Race Report August 30, 2026

JohnJohn McLellan Shows Final-Level Pace on OK-Junior Debut at WSK Final Cup

FRANCIACORTA, ITALY — August 30, 2026 — John “JohnJohn” McLellan completed his first international OK-Junior race weekend at the opening round of the 2026 WSK Final Cup, showing competitive race pace and earning a Final-qualifying position on track at Franciacorta Karting Track.

Competing with Ward Racing in a 52-driver international field, the 13-year-old California racer qualified 28th overall. McLellan immediately moved forward in his opening heat, advancing three positions to finish 11th.

After finishing 19th in the second heat, McLellan’s progress was interrupted by an opening-lap incident in Heat 3 that ended his race before he could complete a lap. The DNF left him 39th after the heats and placed him 20th on the grid for Prefinal A.

McLellan responded with his strongest performance of the weekend. Racing through the field, he gained six positions to cross the line 14th and put himself inside the top 36 advancing to the Final.

JohnJohn McLellan racing at WSK Final Cup Round 1, Franciacorta 2026 — McLellan works his way through the field during Prefinal A at Franciacorta Karting Track — WSK Final Cup Round 1, August 2026.

His 48.220-second fastest lap was just 0.135 seconds from the fastest lap of the prefinal and comparable with the pace of the leading finishers, demonstrating that he had developed genuine Final-level speed in his first weekend in the category.

A five-second post-race front-fairing penalty changed the result to 21st and moved McLellan outside the Final qualification cutoff. He was ultimately classified 39th overall. The complete classifications are available on the official WSK Final Cup Round 1 results page.

Although the official result did not reflect the position earned on track, the weekend marked an encouraging first step in McLellan’s transition to OK-Junior. He demonstrated the ability to move forward in race conditions, recover from adversity and compete at the pace required to qualify for a WSK Final.

“This weekend was a big learning experience,” McLellan said. “We showed that we had the pace to make the Final, especially in the prefinal. The penalty was disappointing, but I learned a lot and know what we need to keep improving. Thank you to Ward Racing and everyone supporting us.”

The WSK Final Cup is the opening stage of McLellan’s international OK-Junior program as he continues building toward a full European campaign in 2027.