The German Kart Championship is entering the finish straight in the 2026 season. From 14th to 16th August, the iconic Erftlandring in Kerpen will host the fourth of this season’s five race weekends. 148 drivers from 19 nations will line up in the five classes. After Mülsen, the premiere in Cheb, and Ampfing, where the season reached the halfway point, attention now turns to the championship standings, and the first titles could actually be wrapped up in Kerpen. Both race days can again be followed in a livestream on the ADAC Motorsport YouTube channel. Saturday kicks off at 13:00 with the heats, before the action continues with the Super Heats at 09:10 on Sunday.
The 1,107-metre Erftlandring is one of the most iconic venues in German karting. Michael Schumacher, his brother Ralf, and Sebastian Vettel all gained valuable experience here in their younger years, which helped them on their way to Formula 1. For decades, the track has consistently produced talented youngsters. The latest example of this is Devin Titz: the 2025 German Mini Kart champion took his first steps in motorsport in Kerpen, and is now part of the Mercedes-AMG F1 Junior Team and Motorsport Team Germany. A few of this weekend’s drivers will also be dreaming of following this route into motorsport.
The starting field will once again provide a big stage on which to show what they are capable of. With 51 competitors, the KZ2 Cup is just one short of its capacity, and again boasts the largest field. They are joined by 30 drivers in the OK-N Junior class, 28 in OK-N, 22 Mini racers, and 17 drivers in the KZ2 class. The participants come from a total of 19 different countries.
First match point for Kamenik and Möhring
The two drivers in the most commanding position coming into the event in Kerpen are Jakub Kamenik (Lanari Racing Team) in OK-N and Henri Möhring (Dörr Motorsport) in the OK-N Junior class. Kamenik holds a 73-point lead at the top of the DSKM table. Ben Goetz (Ebert Motorsport) and Constantin Papst (TB Racing Team) are separated by just one point in second and third place. Should the Czech leader leave Kerpen with an advantage of more than 101 points, the title would be decided before the finale.
It is a similar story in the Juniors. Möhring has dominated the season so far, with three final victories to his name. He consequently leads the DJKM with 296 points. The Lanari Racing Team duo of Milan Rossi and Mattao Mason are his closest rivals in second and third. Möhring’s advantage over Rossi is currently 66 points, meaning he too could wrap up the title in Kerpen.
Close battle in KZ2, Mini and KZ2 Cup
KZ2 is a far closer affair. Emilien Denner (Formula K SRP Factory Team/236) travels to Kerpen as the leader. Dion van Werven (CS Competition/199) and Daniel Stell (Kartshop Ampfing/196) are hot on his heels. Ampfing winner Matej Preuss (Formula K SRP Factory Team/191) and Marek Skrivan (TB Racing Team/189) are also still in the thick of the title race. There is currently just 47 points between Denner at the top of the table and the fifth-placed driver, so the picture could change very quickly at the Erftlandring. In the Mini class, Denmark’s Albert Poulsen (Poulsen Motorsport) leads the way on 255 points, ahead of his compatriot Mikas Toro Lundsholm (AF Competition/228) and Leo Klok (CRG Holland/217) from the Netherlands. Poulsen has given himself a nice buffer at the top of the table, but the title race is set to go down to the finale.
The top of the KZ2 Cup table is the closest of all the classes. Oliver Staedtler (Formula K SRP Factory Team) leads Ampfing winner Marc Gerstenkorn (Mach1 Motorsport) by a mere eight points, while Manuel Kastl (CS Competition) lies further back in third place. With 51 competitors in the KZ2 Cup, making it into the final will again be a big challenge, with only the top 36 progressing to Sunday’s decider. The Team competition is also wide open still. After three events, Lanari Racing Team (270 points) holds a slender lead over the Formula K SRP Factory Team (262 points).
The race weekend follows the familiar DKM format. The practice sessions on Friday are followed on Saturday by qualifying and the heats. First up on Sunday are the Super Heats, which determine the grid positions for the finals. After that, it will be clear who will travel to the season finale with a comfortable lead, or who might even be crowned the first champion of the year at the iconic Erftlandring.