Manx karter Charlie Gregg strengthened his grip on the HWE BIM 2026 SuperOne Karting Championship lead despite being denied a clean sweep during rounds five and six at Clay Pigeon Raceway in Dorchester last weekend.

The event marked the halfway point of the national championship and provided mixed fortunes for Gregg and fellow Isle of Man competitor Alex McCullagh on the shortest circuit on the calendar.

Racing in his favoured wet conditions on Saturday, Gregg was untouchable in the InterMax class. The championship leader secured pole position before winning both heats and storming to victory in the final by an impressive 6.8 seconds.

McCullagh also showed encouraging pace in the fiercely contested Rotax Junior category.

The 14-year-old qualified 14th in a field where the top 10 drivers were separated by less than seven tenths of a second. He battled to fifth place in the opening heat and finished 11th in the second.

A superb start in the final saw McCullagh climb from sixth on the grid to second place by lap two.

But his hopes of a podium finish were dashed when contact from behind broke a bumper bracket, leaving the bumper dragging on the circuit. A mechanical flag forced him into the pits and he was classified 18th.

Sunday’s dry conditions produced a different challenge for both drivers.

Gregg again topped qualifying and looked set for another dominant day. His first heat was disrupted when he was forced onto the grass while avoiding a spun backmarker.

Dropping to sixth, he launched a determined recovery, setting the fastest lap of the race before climbing back to second.

He bounced back to win heat two and started the final from pole position, but a set-up change made ahead of the longer race left him struggling for rear grip.

After an intense battle for victory, Gregg crossed the line only 0.080 seconds behind the winner.

McCullagh endured a frustrating qualifying session and could only manage 19th on the grid after failing to find clear track space for a clean lap.

The young Manxman responded impressively, gaining seven places to finish 12th in heat one before another strong charge in heat two saw him finish ninth, recording lap times only two-tenths of a second slower than the race leader.

Starting 11th for the final, McCullagh’s hopes of another comeback drive ended early. Forced wide at the first corner on lap two, he was then caught up in a second incident when another kart re-joined the track and became lodged on top of his front wheel.

Both drivers were forced onto the grass and McCullagh eventually finished 20th.

Despite the setbacks, the Isle of Man pair remain firmly in contention as the championship enters its second half.

After six rounds, Gregg leads the InterMax standings by 74 points, while McCullagh sits eighth in the Rotax Junior championship, only four points shy of sixth place.

With both drivers still able to discard two results under the championship’s drop-score system, there remains plenty to play for in the remaining rounds.