Formula KFX Launches Annual RACE to Honor “Father of Go Karting”
SONOMA, Calif. — Formula KFX is set to debut the Art Ingels Memorial Race on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, a hard-charging mix of endurance and sprint battles to honor the 70th anniversary of Ingels’ invention: the Go-Kart.
This afternoon “arrive and drive” event will feature 18 teams battling for a $1,500 grand prize and the right to hoist the inaugural trophy bearing Ingels’ name. Each three-driver team will compete in an ambitious multi-race format at Sonoma Raceway Karting Center—merging endurance grit, sprint precision and team strategy into a single marquee event.
“Formula KFX is excited to continue offering the ‘arrive and drive’ karting experience to enthusiastic racers in 2026,” said Formula KFX CEO and President, Philip Pegler. “For me, it’s important to honor our sport’s history and heritage and I can think of no better way than to do this right here, in California, where karting began 70 years ago. I wanted to create an event that embodies the purity of karting together with a blend of endurance and sprint racing. I think, with this format, we have found the sweet spot, and I look forward to welcoming drivers for a great afternoon of racing up at Sonoma.”
Each team will drive one of Formula KFX’s equally prepared karts. The karts feature a birelART chassis and the Rotax 125 Junior MAX Evo engine.
The schedule is a packed, rapid-fire progression of sessions designed to test every facet of a driver’s skill:
Arrival, Sign-In, Practice and Qualifying
- 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.: Sign-In
- 12:00 p.m.: Driver Briefing
- 12:30-1:15 p.m.: Practice and Qualifying
The first part of the event features two 45-minute endurance races where teams will juggle driver rotations, traffic management and pit strategy. The starting grids will be determined by the results of Qualifying for Race 1, and finishing order of Race 1 for Race 2:
Endurance Races
- 1:30-2:15 p.m.: Endurance Race 1 (3 drivers)
- 2:30-3:15 p.m.: Endurance Race 2 (3 drivers)
The event will then change over to sprint racing, with each driver participating in one of three sprint races:
Sprint Showdowns
- 3:30-3:40 p.m.: Sprint Race 1 (1 driver)
- 3:50-4:00 p.m.: Sprint Race 2 (1 driver)
The final part of the event will be the Sprint Final, where teams choose perhaps their fastest and most experienced driver to compete for that final dash for the Grand Prize.
The Final Round
- 4:10-4:20 p.m.: Sprint Final (1 driver)
- 4 p.m.: Podium Ceremony
Formula KFX will supply all karts, tires and fuel as part of the $795 team registration fee. Drivers need to bring their helmet, racing suit, gloves and shoes. A neck brace (required for drivers under 18) and rib protector are highly encouraged.
The event’s namesake, John Arthur “Art” Ingels, famously built the first go-kart in a Southern California garage 70 years ago. What started as a backyard experiment launched generations of motorsport careers—from grassroots racers to F1 champions. Ingels was a race car builder at Kurtis Kraft, a famous builder of Indy race cars during the 1950s. In 1956, he assembled the first Go-Kart in history out of scrap metal and a surplus West Bend Company two-stroke engine. It was built in his two-car garage in Echo Park, Calif., and was tested in the Rose Bowl parking lot.
Event Details
- Entry Fee: $795.00 per team
- Entries: 18 teams
- Drivers: 3 per team
- Age: 13+
- Classes: Juniors (13-15 years) and Seniors (16+ years)
- Karts: Equally prepared two-stroke karts will be provided featuring a birelART chassis with Rotax 125 Junior MAX Evo engine
- 1st Place Prize: Trophy and $1,500 to the overall winning team
- Junior Class and Senior Class Winner Team Prize: The Junior and Senior winning teams will each receive a free entry into Round 1 of the 2026 Formula KFX Junior or Senior Endurance Championship.
- Required Safety Gear: Helmet, racing suit, gloves and shoes. A neck brace is required for drivers under 18 and recommended for everyone. A rib protector is highly encouraged for all drivers.
- Registration is open.
About Formula KFX
Formula KFX delivers high-performance, arrive-and-drive kart racing across California, offering competitive karting without the barrier of ownership. In addition to endurance races, Formula KFX organizes the Rotax Racing Club California Championship Series, the only race in the U.S. where drivers can qualify for the Rotax Racing Club International Finals. With equally prepared equipment and professionally run events, Formula KFX continues to expand opportunities for juniors, seniors and adult racers.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I register without knowing who my team members are yet?
Yes. Please complete your name as driver 1 and leave driver 2 and driver 3 blank.
Do you allow individual team members to pay their portion of the registration fee?
No. Teams must sort out their own drivers and what they owe among themselves. The team captain is responsible for all administrative and financial affairs.
I want to race, but I don’t know anyone to team up with. Do you help match up drivers?
We can certainly alert drivers in our database that there is a potential opening on a team. Please contact our team at racing@formulakfx.com.
Does this event occur rain or shine?
Yes.
When is the last day I can submit my team members’ names?
48 hours before the race is the cut-off for all administrative matters and that includes any driver changes.
Are there separate races for Juniors and Seniors?
No. Junior and Senior teams will race on the track at the same time.
Can a team be made up of Junior and Senior drivers?
No. Each team must contain all Junior drivers or all Senior drivers. Driver classes cannot be mixed together on the same team.
