EDX Takes on the 2026 Rotax Western Canadian Final in Strathmore, AB

EDX travelled to Strathmore, Alberta for the 2026 Rotax Western Canadian Final, hosted by the Calgary Kart Racing Club at Strathmore Motorsports Park.

The event brought together top Rotax competitors from across Canada, all racing for one of the biggest opportunities in Canadian karting: a chance to earn a ticket to the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals.

For EDX, the weekend was an important opportunity to compete on a bigger stage, against deep national-level fields, with drivers gaining experience in both Junior and DD2 categories. The team was represented by Patrick Kleine, Teagan Kleine, Andrew Bench, and guest team members Holden Newington and Mason Bemister, who joined EDX for the event.

It was a tough, competitive weekend — exactly what you expect at a Canadian Final. The grids were deep, the margins were tight, and every session demanded focus, discipline, and clean execution.

Weekend Overview

The Junior field was one of the largest and most competitive groups of the event, with EDX and guest drivers fighting through qualifying, three heats, the Pre-Final, and the Final.

Holden Newington delivered the standout Junior result for the group, climbing from P13 in qualifying to finish P7 in the Final. It was a strong recovery across the weekend and an excellent result as a guest team member.

Andrew Bench showed solid progression through the middle of the event, improving to P10 in Heat 3 and P9 in the Pre-Final before finishing P14 in the Final.

Mason Bemister put together his strongest run in the Pre-Final, moving up to P10 after qualifying P17. He finished the Final in P17, but his progression through the weekend showed good race development.

Teagan Kleine had a more challenging Junior weekend, but continued to fight through each session. His strongest heat result came in Heat 3, where he finished P12, before bringing the kart home P16 in the Final.

In DD2, Patrick Kleine took on one of the most demanding categories of the event. Patrick qualified P8, worked through three difficult heats, and finished the weekend P7 in the Final.

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Junior Category

The Junior category was packed with talent and gave the EDX drivers and guests a proper national-level test. With close lap times and heavy traffic throughout the field, every position had to be earned.

Junior Results at a Glance

Driver	Qualifying	Heat 1	Heat 2	Heat 3	Pre-Final	Final
Holden Newington	P13	P13	P14	P17	P16	P7
Andrew Bench	P15	P17	P13	P10	P9	P14
Teagan Kleine	P16	P19	P18	P12	P17	P16
Mason Bemister	P17	P14	P16	P15	P10	P17

Holden Newington

Junior

Holden Newington joined EDX as a guest team member for the Canadian Finals and delivered the strongest Junior Final result from the group.

After qualifying P13, Holden stayed in the fight through the heats and then put together a strong Final performance, moving up to finish P7. His best lap in the Final was in the 51-second range, showing he had the pace to race well inside the top ten.

For a guest driver stepping into the EDX environment at a major event, Holden’s weekend was a strong one. The Final result showed patience, recovery, and good race execution when it mattered most.

Andrew Bench

Junior

Andrew Bench took on a deep Junior field and showed good progression as the weekend unfolded.

Andrew qualified P15 and had a tougher opening heat, finishing P17, but he began moving forward from there. He improved to P13 in Heat 2, then climbed to P10 in Heat 3, one of his strongest results of the weekend. In the Pre-Final, Andrew continued that progress with a P9 finish.

The Final ended with Andrew classified P14, but his middle-session progression showed the kind of fight and development that matters at a national-level event. Moving forward in the heats and Pre-Final against a field this competitive is no small thing.

Teagan Kleine

Junior

Teagan Kleine faced a challenging Junior weekend, but continued to work through each session and gain valuable experience against one of the strongest fields of the season.

Teagan qualified P16 and had a difficult Heat 1, finishing P19. He continued to fight through Heat 2 and then produced his best race result of the weekend in Heat 3, where he moved up to P12. He was classified P17 in the Pre-Final and finished P16 in the Final.

It was not the easiest weekend on paper, but events like the Canadian Finals are where drivers build toughness. The competition is sharp, the pressure is high, and every lap adds experience. Teagan kept pushing and brought the kart home in the Final.

Mason Bemister

Junior

Mason Bemister joined EDX as a guest team member for the event and showed steady improvement through the Junior category.

After qualifying P17, Mason moved forward immediately in Heat 1, finishing P14. He followed that with P16 in Heat 2 and P15 in Heat 3, before putting together his strongest session of the weekend in the Pre-Final, where he finished P10.

The Final ended with Mason classified P17, but his Pre-Final performance was a clear highlight. Moving from P17 in qualifying to P10 in the Pre-Final showed strong progress and gave him a solid result to build from.

DD2 Category

Patrick Kleine represented EDX in the DD2 category, one of the most physically and technically demanding classes of the event.

DD2 requires commitment, precision, and consistency. With higher speeds and a smaller but very experienced field, Patrick had the opportunity to gain valuable experience against strong competition.

Patrick Kleine — DD2 Results at a Glance

Driver	Class	Qualifying	Heat 1	Heat 2	Heat 3	Pre-Final	Final
Patrick Kleine	DD2	P8	P8	P8	P8	P8	P7

Patrick qualified P8 and was classified P8 through all three heats and the Pre-Final. In the Final, he improved one position to finish P7.

It was a challenging DD2 weekend, but Patrick continued to gain experience in one of karting’s toughest categories and brought the kart home with an improved final result.

Team Takeaways

The 2026 Rotax Western Canadian Final was a valuable weekend for EDX.

This was not just another race weekend. It was a Canadian Final, with competitors travelling from across the country and racing for the opportunity to advance to the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals. The level was high, the pressure was real, and the experience gained will carry forward into the rest of the season.

Holden Newington delivered the strongest Junior Final result for the group with a strong run to P7. Andrew Bench showed good progression through the heats and Pre-Final. Mason Bemister made a strong move forward in the Pre-Final. Teagan Kleine battled through a tough weekend and continued to gain national-level experience. Patrick Kleine took on DD2 and brought home a P7 finish in the Final.

For EDX, weekends like this are about more than the final classification. They are about testing ourselves against strong fields, learning under pressure, supporting each other in the paddock, and continuing to build the team program.

The Canadian Finals gave the team valuable experience, a bigger racing stage, and plenty of lessons to carry into the next event.

Thank You

EDX would like to thank the Calgary Kart Racing Club for hosting the 2026 Rotax Western Canadian Final and welcoming competitors, teams, officials, and families to Strathmore Motorsports Park.

We would also like to thank the event organizers, officials, volunteers, mechanics, parents, families, and everyone who helped make the weekend possible. Events at this level take an enormous amount of effort, and we appreciate everyone who contributed to a great weekend of racing.

A special thank you to Holden Newington and Mason Bemister for joining EDX as guest team members for the weekend and representing the team with great effort and professionalism.

Finally, thank you to our sponsors and supporters for continuing to help fuel the EDX journey. Your support allows our drivers to compete, learn, and represent the team at events across Western Canada. Thank you GAIN group of companies!