Radical Cup North America brought its 2026 season to a close at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), with a 33-car, four-class field racing alongside the FIA World Endurance Championship on one of the biggest motorsport weekends of the year. Across three days on the 3.426-mile Austin, Texas circuit, the championship delivered qualifying and three 40-minute races packed with close competition, decisive title battles and a final-day twist that reshaped the Pro 1340 championship.
Radical Cup North America Crowns 2026 Champions After Spectacular COTA Finale
PRO 1340: Balkissoon Completes Stunning Title Turnaround
No title fight was tighter than Pro 1340, where Mike D'Ambrose (Team Stradale) arrived at COTA with a 20-point advantage over 14-year-old rookie Nico Balkissoon (Williams Services). D'Ambrose initially set the pace in Friday’s qualifying session, but was disqualified after his car was found to be underweight, sending him to the back of the grid for Race 1 and marking the start of a difficult weekend for the championship leader.
D'Ambrose recovered through the field to finish fourth in the opening race, but Balkissoon capitalised with an outright victory to cut into the points gap. The momentum shifted further in Race 2 when D'Ambrose retired after just one lap, while Mike Dardin (Crown with Radical Arizona) took the win ahead of Balkissoon in second. Dardin carried that form into the finale, completing an impressive double victory across the final two races of the season.
That set up a tense final race, with D'Ambrose needing victory and Balkissoon to finish third for the championship to swing back his way. The pair produced one of the closest battles of the weekend, with Balkissoon refusing to yield as D'Ambrose pushed to keep his title hopes alive. D'Ambrose’s challenge was ultimately ended by contact elsewhere in the race, while Balkissoon brought the car home second to secure the Pro 1340 championship. Despite the disappointment, D'Ambrose was quick to praise the 14-year-old after the race following a hard-fought contest between the two title rivals.
The title capped a standout rookie season for Balkissoon, who had already made series history at Road Atlanta by becoming the youngest race winner in Radical Cup North America history with his breakthrough victory in wet conditions.
Pro 1340 Class Driver Champion: Nico Balkissoon
Pro 1340 Class Team Champion: Williams Services
PRO 1500: Axboe's Points Cushion Proves Unassailable
Jonas Axboe (Cameron Racing – Radical Northwest) arrived at COTA with a commanding 107-point lead over Luke Kendall (Valour Racing), built on a season that had already delivered more wins than any other driver in the field. Kendall began the weekend on pole, but Axboe took Race 1 after a close fight between the pair, with Kendall finishing second.
The balance shifted in Race 2, when Kendall finally converted a season of strong front-running performances into his first victory of the year. After finishing runner-up on several occasions throughout the campaign, it was a popular result throughout the paddock and one that reflected the pace he had shown all season. Kendall then backed it up with another victory in Race 3, completing his strongest weekend of the year.
Josh Holtz (Crown with Radical Arizona) also impressed with two third-place finishes and a second in the finale, while fellow rookie Sam McDougall (Group-A with Radical New York) joined him on the final podium after another strong weekend of close racing.
Across all three races, Kendall and Axboe produced some of the closest and most accomplished racing of the finale, each pushing the other without compromising the quality of the contest. Axboe’s results — a win, a second place and a scored sixth in Race 3 — were enough to secure the Pro 1500 title and, with it, the overall 2026 Radical Cup North America championship, capping a season in which his pace, consistency and racecraft firmly established him as one of the championship’s standout prospects and a driver to watch.
Pro 1500 Class Driver Champion: Jonas Axboe
Pro 1500 Class Team Champion: Cameron Racing Radical Northwest
GOLD: Huhn Answers a Race 1 DNF in Emphatic Style
Chris Huhn (Primal Motorsports) arrived at COTA with a commanding advantage over Dennis Kelly (Group-A Radical New York) in the 12-car Gold class, but Race 1 briefly reopened the championship fight when Huhn failed to finish and Chris McMurry (Crown with Radical Arizona) took the victory.
Huhn responded with a win in Race 2 before producing one of the standout moves of the weekend in the finale. After steadily hunting down McMurry for the class lead, Huhn went around the outside at Turn 8 before completing the pass on the inside at Turn 9, taking control of the race around the halfway mark.
He stayed there to the finish, sealing back-to-back victories and the Gold class championship in emphatic fashion. Mike Anzaldi (RYNO Racing) joined Huhn on the podium in both Race 2 and Race 3, while Kelly was unable to capitalise on the opening created in Race 1, failing to finish either of the final two races.
For Huhn, the title was secured with exactly the kind of decisive, committed racing that had underpinned his season.
Gold Class Driver Champion: Chris Huhn
Gold Class Team Champion: Primal Motorsports
PLATINUM: Rossi Signs Off a Perfect Season in Style
Robert Rossi (Giant Racing) arrived at COTA having won at every event of the season in the SR10-powered Platinum class, and closed out the year with two more victories to secure the crown in commanding fashion. Returning to Radical Cup North America after several years away, Rossi’s comeback had been warmly welcomed throughout the paddock, making his championship-winning return one of the stories of 2026.
Steve Jenks (Group-A Radical New York) took pole for the finale weekend but did not start Race 1, leaving him at the back of the grid for Race 2. What followed was one of the standout drives of the weekend, as Jenks carved his way through the field to claim an emphatic victory. Rossi responded in Race 3, adding a dominant second win of the weekend after also taking Race 1.
Local driver Judd Miller (DDautosports) was firmly in the mix throughout the weekend with two podium finishes, while Alain Derzie (ONE Motorsports) also ran competitively despite a challenging Race 2. Reigning class champion Wayne Williams (ONE Motorsports), meanwhile, endured a difficult end to his title defence, including a retirement in the second race.
For Rossi, two wins at COTA completed a remarkable comeback campaign, securing the Platinum championship after a year in which he had taken victory at every event.
Platinum Class Driver Champion: Robert Rossi
Platinum Class Team Champion: Giant Racing
“This is exactly the kind of finale we hoped for — titles decided on merit, right down to the wire, on one of the best stages in North American motorsport.”
“This is exactly the kind of finale we hoped for — titles decided on merit, right down to the wire, on one of the best stages in North American motorsport,” said Radical Motorsport's Tom Drewer. “To see a rookie like Nico Balkissoon fight through to a championship, a future talent created in Jonas Axboe, and watch Robert and Chris close out such strong seasons, is a great note to end 2026 on.”
Beyond the Radical Cup North America Driver and Team Championships, a number of season-ending honours were also presented at COTA. Chip Romer received the Jeff Green Memorial Award after supporting 2025 champion Raiden Nicol with a test in a Turner GTD BMW, while Nico Balkissoon added Rookie of the Year honours after a close contest with fellow rookies Sam McDougall and Josh Holtz. Cam Rodriguez of ONE Motorsports was named Crew Member of the Year.
Jonas Axboe completed the weekend with the series’ biggest honour, becoming the overall 2026 Radical Cup North America champion after scoring more championship points than any other driver across the four classes, ahead of Platinum champion Robert Rossi. The accolade capped a breakthrough season for Axboe and reinforced his status as one of the championship’s leading prospects.
With the 2026 season complete, Radical Cup North America now turns its attention to 2027 after a year of record grids, emerging talent and closely fought racing across all four classes. Complete results, final championship standings and further information are available at radicalcupnorthamerica.com.