HRKC Race 18: A Nearly Perfect Finale to the 2025 Season

We wrapped up the 2025 HRKC Race Season this weekend with Race 18, returning to the classic National Track layout — a circuit every racer knows well. With Double Points on the line and several championships still undecided, the stakes were high. Most drivers had their setups perfected, meaning the racing itself would decide who came out on top.

Many contenders bolted on fresh tires for that final edge, and even the Saturday practice sessions were buzzing with energy as drivers logged those last critical laps. For others, the goal wasn’t a championship, but personal milestones, friendly rivalries, or simply the pure joy of racing.

Before diving into the race recaps, we’d like to extend a huge thank-you to everyone who makes HRKC events possible — our corner marshals, race directors, grid and office staff, organizers, and yes, even the tech officials. It takes a small army to make race weekends happen, and we’re incredibly grateful for your dedication. And of course, to all the racers, mechanics, families, and friends — thank you for another incredible season of competition, camaraderie, and community.

Weather Watch

Rain was threatening throughout the day, prompting race staff to cancel the lunch break in hopes of staying ahead of the storm — and we nearly pulled it off. The wind kept everyone on alert, but thanks to good preparation, no tents took flight! Now, let’s get into what we all came for — the racing.

Briggs Senior

The day kicked off with our largest grid — 25 Briggs Senior drivers ready to battle. The championship fight between Logan Pacza, Mitchell Morrow, and Owen McCarthy was close, and with double points at stake, every lap mattered.

Qualifying set the tone: McCarthy took pole by just 0.064s over Morrow, with Alex Murphy, making his return after an early-season injury, only 0.073s off. Pacza was 0.085s behind in fourth, and Jaden Hundal rounded out the top five just a tenth back.

In the Prefinal, McCarthy led most of the way, finishing just ahead of Pacza and Murphy — a preview of the showdown to come. The 18-lap Final was a thriller, with the top seven finishing within a second of each other. McCarthy led early, but Pacza made his move on lap 12 and held off a late challenge from Murphy to take the win.

Top 3 Finishers – Briggs Senior

🥇 P1 – Logan Pacza
🥈 P2 – Owen McCarthy
🥉 P3 – Alex Murphy

Briggs Cadet

Next up, the future stars of HRKC — 19 Cadet drivers — took to the track. For many, 2025 was a learning year, but the progress across the field has been remarkable.

Qualifying was incredibly close, with Matteo Romeo on pole and the top three separated by just 0.050s. The Prefinal shuffled things up as Blaine Donovan took the lead, chased hard by Nathan Stockwell, Mason McInnes, and Romeo.

In the Final, Stockwell and Donovan broke away from the pack for an intense battle to the end. Stockwell crossed the line just 0.337s ahead to take the win in a fantastic end to his season.

Top 3 Finishers – Briggs Cadet

🥇 P1 – Nathan Stockwell
🥈 P2 – Blaine Donovan
🥉 P3 – Matteo Romeo

Briggs Junior

The Briggs Junior class was one of the most hotly contested all day. Cole Campin set the pace in qualifying, edging out Alexander Bach, Kaden Malik, and Jackson Corbett by less than a tenth.

In the Prefinal, Campin led early before getting “trained” down the straight and into 2, dropping to fifth as Malik took over and held on for the win. The Final saw the top four — Malik, Bach, Campin, and Shaw — break away, racing clean and strategic. Malik lost the lead briefly late in the race but reclaimed it a lap later to take the victory.

Top 3 Finishers – Briggs Junior

🥇 P1 – Kaden Malik
🥈 P2 – Alexander Bach
🥉 P3 – Cole Campin

Briggs Junior Lite

The Junior Lite field was smaller this round with four drivers, but the racing was just as spirited. Cody Shaw, who had dominated most of the season, stepped up to Junior for the final rounds, giving others a chance to shine.

Noah Prodger made the most of it — topping qualifying, winning the prefinal, and going on to sweep the day with victory in the Final.

Top 3 Finishers – Briggs Junior Lite

🥇 P1 – Noah Prodger
🥈 P2 – Oliver Gonsalves
🥉 P3 – Mia Grobbink

Briggs Masters

Our always-entertaining Masters closed out the Briggs racing, with 14 competitors lining up for their final race of the year.

Liam Barbosa claimed pole, with Eli Yanko and Patrick Lelievre right behind — all within a tenth. Christopher Mitchell won the Prefinal, then led most of the Final. Post-race contact penalties reshuffled the results, handing Mitchell the victory ahead of Yanko, with Malcolm Jolink celebrating his first podium of the year.

Top 3 Finishers – Briggs Masters

🥇 P1 – Christopher Mitchell
🥈 P2 – Eli Yanko
🥉 P3 – Malcolm Jolink

Rotax Senior

In Rotax Senior, while Nickle has been the class benchmark all season, Race 18 was a duel between Jaden Hundal and Jackson Morley. Hundal took pole by two-tenths setting up what would be a great pre-final and final.

The pair swapped the lead multiple times through the Pre-Final and Final. On the last lap, Hundal made a daring move into Turn 12, crossing the line first — but a pushback bumper penalty dropped him to fifth, giving Morley his first Rotax Senior win.

Top 3 Finishers – Rotax Senior

🥇 P1 – Jackson Morley
🥈 P2 – Michael Nickle
🥉 P3 – Yiannis Ilias

Rotax Mini Max

The Mini Max drivers once again proved why this is one of HRKC’s most exciting classes. Damian Stirling took pole by a stunning 0.003s over Stockwell, setting up a tight battle.

The Prefinal had a scary moment with two DNFs, but thankfully, both drivers were okay. Then, as the Final began, a light drizzle added even more drama — but the young racers handled it perfectly. Nathan Stockwell claimed the win, with Stirling and Cailin Chatterson rounding out the podium.

Top 3 Finishers – Rotax Mini Max

🥇 P1 – Nathan Stockwell
🥈 P2 – Damian Stirling
🥉 P3 – Cailin Chatterson

Rotax Junior

We wrapped up the season with Rotax Junior, which delivered drama, weather, and perseverance in equal measure.

Mechanical gremlins struck early — Brandon Bowden’s axle snapped in the Prefinal, and Tristan Smith suffered a tire failure in the Final. Then came the rain: a heavy downpour turned the 20-lap race into a true test of skill.

Through it all, Aristeides Theodoropoulos was unstoppable, taking pole, the prefinal, and the final in a commanding sweep. Stefano Lanzillotta capped off his rookie Junior season with a strong P2, and Bowden recovered from earlier misfortune to take third.

Top 3 Finishers – Rotax Junior

🥇 P1 – Aristeides Theodoropoulos
🥈 P2 – Stefano Lanzillotta
🥉 P3 – Brandon Bowden

Thank You and What’s Next

That wraps up an incredible 2025 season at HRKC! From thrilling battles to wild weather, we saw everything this year — and through it all, the racing was outstanding.

If you’re not quite ready to pack up the kart yet, mark your calendars for November 15th — we’ll be hosting one final Fun Race Day featuring a Mini Enduro format. You can race your own kart or one of ours, and proceeds will go to charity.

Stay tuned for details, and once again, thank you to everyone who made 2025 an unforgettable season at HRKC. See you at the track!