Gogogear.com Honda Civic takes overall victory to start off 2026 season

Buttonwillow, CA - After a 2025 where the SP field had to settle for second best behind champion Andy Chittum’s Mazda MX-5, the target was set for the 2026 season. Heading to the new Buttonwillow Circuit posed a new challenge for the Konig Wheels Honda Civic. With only a few sessions to get acclimated to the new track, qualifying was the first opportunity to see how we stacked up to the competition. In dramatic fashion, as soon as the cars hit the grid, the raindrops began to fall. A new track, in the rain, for qualifying is a recipe for a fun session. As the session got underway, the rain began falling harder meaning that setting your lap early was key to success. Once the final checkered flag flew, the Civic was able to achieve second place, just behind Chittum’s MX-5.

Sunday’s race was a chance for redemption, the 40 minute feature race was scheduled to start at 8am sharp. The early morning race time meant the driver’s didn’t have to wait long to get a chance at victory after qualifying. Right off the start, Arsham’s K24 powered Honda Civic jumped out of line and into the lead before the braking into turn 1. By the close of the first lap, clever traffic navigation meant that the Civic had a few second lead over the MX-5 already. The lead was maintained throughout the early stages of the race as the field settled in. In the second half of the race it was about defending position from out of class vehicles as well as navigating lapped traffic to ensure the lead was maintained. With a few minutes to go in the race, the lead was up to 7 seconds, but then disaster struck. Arsham began to notice that the car was starting to fuel starve. Running low on fuel, Arsham did all he could to bring the car home and maintain the lead. The race victory was a milestone that cemented the Gogogear.com team’s intentions for the 2026 season. Snapping Chittum’s 7 race unbeaten run, setting the new lap record for Buttonwillow’s Circuit in the SP class.

All eyes are on the next race of the season to carry on the momentum from round 1. Sonoma has always been a great track for the MX-5 chassis so it will take something special to maintain the championship lead for the duration of the season.