145 drivers compete in the first DKM event in Cheb (CZ). Poulsen, Möhring, Kamenik, Skrivan and Staedtler victorious in second race of the season. Next race in Ampfing in mid-July marks halfway point of the season.
The first German Kart Championship race weekend in Cheb has come to a successful conclusion. It was a great weekend for the top German kart series race, visiting the 1.202-kilometre circuit in the Czech Republic for the first time for the second race of the 2026 season. 145 drivers competed in the KZ2, Mini, OK-N Junior, OK-N and KZ2 Cup classes, delivering thrilling race action with full fields and numerous battles for position.
The premiere in the Fun Arena Cheb proved to be a valuable addition to the DKM calendar, with the participants at the challenging circuit enjoying plenty of sunshine and warm weather. Dark clouds did gather over the arena at times on Saturday and Sunday, but the track stayed largely dry with just a little rain over the weekend. Each class provided its own sporting stories: Marek Skrivan triumphed in KZ2, Albert Poulsen came out on top in Mini, Henri Möhring produced a near-perfect weekend to dominate OK-N Junior, Jakub Kamenik won a tight OK-N final, and Oliver Staedtler claimed a dramatic victory in the KZ2 Cup.
KZ2: Marek Skrivan chooses the right tyres
Emilien Denner (Formula K SRP Factory Team) prevailed in qualifying for the top-level KZ2 class, underlining his leading position as the heats continued. While Daniel Stell (Kartshop Ampfing) won the first heat, Denner finished first in the second round to top the standings on Saturday evening. However, Marek Skrivan (TB Racing Team) hit back in the Super Heat, the Czech driver posting the fastest lap as he won the race.
Tyre strategy then became a decisive factor for the final, as several drivers had already used their new tyres in the Super Heat due to the changeable weather conditions. However, Skrivan’s decision to wait until the final before switching to fresh rubber proved prescient, as he took the lead from the start and was able to pull away and control the race in dry, sunny conditions. He was able to build up a lead after a few laps, with Denner, Matej Preuss (Formula K SRP Factory Team), Stell and Dion van Werven (CS Competition) following in his wake. That sequence remained unchanged as Skrivan dominated proceedings, delighted with a superb Sunday: “The team did a great job and provided me with really good material. We now have a new challenge ahead of us in Ampfing, and we will prepare for that with on-track testing.”
KZ2 class championship standings after 2 of 5 races:
1. Daniel Stell (147 points)
2. Emilien Denner (142 points)
3. Marek Skrivan (134 points)
4. Dion van Werven (131 points)
5. Matej Preuss (108 points)
Mini: Rich vein of form continues for Albert Poulsen
Albert Poulsen (Poulsen Motorsport) laid down the first marker in qualifying for the Mini class. Having claimed pole position, the Danish driver proceeded to maintain his pace as he claimed victory in both heats to top the standings. Although Maddox Mason (Lanari Racing Team) then prevailed in the Super Heat and posted the fastest lap, Poulsen retained pole position to secure the best starting position for the final.
He emerged from the start to take the lead, pursued by an international chasing pack consisting of Mikas Toro Lundsholm (AF Competition), Maddox Mason, Leo Klok (CRG Holland) and other racers. The leaders moved closer together during the second half of the race, with Mason taking the lead briefly before dropping back after Poulsen counter-attacked. Towards the end, Klok was also involved in the battle for the podium. However, having claimed victory in the final to top off a great weekend, Poulsen was in a great spirits when interviewed after his win: “It is a really good feeling to have claimed the win. The final was not easy, with plenty of pressure from the chasing pack. But I was able to defend my position.” Lundsholm finished second, with Mason completing the podium and recording the fastest race lap in the final. They were followed by Vaclav Rumlena (MVM Racing) and Noe Sulitka. Roman Meister (TB Racing Team), who had topped the championship table after the opening race in Mülsen, battled his way up to sixth place in the final.
Mini class championship standings after 2 of 5 races:
1. Albert Poulsen (178 points)
2. Mikas Toro Lundsholm (154 points)
3. Leo Klok (132 points)
4. Roman Meister (131 points)
5. Lion Osaj (109 points)
OK-N Junior: Near-perfect weekend for Henri Möhring
The winner of the season-opener also set the benchmark in Cheb from the word go. Henri Möhring (Dörr Motorsport) claimed pole position and won both heats. The Junior drivers delivered some thrilling racing, with the lead changing hands on numerous occasions. Ultimately, the driver supported by Motorsport Team Germany remained out in front and continued his winning series on Sunday morning.
In the final, the Dörr Motorsport driver took the lead after making another perfect start. He was initially followed by the Lanari Racing Team duo of Mattao Mason and Milan Rossi ahead of Jindrich Svoboda (Hagemann Racing) and Gustav Christensen (CRG Holland). Although Mason did move into the lead, Möhring remained within touching distance and turned events in his favour as the race progressed. The driver from Hesse reclaimed top spot in the second half, controlling the rest of the race to claim victory. Rossi moved up to second place with Mason finishing third. Svoboda and Christensen completed the top five. Möhring also posted the fastest race lap to round off a great weekend. “It was an exciting and exhausting race. My pace was the foundation for victory, as I was faster at the halfway point. We will now prepare for Ampfing as we aim to extend this lead,” said Möhring after his second victory of the season.
OK-N Junior class championship standings after 2 of 5 races:
1. Henri Moehring (195 points)
2. Milan Rossi (158 points)
3. Mattao Mason (151 points)
4. Carlos Nees (115 points)
5. Sebastian Brand (112 points)
OK-N: Jakub Kamenik prevails over Martina Rumlenova in Czech duel
OK-N proved to be one of the most exciting classes in Cheb. Martina Rumlenova (MVM Racing) made the most of her home advantage to secure the 32Five Pole Position Award. Rumlenova produced an equally strong performance in the heats, winning the first heat on home soil before Leonard Frey (Ebert Motorsport) claimed victory in the second. Nonetheless, Rumlenova headed the field after the heats, and the local hero stayed out in front in the Super Heat on Sunday.
Starting from second on the grid, Ben Goetz (Ebert Motorsport) took an early lead in the final. However, Rumlenova reclaimed the lead on lap one, pursued by Jakub Kamenik (Lanari Racing Team), Goetz and Rick Nadin (Ebert Motorsport). Kamenik closed up on Rumlenova as the race progressed and was able to take the lead, with a four-way battle for the top spots developing as the race drew to a close. On the final lap, Rumlenova attacked Kamenik one more time, with Constantin Papst (TB Racing Team) simultaneously applying pressure on Goetz in the struggle for third. The sequence remained unchanged, however, as Kamenik came out on top in the battle of the Czech drivers, finishing just ahead of Rumlenova and Goetz. Papst crossed the line in fourth place, with Nadin completing the top five. Kamenik was delighted with his win: “We had a really close, tough battle for the win right to the end. That was really cool and was a lot of fun.”
OK-N class championship standings after 2 of 5 races:
1. Jakub Kamenik (182 points)
2. Constantin Papst (167 points)
3. Ben Goetz (153 points)
4. Maxim Becker (103 points)
5. Lias Erbersdobler (98 points)
KZ2 Cup: Oliver Staedtler makes the most of his opportunity
With 46 starters, the KZ2 Cup was once again the largest class of the weekend. The route to the final was challenging, with four groups and three heats for each driver. Having topped the qualifying standings, Pavel Vimmer (TB Racing Team) then dominated the heats. The TB Racing Team driver won all three heats to claim top spot, while Ondrej Pikl (Karting Planet s.r.o), Marc Gerstenkorn (Mach1 Motorsport) and Manuel Kastl (CS Competition) also secured wins in their heats. Vimmer continued to play a central role in the Super Heats, claiming victory in Super Heat A. His team-mate Kevin Lantinga (TB Racing Team) prevailed in Super Heat B, while Oliver Staedtler (Formula K SRP Factory Team) finished second to provide a sneak peek at the final line-up.
This was led by Vimmer ahead of Lantinga, Staedtler, Kastl and Martin Antos (Spirit Racing). Only the 36 best drivers were able to qualify for the final. Vimmer initially pulled away from the field in the final before events took a decisive turn on lap eight. When the Czech driver was forced to retire due to a technical defect, Kastl moved into the lead and looked likely to claim victory. However, Staedtler was working his way forward and produced a great manoeuvre three laps before the end, taking the lead to the delight of the spectators and defending it to the finish. Kastl crossed the line in second place to retain top spot in the championship, while Gerstenkorn made up plenty of ground to secure third on the final lap, having started from 15th on the grid after a difficult Super Heat. Martin Antos and Oskar Steinbach (Kartshop Ampfing) rounded off the top five. “I didn’t make a perfect start, but I recovered and was able to win in the end. It was a superb weekend in Cheb, we had been here for a weekend of testing, and we did our homework”, revealed a triumphant Staedtler.
KZ2 Cup class championship standings after 2 of 5 races:
1. Manuel Kastl (173 points)
2. Oliver Staedtler (162 points)
3. Marc Gerstenkorn (141 points)
4. Pavel Vimmer (104 points)
5. Jayden Gushiken (84 points)
After this successful premiere in Cheb, the German Kart Championship now looks ahead to the third race of the season. Next stop is Ampfing from 19th to 21st July, marking the halfway point of the 2026 season. While some trends have started to develop after two intense race weekends, the standings are still tightly packed. However, the DKM season is gathering pace: after Mülsen and Cheb, Ampfing represents the next acid test and the title candidates will start to reveal themselves at his halfway point.