27/05/2026
Daytona 24 Hours 2026 โ Race Report: Vertice Forza Team
Quali P3
Race P3 > P1 > P16 ๐ง> P6
What an incredible, rollercoaster 24 hours weโve just lived through at Daytona! Representing Vertice Forza, our line-up of Richard Levett, David Harvey, Blaise Turnstill, Harry Newbound, Andy Fryer, and Ivan Collins set out with one clear goal: to fight our way into the top 10 and show what this team is made of.
Our weekend began with a calculated move โ we sat out Fridayโs free practice sessions, choosing to preserve tyre life and keep our cards close to our chest ahead of qualifying and the big race itself. Come Saturday morning, we took to the track for the 100-minute practice session, using the time simply to build confidence and get a solid feel for the kart, without pushing to the limit. Everyone was happy with the balance, and we headed back to the pits ready for qualifying.
We handed the wheel to Blaise Turnstill for qualifying โ and what a performance he delivered! He held pole position right up until the final lap, only to be pipped at the line and drop to 3rd on the grid. Even so, it was an outstanding result and put us exactly where we wanted to be. Weโd already spoken with the guys at Apex Nova Racing, and agreed to work together and avoid any messy contact at the start.
Race Day โ The Start
David Harvey took the start from P3, but as racing so often proves, plans donโt always go exactly to script. We dropped back to 6th in the opening laps, but our pace was strong โ we kept the leaders within sight and, most importantly, stayed on the same lap.
Fate began to swing our way: Apex Nova suffered a fueling issue, while another team ahead hit kart troubles. Before long, weโd climbed up to P4.
Stint 2 โ Richard Levett
After the first round of pit stops, Richard Levett took over, joining the track in P8. He was absolutely consistent lap after lap, and soon found himself in a tight battle with KBR for position. It came down to a near-perfect entry to the pits, where both teams came in side-by-side โ we held P4, with KBR just ahead in P3.
Stint 3 โ Blaise Turnstill
Next up was Blaise โ and what can we say? This was a masterclass. He drove every single lap like it was a qualifying effort, gliding through traffic as if it wasnโt even there. He hauled us all the way up to P1! We were running a slightly offset strategy compared to others, but to be leading the 24-hour race after such a drive was something special.
Stint 4 โ Harry Newbound
Harry stepped in next โ his very first 24-hour race, and still relatively new to karting. But youโd never have known it; he drove with the calmness and skill of a seasoned pro, improving every time he crossed the line. He delivered exactly what the team asked of him, keeping us firmly in the top 4, and at this stage everyone was on the same strategy โ we had the advantageโฆ until luck turned against us.
Pulling into the pits, our mechanics spotted a critical issue: the radiator had failed. We needed a full replacement, and it cost us nearly 13 minutes of race time. All that hard work, all those gains โ gone in moments. The mood dropped, but only for a minute. We sat down together, heads up, and made the call: we adapt, we gamble on strategy, and we keep fighting.
Stint 5 โ Ivan Collins
Ivan Collins โ a Spanish racer with years of experience alongside Richard Levett, but away from Rotax karts for a long time, and also tackling his first ever 24-hour race. He joined the track at the toughest moment: changing track conditions, a rattled team, and a kart that wasnโt quite the same after the earlier issue. Without any prior experience at this circuit, Ivan put in a huge shift, doing everything he could to keep us moving forward. We brought him in slightly early โ a deliberate move to get our fastest drivers back out and start clawing back lost time.
Stint 6 โ Andy Fryer
Andy Fryer took over, and this is where his local knowledge really shone. A multiple champion here at Daytona Milton Keynes, Andy knew exactly what to do. He carved through the field, taking us from P16 all the way back up to P11 โ a massive recovery drive that lifted the whole teamโs spirits.
Night Shift โ The Fightback
As darkness fell, we switched up our strategy completely. Blaise Turnstill and David Harvey took on the bulk of the night stints โ and what a difference it made. Lap after lap, positions were gained, and suddenly we were right back in contention โ a podium finish was well and truly on the cards again.
Then came another setback: Blaise had to make an emergency stop when the exhaust worked loose, costing us another 3 minutes and 30 seconds in the pits, plus more positions. But did we give up? Not for a second. This team believes in the fight until the chequered flag.
Closing Stages
Harry, Richard, and Andy took over through the early hours and into the morning, with a clear focus: keep it clean, stay out of trouble, and avoid any penalties. As we entered the final hour, we were sitting strong in P4.
For the final stint, Ivan Collins brought it home. We made the call to skip one scheduled stop and fuel save all the way to the finish line โ a calculated risk to lock down P4. With just 15 minutes remaining, we decided to play it safe with a quick โsplash and dashโ for fuel, ensuring weโd make it to the end without issue.
Ivan delivered a solid final run, crossing the line to bring Vertice Forza home in 6th place.
The Result
From leading the race, to facing mechanical heartbreak, dropping way down the order, fighting back through the night, and holding on to the finish โ this race threw every possible emotion at us. To end up P6 after everything we went through is a testament to the never-give-up attitude of every single driver, and the hard work of our whole team in the pits.
We came here aiming for a top 10 โ we achieved that, and we proved that no matter what goes wrong, when you pull together, you come out stronger.
A massive congratulations and thank you to every member of Vertice Forza โ what a race, what a team! ๐ช๐
