Bermudian karting driver Scott Barnes completed his pursuit of silverware in the Nevada desert, securing a hard-fought third-place finish in the ROK Shifter Masters/Super Masters final at the 2026 ROK Vegas Championship.
The veteran racer delivered a composed drive against an elite international field under the Las Vegas lights, navigating intense wheel-to-wheel battles on a unforgiving circuit to cross the line on the podium.
The result capped an unpredictable week of competition at the Rio Hotel & Casino, where drivers were forced to contend with wildly swinging conditions that ranged from intense heat to hail and flash flooding.
Barnes had set out his stall early by qualifying off pole in second position and stayed firmly in contention through the preliminary heats despite limited seat time heading into the event.
Reflecting on his podium finish, Barnes admitted that while he had his eyes set on higher honours, walking away with silverware under challenging circumstances was a satisfying outcome.
"Leaving Vegas with some hardware," Barnes said. "Should have been a second place, but had to settle for third. A podium in Vegas, I’ll take all day long!
"I haven’t raced stateside since March—and only once in Bermuda—but we ran up the front all weekend. We qualified off pole in P2 and even raced in hail on slicks for the first time.
"The weather was definitely a bit of everything this week: hot, cold, flash flooding, hail, sun—a crazy weekend. It was my first time at this event, first time with a new motor builder, and under a new team. Walking away with a top-three on a super tight track with zero room for error, I’ll take it. Fun week in Vegas."
The podium finish marks another standout international showing for the seasoned Bermudian competitor, who successfully adapted to both a new setup and extreme track conditions to bring hardware back to the island.
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