2025 Challenge GP: Close Battles With 2 to Go!

Close Battles With Two Rounds to Go in Challenge GP!

As we approach the final two rounds of the 2025 Challenge GP league season, we’re keeping an eye on the city championships that are coming down to the wire! In particular, we’re looking at the crucial top three positions from the current standings. That’s because anyone who finishes in the top three at the end of the season in December will move on to the 2026 K1 Speed State Championships!

First, let’s look at some of the closest battles for the title of City Champion.

Three-Way Battles for the 2025 City Championship Title

The battle for the City Championship title (first place in Challenge GP) is coming down to the wire at several of our locations this season. Let’s explore where these battles are taking place, in which division, and who these racers are.

Fort Lauderdale – Junior

• 1st Place: Daniel Hon (81 points)
• 2nd Place: Luka Martin (80 points)
• 3rd Place: Alex Ramirez (79 points)

This is the tightest top-three battle in the entire country. The top three drivers are separated by a single point each! With races typically having 10-15 competitors, any of these drivers could jump to the top spot or fall to third in a single race. This championship is completely up for grabs.

Indianapolis – Adult

• 1st Place: Marcus Patterson (98 points)
• 2nd Place: Spectra Tyler (97 points)
• 3rd Place: Nathan Pokorny (91 points)

Another close battle for the top three, Marcus Patterson, our ninth-place finisher in this year’s U.S. Championship, narrowly holds onto the lead with a single-point difference between himself and Spectra Tyler. But don’t count out our other 2025 U.S. Championship racer from Indy, Nathan Pokorny, who sits just 6 points behind Spectra.

Carlsbad – Junior

• 1st Place: Thomas Glover (97 points)
• 2nd Place: Emmy Engle (96 points)
• 3rd Place: Nicholas Lacalle (91 points)

As of the September race, there is just a single-point difference for the championship and only 6 points separating first from third, which makes this an incredibly volatile leaderboard. A single mistake from any of these drivers could completely shuffle the podium.

Addison – Adult

• 1st Place: Eric Tekien (178 points)
• 2nd Place: Eric Sutcliffe (173 points)
• 3rd Place: Jonathan Kirsch (172 points)

This is another extremely close contest. Eric Sutcliffe (our third-place finisher from the 2024 Teen US & E-World Championships) in second place, and Jonathan Kirsch in third place, are separated by a single point. With only 6 points between first and third, anything could happen by December’s finale.

Mount Kisco – Teen

• 1st Place: Dylan Kotash (148 points)
• 2nd Place: Andrew Zapsky (144 points)
• 3rd Place: Gustavo Silva (141 points)

The entire podium in Mount Kisco is up for grabs. The top three drivers are separated by a total of just 7 points. All three contenders scored very high in October’s race, proving this will be a hard-fought battle to the very end.

Close Battles Between Two Drivers for the Title

At some locations, the battle is mostly between the top two drivers, but again – ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. All it takes is a top driver who can’t attend a race or has a terrible result for these points to swing in a different direction.

Anaheim – Adult

• 1st Place: Josh Ferrer (176 points)
• 2nd Place: David Ramirez (174 points)

With a razor-thin 2-point difference, this is an incredibly close championship fight. Both drivers scored well in the October race (Ferrer with 16, Ramirez with 18), showing they are consistently battling at the front, which we expect to last until the very end.

Canton – Adult

• 1st Place: Tyler Stevenson (128 points)
• 2nd Place: Anthony Wnoroski (126 points)

Another 2-point gap separates the leaders here. Both drivers had strong showings in Race 10, with Stevenson scoring 13 and Wnoroski scoring 11. It’s far from over between these two!

Des Moines – Adult

• 1st Place: Ben Huyser (128 points)
• 2nd Place: Cade Tomlinson (127 points)

A 1-point difference makes this one of the closest battles in the nation. Huyser scored 9 points in Race 10 to Tomlinson’s 8, highlighting how evenly matched they are.

Lee’s Summit – Teen

• 1st Place: Jayden Joyce (140 points)
• 2nd Place: Parker Licht (139 points)

The championship fight in Kansas City is down to the wire, with a single point separating first and second place. Both Jayden Joyce and Parker Licht had strong showings in the latest round this month, making their battle for the top spot incredibly close.

Dublin – Junior

• 1st Place: Johnny Petty (115 points)
• 2nd Place: Ted Marcotte (111 points)

A slim 4-point gap separates first and second place. Although the leader, Johnny Petty, took the spot over with a 12-point gain over Ted Marcotte in October’s race, the margin is still small enough for a lead change in the final two races.

Close Battles for the Final Podium Position

Meanwhile, other centers have some super close battles for the final spot on the city championship podium, and therefore the final position that qualifies a driver for next year’s State Championships. Let’s take a look at some of them.

Rogers  – Teen

• 3rd Place: Grant Mitchell (95 points)
• 4th Place: Collin Dumas (93 points)
• 5th Place: Noah Greaser (92 points)

We are anxiously awaiting the results from October’s race, because this is an incredibly tight race for the third-place spot. Collin Dumas is only 2 points behind Grant Mitchell, and Noah Greaser is just another point behind. With races in this league often awarding 15-20 points for a win, any of these three drivers could realistically finish in the top three. And with one K1 Speed location in the state of Arkansas, progressing into the U.S. Championship is nearly a given, which further adds to the stakes.

Rogers  – Junior

• 2nd Place: Crosby Mitcham (80 points)
• 3rd Place: Zach Holmes & Luca Holmes (Tied at 76 points)

The teen division isn’t the only close fight for the podium in Rogers – there’s a fierce battle for second and third among their juniors. A tie for third place between Zach and Luca Holmes makes the bottom step of the podium a toss-up, while Crosby Mitcham’s 4-point advantage in second is also within striking distance of the brothers. We’ll see how things shake up after October’s results are posted.

San Antonio – Adult

• 3rd Place: Alen Mitchell (62 points)
• 4th Place: Brian Brillon (57 points)
• 5th Place: Gabriel Benge (54 points)

In the San Antonio Adult League, Brian Brillon is only 5 points behind third place, and Gabriel Benge is just 8 points back. But with Brian and Alen gaining 5 points on each other the last two races, and with Gabriel gaining points on the pair the previous four rounds, anything can happen.

Houston – Junior

• 3rd Place: Faiz Iqbal (145 points)
• 4th Place: Rehan Krier (144 points)

Rehan Krier is only 1 point behind third place, Faiz Iqbal. Krier also had a stronger performance in October’s race (15 points) compared to Iqbal (9 points), indicating he has the momentum to potentially seize that final podium position.

Cinnaminson – Adult

• 3rd Place: Michael MacMahon (96 points)
• 4th Place: Ken Work (94 points)

With only a 2-point gap, the final podium spot is very much in contention. Both drivers had similar results in October, meaning this battle will likely come down to who can find an extra gear in the last two races of the season.

Torrance – Teen

• 3rd Place: Axel Martinez (111 points)
• 4th Place: Elcadir Small (108 points)

A slim 3-point difference keeps this race for third place wide open. Elcadir Small chipped off a point from Axel Martinez in October, proving this gap can easily be erased.

Every Point Counts These Next Two Rounds!

Now, these are just SOME of the closest battles we were able to see as we head into the final two rounds. At the time of this writing, there are still some results that are pending from October’s event, so there may be plenty more championship fights going on across the country. But what this update has proven is that every point matters. So if you’re in the championship this season, make sure you attend these last two remaining rounds!

And if you’re wondering what all this Challenge GP / league stuff is all about, hit the button below! Even if you haven’t raced this year, you can still join the grid for these next two rounds and get some practice in before next season begins!