Kayde Cornofsky brought his 2026 karting season to a close at Formula-K Raceway in Benoni on Saturday, 24 October, during the sixth and final round of the Northern Regions ROK Karting Championship. While an unfortunate incident denied the Xtreme Racing Team driver another podium finish, the newly crowned National Mini ROK Champion leaves the season with plenty to celebrate, including a successful national title campaign and an encouraging appearance at the recent ROK Superfinal in Italy.
Returning to domestic competition following his international outing, Cornofsky immediately demonstrated his competitiveness in a closely contested Mini ROK field. Qualifying second, the Johannesburg youngster lined up alongside fellow Parolin-chassis driver, Noah Cronje, on the front row, setting the stage for an exciting opening heat.
The first heat produced a thrilling battle at the front, with Cornofsky briefly taking the lead before Cronje regained the advantage. Refusing to surrender the fight, Kayde remained firmly in contention throughout the eight-lap encounter, setting the fastest lap of the heat before crossing the finish line just 0.098 seconds behind the winner to secure second place.
Starting the second heat from pole position, Cornofsky was again among the leading contenders. After initially dropping to third, he worked his way back into second and began applying pressure to race leader Cronje. However, with just two laps remaining, an attempted overtaking manoeuvre resulted in an incident that brought his challenge to a premature end. The resulting damage forced Cornofsky to retire from the heat, denying him another potential podium result.
Unfortunately, the consequences extended beyond the retirement. Despite the Xtreme Racing Team's efforts, the damage from the incident was significant enough to compromise his kart's performance in the final heat.
Determined to finish the season on a positive note, Cornofsky returned to the circuit for the day's final encounter. Although unable to reproduce his earlier pace, he battled through the eight-lap heat to finish fourth, narrowly missing another top-three result. The combination of his runner-up finish, second-heat retirement and fourth-place finish left him fifth overall for the round.
While the final regional outing did not deliver the result he had hoped for, it takes little away from what has been an outstanding season for the young South African.
After finishing National Mini ROK Vice Champion in his rookie season in 2025, Cornofsky returned in 2026 determined to go one better. His efforts were rewarded when he secured the National Mini ROK Championship at Killarney in September, adding another prestigious title to his growing motorsport résumé alongside his 2023 National Kid ROK crown.
His national championship success also earned him a chance to represent South Africa at the ROK Superfinal in Lonato, Italy, earlier this month. Competing against international opposition on one of karting's biggest stages added another valuable chapter to his development and was a fitting reward for his achievements on home soil.
Reflecting on his season, Cornofsky thanked everyone who contributed to his success.
"Obviously, I wanted to finish the season with another win, so it was disappointing that things didn't go our way today. But when I look back at everything we've achieved this year, I'm really happy and proud. Winning the National Mini ROK Championship was a huge goal for me, and getting to race at the ROK Superfinal in Italy was an incredible experience. I want to say a massive thank you to Leeroy, everyone at Xtreme Racing, my family and all the people who have supported me throughout the year. A very special thank you to my sponsors for believing in me and making it possible for me to do what I love. I couldn't have achieved any of this without you. It's been an amazing year, and I'm excited about what comes next."
For Cornofsky, the 2026 season represents another significant step forward in a promising karting career. From national championship glory to valuable international experience, the Xtreme Racing Team driver has continued to develop his racecraft and establish himself as one of South Africa's emerging young karting talents.
Although his final outing ended with mixed fortunes, Cornofsky closes the chapter on 2026 with the achievement that matters most: the National Mini ROK crown.
Kayde is backed by Allegiance Properties, Canario Cornofsky Attorneys, Calisto's Portuguese Restaurant, Smith Garage, the 357, Glads and AMW.
