Team Canada Battles Through Adversity at ROK Cup SuperFinal in Italy

Seven Canadian drivers took on some of the world’s best kart racers at South Garda Karting in Lonato, Italy, for the 2026 ROK Cup SuperFinal, delivering impressive performances, overcoming adversity and gaining valuable international experience at one of karting’s most prestigious events.

From a historic pole position to remarkable recovery drives and some heartbreaking moments, Team Canada experienced just about everything during an action-packed week of competition.

Roman Doria made history by becoming the first driver to secure pole position in the new VLR Senior division, while defending Mini U10 SuperFinal Champion Jayden Francisco once again demonstrated that he belongs among the world’s best young drivers. Meanwhile, Canada’s five other representatives faced their own challenges as they battled for positions against some of the toughest competition they have encountered.

Although a podium finish ultimately eluded the Canadian contingent, there was plenty to be proud of as another ROK Cup SuperFinal came to a close.

Francisco Comes Agonizingly Close to Defending His Mini U10 Crown

JAYDEN FRANCISCO | AV RACING TEAM / PAROLIN | FINAL RESULT: 6TH OF 50 Drivers

For Jayden Francisco, the 2026 ROK Cup SuperFinal was an opportunity to accomplish something special: become a two-time Mini U10 SuperFinal Champion.

And for much of the week, the young Canadian looked more than capable of doing exactly that.

Francisco opened his title defence with an impressive qualifying performance, matching the fastest lap of the session despite managing only one proper push lap after spending much of the session fighting for a draft. A tie-breaker on the second-fastest lap left him second overall, but it was clear that Francisco had the speed to challenge for another victory.

His heat races provided further evidence of that potential. After finishing near the front in his opening heat, a frustrating retirement caused by a choke issue in his second race put him on the back foot. However, Francisco responded in spectacular fashion, driving away from the field to win his third heat race.

What followed in the PreFinal was arguably one of the most impressive performances of the entire weekend.

Collected in an opening-lap incident at corner three, Francisco rejoined the race nearly a quarter of the circuit behind the leaders. Rather than accepting defeat, the ten-year-old put his head down and delivered a remarkable charge through the field.

Setting the fastest lap on nearly every tour of the eight-lap race, Francisco carved his way through the competition like a seasoned veteran, eventually recovering all the way to fifth position.

His earlier retirement meant he would line up eighth for the Final, leaving him with plenty of work to do if he wanted to retain his crown.

An imperfect start from the outside row didn’t help, but Francisco wasted little time charging forward. By lap five, he had worked his way into the lead and appeared ready to fight for another SuperFinal victory.

Unfortunately, the battle at the front quickly intensified.

With the leader defending aggressively and drivers behind ready to capitalize on every opportunity, Francisco found himself caught in a fierce fight for the podium. He repeatedly had to reclaim third position while searching for an opportunity to advance.

On the final lap, Francisco gave everything he had in pursuit of the victory, but his aggressive attempt left him exposed on the outside line. Several competitors slipped past, dropping him to sixth at the checkered flag.

It was a heartbreaking conclusion to a weekend that had shown so much promise, but Francisco once again proved he possesses the speed, determination and racecraft to compete with the very best in the world.

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Bulpitt Gains Valuable Experience in European Debut

LUKE BULPITT | AV RACING TEAM / PAROLIN | FINAL RESULT: 36TH OF 50 DRIVERS

Fresh off his Canadian Karting Championship victory in Mini ROK, Luke Bulpitt arrived at South Garda Karting excited to make his European racing debut.

Like many Canadian drivers competing overseas for the first time, Bulpitt quickly discovered that success at the SuperFinal requires much more than outright speed.

The young Canadian showed promising pace throughout practice, but qualifying proved to be a difficult learning experience.

While his teammates held back to position themselves for a draft and their fastest laps, Bulpitt attacked the circuit immediately. Without another driver to chase or the benefit of a slipstream, he was unable to maximize his lap time and qualified 37th overall.

That result left him facing an uphill battle through the heat races, but Bulpitt wasn’t about to give up.

He fought his way forward in two of his three heats, securing finishes of 12th and 10th, while an engine issue spoiled another promising run with just three laps remaining.

Bulpitt continued to battle through the PreFinal, doing enough to secure his place in the Final and the opportunity to compete against the strongest drivers in his category.

Unfortunately, his Final was disrupted when he was spun at corner four during an intense midfield battle. By the time he recovered and returned to the circuit, the field had disappeared into the distance.

Nevertheless, Bulpitt continued pushing until the checkered flag, finishing 36th overall.

While the results may not reflect the potential he demonstrated throughout the week, the experience of competing at South Garda Karting will undoubtedly prove valuable.

And he won’t have long to put those lessons into practice, with another international challenge awaiting at ROK Vegas on the temporary circuit at the Rio Hotel and Casino.

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Tronchi Jr. Impresses in Massive ROK Junior Field

ROBERT TRONCHI JR. | TEAM PRK / CS55 | FINAL RESULT: 24TH OF 58 DRIVERS

Competing in the largest category of the 2026 ROK Cup SuperFinal was always going to be a significant challenge for Robert Tronchi Jr., but the Canadian youngster arrived in Italy determined to measure himself against some of the world’s best Junior ROK competitors.

And he certainly didn’t disappoint.

Tronchi delivered one of his strongest performances of the week in qualifying, producing an excellent lap on his final opportunity to place eighth in his group and 15th overall of 58 drivers.

With the massive Junior field divided into five groups, that performance placed him on the outside of row three for each of his four heat races.

It was a challenging starting position, particularly with so many aggressive drivers looking to gain ground in the opening corners.

At times, Tronchi was perhaps a little too cautious while those behind him attacked, but he managed the intense competition well, avoiding major incidents and keeping his kart intact throughout all four heats.

Finishing ninth, eighth, 11th and eighth, Tronchi demonstrated impressive consistency against a highly competitive international field.

Another solid performance in the PreFinal secured him 17th on the starting grid for the Final, giving him a realistic opportunity to challenge for a strong result.

Unfortunately, his good fortune disappeared almost immediately.

On the opening lap, Tronchi was collected in an incident at corner three and forced to take evasive action, losing valuable time and dropping to the rear of the field.

Rather than surrender, he fought back through 16 demanding laps, battling for every available position before crossing the finish line in 24th.

Beyond his performances on track, Tronchi’s SuperFinal effort was particularly noteworthy because of the approach his team took.

Competing with a small family-operated program, supported by his Canadian mechanic and Canadian GRE engines, Tronchi demonstrated that a determined and well-prepared privateer effort can hold its own against established European operations.

It was an encouraging international performance and another important step in his development as a racer.

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Doria Makes History Before Remarkable Recovery to Sixth

ROMAN DORIA | ZANCHI COMPETITION / TONYKART | FINAL RESULT: 6TH OF 21 DRIVERS

Roman Doria’s second appearance at the ROK Cup SuperFinal was filled with tremendous highs, frightening moments and an impressive comeback.

The Canadian immediately made his mark on the event by securing pole position in qualifying, becoming the first driver in SuperFinal history to accomplish the feat in the newly introduced VLR Senior division.

It was a tremendous achievement and a perfect way to begin his week at South Garda Karting.

Unfortunately, the remainder of his event would prove considerably more challenging.

The progressive starting format meant Doria would only enjoy a front-row start once, and after finishing fourth in his opening heat, he found himself battling through increasingly difficult starting positions.

Results of ninth and eighth in his next two heats left him with plenty of work to do in the fourth encounter.

Starting deep in the field, Doria was making excellent progress and approaching the top ten when disaster struck.

A brake failure entering corner three sent the Canadian into a heavy crash, causing significant damage to his kart and requiring medical attention.

The incident forced Doria to miss the PreFinal, where he had been scheduled to start ninth, placing his participation in Saturday’s Final in jeopardy.

Fortunately, Doria was able to return, although another setback awaited him.

A miscommunication involving the track doctor prevented him from participating in the morning warm-up, leaving him to enter the Final without the opportunity to evaluate his repaired kart under race-day conditions.

Despite everything he had endured, Doria refused to let the opportunity slip away.

Starting from the back, he steadily worked his way forward, making decisive passes and putting himself into contention for a podium finish in the closing stages.

When the checkered flag waved, Doria had climbed all the way to sixth position, finishing just one spot away from the trophy positions.

Although his weekend could have produced an even stronger result without the setbacks, Doria’s performance was an impressive demonstration of determination and resilience.

From making history in qualifying to overcoming a frightening crash and fighting his way back toward the podium, the Canadian certainly made his presence felt at the SuperFinal.

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Chang and Du Battle Through Eventful VLR Junior Debut

ROY CHANG | ZANCHI COMPETITION / TONYKART | FINAL RESULT: 14TH OF 19 DRIVERS

THOMAS DU | ZANCHI COMPETITION / TONYKART | FINAL RESULT: 16TH OF 19 DRIVERS

Canada’s two representatives in the newly introduced VLR Junior division, Roy Chang and Thomas Du, experienced plenty of highs and lows during their first ROK Cup SuperFinal appearances.

Competing under the Zanchi Competition banner with support from Goodwood Kartways, both drivers showed encouraging pace, although their final results didn’t necessarily reflect their potential.

Chang was the stronger of the two throughout much of the week, beginning with an excellent ninth-place qualifying performance.

He followed that with a consistent series of heat races, recording finishes of 10th, sixth, 14th and seventh.

With progressive starting positions playing an important role in the division, Chang’s ability to remain near the front helped him secure a favourable position heading into the decisive races.

He continued to demonstrate competitive pace in the PreFinal, finishing eighth and positioning himself for a potential challenge toward the front in the Final.

Unfortunately, mechanical troubles prevented him from capitalizing.

Engine issues hampered Chang throughout the Final, leaving him unable to maintain the pace he had demonstrated earlier in the week. Instead of challenging for a podium finish, he slipped down the order and ultimately finished 14th.

For Du, the week was even more frustrating.

Qualifying 12th overall, the young Canadian showed he had the speed to run competitively, but his heat races were repeatedly disrupted by incidents and setbacks.

A retirement in his opening heat immediately complicated his weekend, and despite showing flashes of speed and battling near the top ten on several occasions, Du struggled to translate that potential into consistent finishes.

His remaining heat results of 11th, 19th and 19th left him with plenty of work ahead.

After finishing 18th in the PreFinal, Du enjoyed an entertaining battle through the midfield in Saturday’s Final, eventually finding his way ahead of his Canadian teammate on track.

However, a pushback penalty dropped him to 16th in the official results, two positions behind Chang.

While neither driver achieved the result they had hoped for, both gained tremendous experience competing against an international field while working with one of Italy’s established karting teams.

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Ye Takes on Experienced Expert ROK Competition

KEVIN YE | PRIVATEER / CS55 | FINAL RESULT: 14TH OF 19 DRIVERS

Kevin Ye faced a different kind of challenge at the SuperFinal, taking on the highly experienced Expert ROK division at one of the world’s most demanding karting circuits.

Working alongside Scott Bower of NBM as a privateer, Ye quickly discovered just how difficult South Garda Karting can be for a newcomer.

The tremendous amount of rubber and grip built up throughout the race week proved especially challenging, making it difficult for Ye to find the confidence and pace needed to move forward through the field.

After qualifying 12th, Ye spent much of the event battling in the second half of the running order.

His heat race finishes of 14th, 16th, 13th and 12th demonstrated steady determination, although a retirement in the PreFinal added another setback to his week.

Nevertheless, Ye returned for the Final and completed the event in 14th position.

While it wasn’t the result he had envisioned, the Canadian enjoyed his SuperFinal experience and successfully completed nearly every racing lap throughout the demanding week.

For a driver tackling the unique challenges of South Garda Karting for the first time, the experience alone represented an important accomplishment.

Another Memorable SuperFinal for Team Canada

The 2026 ROK Cup SuperFinal may not have delivered the podium celebrations Team Canada was chasing, but the seven Canadian representatives certainly provided plenty of memorable moments throughout the week.

Francisco came within reach of a second Mini U10 crown, demonstrating extraordinary speed and producing one of the most impressive recovery drives of the event. Doria etched his name into the record books with a historic qualifying performance before overcoming a frightening accident to finish sixth.

Tronchi Jr. showed that a small Canadian-supported program can compete against some of the best teams in the world, while Chang and Du gained invaluable experience in the new VLR Junior division.

For Bulpitt and Ye, the challenges of competing at South Garda Karting offered important lessons that will only help them become stronger competitors moving forward.

International karting is never easy, particularly at an event where the smallest mistake can dramatically change the outcome of an entire weekend.

But once again, Canada’s drivers showed they have the talent, determination and ambition to compete on the world stage.

And with the ROK Vegas event just around the corner, several Canadians will soon have another opportunity to put their international experience to good use as the 2026 karting season approaches its conclusion.