Contact Ruins Axel’s Super Final Run at South Garda
- Dylan Young
- Oct 19
- 2 min read
Swedish-Australian karting driver Axel “Axeman” Gore endured a heartbreaking end to an otherwise promising weekend at the 2025 ROK Cup Super Final, held at Lonato’s iconic South Garda Karting circuit from October 14–18. The event brought together 54 of the world’s best young drivers in the Mini category, and Gore once again proved he belongs among the elite.
After showing strong pace throughout practice, Gore delivered a solid performance in qualifying, placing 25th out of 54despite not fully maximising his push lap — a lap that could easily have placed him inside the top 10.
In the heats, Gore’s race craft was on full display. In the opening heat, he made up ground early and fought hard throughout to finish P11, followed by a defensive masterclass in Heat 2 to claim P13. A challenging start in the final heat left him with fewer opportunities to battle forward, but he still secured a P16 finish. At the conclusion of the heats, Gore was ranked 24th overall, setting him up for a strong run into the finals.
Starting 12th on the grid for the Pre-Final, Gore delivered one of his best drives of the weekend. With smart overtakes and relentless consistency, he climbed the order to finish P7 at the chequered flag. However, following post-race steward decisions, he was classified P11 — still comfortably qualifying for the main final as one of the top 36 drivers.
Momentum was clearly building for the Axeman, who had improved his position throughout every stage of the weekend. But in the Final, misfortune struck. After a lightning start, Gore launched himself into contention heading into Turn 4, only to be caught in unavoidable contact when several karts collided directly ahead. With nowhere to go — and hit from behind in the chaos — Gore was forced to retire on the opening lap with a DNF.
It was a cruel end to what had been one of Gore’s most impressive international showings to date, his pace and composure turning heads throughout the paddock. Without the early contact, a major climb through the field looked well within reach.
Reflecting on the Super Final and looking ahead, Gore said:
“The weekend started great — I felt fast and confident every session. The final was out of my hands, but that’s racing. I know we had the speed to move up, so I’m taking the positives and focusing on the next round. I just want to thank Team Driver and all my sponsors for the amazing support this year.”
With the ROK Cup Super Final now behind him, all attention turns to the WSK Final Cup at Franciacorta Karting Track from October 21–26, where Gore will look to bounce back in true Axeman fashion.
