The road to the title begins – Round 1

 The opening round of the 2026 season of the Romanian Karting Masters took place at the Prejmer Raceway circuit in Brașov, the already traditional inaugural stage of the championship. And, as always, it did not disappoint. It was a weekend packed with adrenaline and wheel-to-wheel battles, with a highly competitive grid.

Wheel-to-wheel duels, last-second overtakes, incidents, retirements, spectacular comebacks, and moments decided in a fraction of a second — all of these thrilled both the spectators at the track and those watching the races live. The season opener made one thing clear: the level has risen, the stakes are huge, and the fight for supremacy is tighter than ever. The 2026 season has kicked off in style, and if all rounds match the first, it’s shaping up to be an unmissable year.

What happened at Prejmer, category by category?

PROMO

Final results:
The Promo class grid featured 8 drivers who experienced a weekend full of energy, curiosity, and the joy of being on track. All competitors used identical equipment, turning each session into an excellent learning opportunity. Beyond the races themselves, every driver made progress—whether in confidence, control, or simply enjoying the act of driving.

Throughout the weekend, the drivers encountered various race situations, learned from each other, and built friendships in a safe yet competitive environment. Each heat was more a lesson than a competition, and individual progress mattered more than any result. The Promo category remains a space where all participants are winners—a place where passion for motorsport takes shape and on-track experience becomes the most valuable reward.

Ayaan Costin Perifan
Mathias Voicu
Patric Nicolae Unchiașu
Dimitri Ionescu
Ianis Dinu
Petru Sebastian Enache
Filip Alexandru Nica
Filip Unchiașu

MICRO ROK

Final results:
Pole position and victory in the first final heat — that’s how the weekend started for Alin Bălan, who seemed ready to dominate the races at Prejmer. However, the rest of the weekend told a different story. The consistency and strong pace of Stelian Guli made the difference.

He left the Brașov round as the championship leader thanks to two wins (Final 2 & Final 4) and two second-place finishes in the other races. Jason Gorea started Sunday strongly, taking victory in Final 3, and showed consistency in the remaining races, finishing third each time.

Stelian Guli – Superkart Racing Team
Jason Gorea – Real Racing
Alin-Ioan Bălan – Formula K RO

MINI ROK

Final results:
Adam Diaconu and Andreas Drugău shared all four race wins over the weekend. With two victories each, they were unbeatable in the fight for the top positions. The difference in the final standings came from the first final heat.

A setback for Andreas Drugău in that race proved decisive, giving Adam Diaconu the advantage needed to finish the round in first place.

Adam Diaconu – Gulstar Racing
Andreas Drugău – Gulstar Racing
Teodor Licu – Formula K RO

JUNIOR ROK

Final results:
What happens when two drivers are so evenly matched that even points can’t separate them? That was the question hanging over the Junior ROK category.

Marc Moia and Vladimir Cozma finished the round perfectly tied, with 66 points each. The final ranking was decided by the number of victories in the final heats. Under these conditions, Marc Moia emerged as the winner, having secured victories in Finals 1 and 4.

Cozma Vladimir, on the other hand, didn’t win a race but showed remarkable consistency, staying in contention for the top spot until the very end. Saturday’s pole-sitter, Robert Dumitrescu, managed to win one of the four finals, but a disqualification in the first race prevented him from finishing higher than third overall.

Matvei Cupnîi won Final 2, but two retirements over the weekend meant he could only finish sixth overall.

Marc Moia – Toka Racing
Vladimir Cozma – Real Racing
Robert Dumitrescu – Drinago Racing

SENIOR ROK

Final results:
Probably the most balanced class in terms of driver performance and results. As in the other categories, consistency proved decisive in determining the final standings.

Victor Nedelcu claimed only one race win, but his consistent finishes (second place in all other races) secured him overall victory for the Prejmer weekend. Ștefan Constantinof was the only driver to win two separate heats, but his other results were not strong enough to keep him in contention for the overall win.

Mambet Celik Zuran maintained a competitive pace throughout the weekend but converted it into just one race win. An incident in the final race of the day, penalized with a 5-second time penalty, cost him a chance at finishing second overall.

Victor Nedelcu – Toka Racing
Ștefan Constantinof – Formula K RO
Celik Zuran Mambet – Formula K RO