showed the same results with the grid. Cooper-Welton finishing on pole with the fastest lap of 38.04 seconds 2 tenths ahead of Acketts.

The final had some drama. Yes drama on a small grid. This race saw Cooper-Welton and Acketts battling, defending and more for all 16 laps. Both drivers even matching the fastest lap of the race of 38.31 seconds. An unfortunate start for Johnson as his nuts were not tight enough on his chain guard, sees him with a mechanical flag after 6 laps. Meanwhile the others battled hard till Lap 16 of 17 as Acketts faces a mechanical issue after the esses. Despite retiring Cooper-Welton had no idea Acketts had retired, still defending until the finish line being the only race finisher in the final!

To the championship then. With only 2 drivers doing most of the series, sees Acketts and Cooper-Welton fly up the championship standings ahead of YouTube star Brad Philpot down to 3rd.

Championship standings HERE.

So that concludes the 2026 Wessex Challenge and Round 4! Round 5 on the 14th June, we look forward to seeing you all then!