EDX Adapts and Delivers at WCKC Race 8

West Coast Kart Club Championship — Race 8

The chase for the West Coast Kart Club Championship continued at Race 8, and this weekend gave the EDX team a little bit of everything: changing weather, reverse-track racing, new drivers under the tent, strong performances, and important championship mileage.

Race 8 was run on the reverse track layout, adding another layer of challenge for every driver and mechanic. Outside of official practice on Saturday, there is no regular testing opportunity for the reverse configuration, which helps level the field between local teams and visiting teams. Everyone had to learn quickly, adapt quickly, and make the most of limited track time.

The weather then added another twist, with conditions constantly shifting between dry and wet. For drivers, that meant adjusting every time they rolled onto the track. For mechanics, it meant staying sharp with tire choices, tire pressures, chassis adjustments, and setup calls as the track changed from session to session. Between the reverse layout and the changing weather, Race 8 became a true test of adaptability.

EDX also welcomed new guest drivers under the team tent, with Kaden Samhan and Mason Bemister testing and racing alongside the program. These weekends are important for development: pressure, changing conditions, strong fields, limited practice time, and a team environment built around learning.

Representing EDX at Race 8 were Patrick Kleine, Teagan Kleine, Andrew Bench, Jack Harbidge, Kaden Samhan, Mason Bemister, and Jack Eriksson, competing across LO206 Heavy, Shifter, LO206 Junior, TaG Junior, and LO206 Senior.

Race 8 was also televised and can be viewed here:https://www.youtube.com/live/tgZP3v51xtE?si=GpCeGzODwzqh8wE-

It was a weekend of podiums, fastest laps, new equipment, reverse-track learning, changing conditions, and more important championship mileage as the season moves into its final stretch.

Weekend Highlights

Andrew Bench delivered one of the biggest EDX moments of the weekend in TaG Junior, taking P1 in qualifying and earning the top qualifying spot in a very tight field. Andrew then worked through a difficult Pre-Final and came back strong in the Final, finishing P3 and adding another podium to his season.

Teagan Kleine had another strong double-class weekend in LO206 Junior and TaG Junior. In LO206 Junior, Teagan finished P5 in the Final and earned the official Fastest Lap of the race with a 1:01.046. In TaG Junior, he qualified P4, finished P2 in the Pre-Final, and finished P6 in the Final.

Mason Bemister made a strong impression under the EDX tent in TaG Junior. He qualified P6, moved up to P4 in the Pre-Final, and finished P4 in the Final, just off the podium. That was one of the most complete performances of the weekend.

Patrick Kleine had an important transition weekend in Shifter. For Race 8, Patrick switched for the first time from his DD2 package into a KZ 6-speed shifter package. That meant learning a new setup, a new motor, and a new gearbox in tricky conditions. While the package is more challenging, the move opens up exciting possibilities for the 2027 season, especially as the WCKC shifter field continues to grow and the DD2 package had reached its ceiling in that category. Patrick also continued his LO206 Heavy program, finishing P7 in the Final.

Jack Harbidge kept building in TaG Junior and finished P9 in the Final, completing all 13 laps and gaining more race mileage in a competitive junior field.

Kaden Samhan gained valuable experience in LO206 Junior, completing both the Pre-Final and Final as he continued developing under the EDX tent.

Jack Eriksson worked through a deep LO206 Senior field, finishing P16 in the Pre-Final and improving to P15 in the Final, completing the full race distance.

Driver Reports

Andrew Bench

TaG Junior

Andrew Bench started the weekend with a statement in TaG Junior, qualifying P1 with a best lap of 52.310. With the top three separated by less than a tenth, Andrew’s pole-position run was a proper knife-edge effort and a major highlight for EDX.

The Pre-Final was tougher, with Andrew classified P9 after a race that did not go his way. But the response was exactly what you want to see from a championship-calibre driver.

In the Final, Andrew came back strong, charging to P3 and putting himself back on the podium. His best lap was 52.351, and he finished behind Holden Newington and Mateo Pai in a strong TaG Junior field.

Andrew at a glance

Class	Qualifying	Pre-Final	Final
TaG Junior	P1	P9	P3

Andrew’s weekend showed both speed and resilience. The pole proved the pace was there, and the Final podium showed he could reset, recover, and deliver when it counted.

Teagan Kleine

LO206 Junior and TaG Junior

Teagan Kleine once again took on double duty, racing in both LO206 Junior and TaG Junior.

In LO206 Junior, Teagan qualified P8 with a best lap of 1:02.172. He moved forward in race trim, finishing P7 in the Pre-Final and then delivering a strong Final performance.

The LO206 Junior Final was one of Teagan’s best moments of the weekend. He finished P5, only 1.551 seconds off the win, and earned the official Fastest Lap of the race with a 1:01.046 on Lap 4. That fastest-lap result is the kind of stat that matters: it shows Teagan had the outright pace to run with the front group.

In TaG Junior, Teagan qualified P4, putting himself right near the front again. He followed that with a strong P2 in the Pre-Final, finishing only 0.344 seconds behind Holden Newington. In the Final, Teagan completed all 13 laps and finished P6.

Teagan at a glance

Class	Qualifying	Pre-Final	Final
LO206 Junior	P8	P7	P5 + Fastest Lap
TaG Junior	P4	P2	P6

Teagan’s Race 8 was another example of his growing race craft across two classes. A fastest lap in LO206 Junior and a P2 Pre-Final in TaG Junior made this a very strong weekend, even if the final finishing positions did not fully show the pace he had.

Patrick Kleine

LO206 Heavy and Shifter

Patrick Kleine continued his championship campaign across LO206 Heavy and Shifter, but Race 8 also marked an important new chapter for his program.

This was Patrick’s first weekend moving from the DD2 package into a KZ 6-speed shifter package. The switch brought a completely new learning curve: new setup direction, new motor characteristics, new gearbox demands, and a more physical, more technical driving package. Making that transition during a weekend with constantly changing wet and dry conditions made the challenge even bigger.

While the KZ package is more demanding now, it is also an important step forward. With the WCKC shifter field continuing to grow, the move opens up more possibilities for Patrick heading into the 2027 season. The DD2 package had taken him a long way, but the KZ platform gives him a stronger path into the next level of shifter competition.

In LO206 Heavy, Patrick was listed P5 in qualifying points, then finished P6 in the Pre-Final. In the Final, he completed all 13 laps and finished P7, continuing to collect points in a competitive Heavy field.

In Shifter, Patrick was listed P10 in qualifying points, finished P10 in the Pre-Final, and came home P8 in the Final after completing seven laps. The result was less about final position and more about beginning the KZ learning process in real race conditions.

Patrick at a glance

Class	Qualifying	Pre-Final	Final
LO206 Heavy	P5	P6	P7
KZ Shifter	P10	P10	P8

Patrick’s weekend was about progress and preparation. He kept the LO206 Heavy program moving while also taking the first steps into the KZ package, a move that could become an important foundation for 2027.

Mason Bemister

TaG Junior

Mason Bemister had a strong weekend under the EDX tent in TaG Junior.

Mason qualified P6 with a best lap of 52.867, placing himself right in the middle of a very competitive junior field. From there, he moved forward in the Pre-Final, finishing P4 and setting a best lap of 52.479.

The Final was another strong run. Mason finished P4, completing all 13 laps and ending the race just one position off the podium. His best lap was 52.575, and he stayed in the mix throughout the race.

Mason at a glance

Class	Qualifying	Pre-Final	Final
TaG Junior	P6	P4	P4

Mason’s Race 8 was one of the strongest overall drives under the tent. Qualify sixth, finish fourth in the Pre-Final, finish fourth in the Final. That is a clean, confident weekend and a great showing in tough conditions.

Jack Harbidge

TaG Junior

Jack Harbidge continued building in TaG Junior, working through a weekend that tested both pace and patience.

Jack qualified P12 after completing three laps, then finished P11 in the Pre-Final after a bumper penalty. Despite the setback, he kept working and brought the kart home in the Final.

In the TaG Junior Final, Jack completed all 13 laps and finished P9, setting a best lap of 52.938. It was a useful full-distance run in a field where the pace at the front was extremely strong.

Jack Harbidge at a glance

Class	Qualifying	Pre-Final	Final
TaG Junior	P12	P11	P9

Jack’s weekend showed persistence. The field was quick, the conditions were tricky, and the Pre-Final brought a penalty, but he kept pushing and moved forward in the Final.

Kaden Samhan

LO206 Junior

Kaden Samhan joined the EDX tent in LO206 Junior, gaining valuable race experience in a strong junior field.

Kaden qualified P11 with a best lap of 1:06.730. He completed the Pre-Final in P10, lowering his best lap to 1:05.112, then finished P11 in the Final with a best lap of 1:05.279.

Kaden at a glance

Class	Qualifying	Pre-Final	Final
LO206 Junior	P11	P10	P11

For Kaden, Race 8 was about learning, laps, and building confidence. He completed the race sessions, improved from qualifying into the Pre-Final, and gained important experience inside the EDX structure.

Jack Eriksson

LO206 Senior

Jack Eriksson took on LO206 Senior, one of the deepest and busiest classes of the weekend.

Jack was listed P4 in qualifying points after a no-time qualifying result, then finished P16 in the Pre-Final. In the Final, he moved up one spot to P15, completing all 13 laps and setting his best lap on the final lap of the race with a 1:02.311.

Jack Eriksson at a glance

Class	Qualifying / Points	Pre-Final	Final
LO206 Senior	P4	P16	P15

Jack’s weekend was another building block in LO206 Senior. The class is packed, the racing is close, and every full-distance finish adds experience. Finishing with his best lap on the final lap is a good sign that he kept working until the flag.

Team Takeaways

Race 8 was a true WCKC championship test: a reverse track layout, limited practice, changing weather, setup calls, and drivers having to adapt every time they rolled out.

The reverse configuration added a fresh challenge for everyone. With no regular testing available on that layout beyond official Saturday practice, local advantage was reduced and every team had to find the rhythm quickly. For EDX, that made the weekend especially valuable. Drivers had to learn new braking references, corner flow, passing zones, and race lines, while mechanics had to respond to changing grip levels and constantly shifting weather.

Andrew Bench delivered the headline qualifying result with P1 in TaG Junior, then backed it up with a P3 Final podium. Teagan Kleine earned Fastest Lap in the LO206 Junior Final and finished P2 in the TaG Junior Pre-Final. Mason Bemister impressed under the tent with P4 in both the TaG Junior Pre-Final and Final. Patrick Kleine began an important transition into the KZ 6-speed shifter package while continuing to collect LO206 Heavy points. Jack Harbidge moved forward in TaG Junior, Kaden Samhan gained valuable experience in LO206 Junior, and Jack Eriksson completed another full-distance LO206 Senior Final.

The weekend was not simple. Reverse layout, wet conditions, dry conditions, and tough fields kept everyone working. But that is exactly where teams grow. EDX showed pace, adaptability, and a strong team environment as the West Coast Championship continues toward its closing rounds.

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Thank You

EDX would like to thank all of the drivers, mechanics, parents, families, and supporters who made Race 8 possible.

To the mechanics, thank you for managing a weekend where the weather kept changing the question. Dry setup, wet setup, tire pressures, chassis changes, and constant adjustments made this a demanding weekend under the tent.

To the parents and families, thank you for the travel, setup, support, meals, encouragement, and everything that keeps the team moving.

To the drivers, thank you for pushing through changing conditions and representing EDX with effort and determination.

We would also like to thank the organizers, officials, volunteers, and everyone involved in putting on another WCKC race weekend. These events take a tremendous amount of work, and the karting community is stronger because of the people who show up to make them happen.

Finally, thank you to all of our sponsors and partners for continuing to support EDX and our drivers throughout the season. Your support helps fuel the journey and gives our drivers the opportunity to keep competing, learning, and representing the team.

To learn more about the partners who support EDX, please visit the EDX Partnerships page:https://www.edxracing.com/partnerships