Ryan Burgess stamped his authority during a thrilling day of racing highlighted by close finishes and standout performances across all classes at Southside Motorsports Park in St David’s on Sunday.

Burgess had a day to remember after he racked up four victories to bolster his Bermuda Rubis Energy Karting Championship title hopes.

He took the coveted chequered flag in all three heats in the Tag Senior class to complete an impressive clean sweep of honours and also picked up another win in the Shifter KZ class to cap a fruitful day at the East End racetrack.

Tanner Correia also raced to a clean sweep of victories in the heats in the Tag Junior class.

The promising driver was also among those who impressed competing in the Cadet class, which included Jacob Garrett and Leo Serrano.

Jason North came up just short of producing a sweep of his own, picking up two wins in the L206 class. Owen DeCosta, who was in contention at the front of the pack in every race, led the field across the line in the second heat.

With 12 high-speed karts on track, the combined Shifter KZ and KZ Masters classes also produced thrilling battles throughout the day.

Blake Horseman and Stephen Corrado were victorious in the Shifter KZ class along with Burgess, while Rian Lindo, Jason DeCouto and Philip Correia reigned supreme in the Shifter KZ Masters class.

The race of the day materialised in the L206 class when North pipped rival DeCosta at the finish by 0.021 seconds.

After three of fourteen rounds in the 2025 championship series, North, Burgess, Correia, Horseman, Lindo and Garrett are the points leaders in their respective classes. Kenneth Harrison is the sole competitor in the L206 Master class.

Chris Smith, the Bermuda Karting Association president, has been impressed by the intensity and calibre of racing so far this season.

“We’ve just kicked off the 2025-26 Rubis Energy Karting Championships and three race days in it’s already been an exciting and nail-biting start to the season,” he told The Royal Gazette.

“Our most recent race day saw an impressive turnout with 40 karts, with two classes that featured 14 karts competing at once.

“This year, several drivers are taking on the incredible challenge of competing in two classes, jumping out of one kart and straight into another, which is no small feat.”

Smith is equally as delighted to see the association’s junior programme thriving.

“We’re also proud of our junior programme. which gives young racers a chance to get involved even if their parents don’t have a background in karting,” he said.

“Through this initiative we rent karts to families for the season and pair each junior with an experienced team. This mentorship ensures that by the following year they’re ready to purchase their own kart and race independently with confidence.”

Next year will be a special one for the association, who will mark their 50th anniversary with a series of events throughout the season to celebrate the milestone.

“As we look ahead to 2026, we’re thrilled to be entering the Bermuda Karting Association’s 50th year,” Smith said.

“It’s an exciting time for the sport and we encourage everyone to come down to the Southside Motorsports Park to experience the energy, passion and adrenalin of kart racing first hand.”