Day two of the Rotax World finals.
Here are the results of this second day .
Welcome to the first practice day of the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals!
Competitors and mechanics pushed their karts to pit lane this morning to participate in three of five total 15-minute practice sessions. Drivers took the opportunity to become familiar with the track, the chassis, engine and their competitors. Together with their tuners, drivers worked to improve their chassis set-up for Wednesday’s qualifying round.
Pilots typically take advantage of practice No. 1 to break-in their new Rotax engines. If the motors are not warmed up slowly the engines may not run at the best performance during the remainder of the week.
Transponders were provided to all drivers at the end of the first non-qualifying practice and will be mandatory as of practice No. 2 – the beginning of the on-track action.
Live timing is available on the RMCGF homepage, at http://www.rotax-kart.com/en/Max-Challenge/Grand-Finals/Grand-Finals-2015/LIVESTREAM.
Junior MAX
Practice No. 2 saw the Junior MAX field fight for the top of the time charts. Some of last year’s top names returned to the field, including the Lithuanian Rokas Baciuska. However, it was the Fin Roope Ropanen who posted the fastest time with a 1.02.526, less than one-tenth faster than Hungarian Zsombor Kovacs, who posted a 1.02.592.
Practice No. 3 saw Austrian Nicolas Schoell with the fastest lap time – a 1.02.657 – just eight-hundredths ahead of Harrison Thomas from the UK.
125 MAX
The 125 MAX field proved to be very competitive. Rinus Van Kalmthout from the Netherlands took the top spot during practice No. 2 with a 1.01.114, seven-thousandths faster than the Italian Alex Alex.This time around, the Italian Alex Alex posted the best lap time, with a 1.00.673, four-tenths faster than American Lucas Selliken.
125 MAX DD2 Masters
Practice No. 2 saw Robert Schluenssen from Denmark run the fastest time with a 59.972, just two-thousandths faster than Brazilian Leonardo Nienkotter.
Tomokazu Kawase of Japan posted the fastest lap time, a 59.779, in practice No. 3, with Antti Ollikainen of Finland trailing with the second fastest lap time, of a 59.862.
125 MAX DD2
Familiar and fast names were in the DD2 class, hinting this category will feature some of the best and most competitive racing. The famous names include Rubens Barrichello, Ferenc Kancsar, Max Hofer, Jason Pringle, Luke Varley and Andrea Backman.
Practice No. 2 saw Austrian Max Hofer storm to the top of the time sheets with a fastest time of 59.550. The DD2 field proved to be very competitive as Hofer was just over six-hundredths faster than Hungarian, Ferenc Kancsar. The tables turned in practice No. 3, and Kancsar ran the fastest lap time, posting a 59.304.
What a great way to start out the Grand Finals: 72 racers per class posting competitive times within hundredths of a second of each other!
Stay tuned for our upcoming daily reports, which bring the intense action of the RMCGF to you!
The Rotax MAX Challenge (RMC) is a professional kart racing series established, owned and organized by BRP and its Rotax kart engine distributors. Approved by and in compliance with CIK / FIA, the RMC is a “one-make-engine” formula: only Rotax kart engines that are checked and sealed (for equal performance) will be used. The success in the competition is mainly up to the skills of the driver.
Day three of the Rotax World finals.
Here are the results of this three day of practice and qualifying.
Hello and welcome to Qualifying Day of the 2015 Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals!
Drivers bustled into the tall, open gates of the track premises, ready to prepare their karts for the first of two total non-qualifying practice sessions of the day. If you listened closely, you could already hear in the early morning hours the high-pitched buzz of the power tools used by mechanics to make any last minute adjustments before the first practice session.
Today’s relatively crisp morning saw mechanics and their drivers prove their dedication to this serious sport, as they cleaned chassis to perfection, made camber and caster adjustments, and pushed the karts up early to wait in line for the parc fermé gates to open and be the first to enter pit lane.
Today, drivers are given the opportunity to partake in two more practice sessions to test out their chassis and engine set-ups before the weekend sets into full swing with the launch of today’s 10-minute qualifying.
The weather forecast called for 20° C and sun – optimal track and testing temperatures.
125 Junior MAX Practice 4 & 5
In practice No. 4, the Jules Bollier of France posted the fastest time with a 1.02.173, eight-hundredths faster than second fastest Florian Venturi, who is also from France.
Practice No. 5 saw Venturi run the fastest lap time, with a 1.02.278, closely followed by Andreas Estner of Germany, just one one-hundredth of a second behind Venturi. A reason why the RMCGF event is so prestigious is exactly this reason – the competition is so close that the top 10 fastest lap times can range within five one-hundredths of a second!
125 Junior MAX Qualifying
The Junior MAX qualifying session saw the top drivers put their skills to the test, as the Junior field headed on the track. Because the Junior MAX field is so competitive, the pole sitter was not confirmed until the last few laps of the qualifying round. Ultimately, however, it was the young Fin Roope Ropanen, who jumped into P1 with a 1.01.912 – and became the new 2015 Junior MAX pole sitter. Scott Symons of the UK posted the second fastest lap time with a 1.01.987, seven one-hundredths behind Ropanen.
125 MAX Practice 4 & 5
The RMCGF competition is extremely close, as the Dutch driver Leonard Hoogenboom posted the fastest time in practice No. 4 with a 1.00.838, just four-thousandths of a second faster than the second fastest, the German Christopher Dreyspring.
Practice No. 5 saw the Brazilian Joao Rosate post the fastest lap time with a 1.00.714, followed by the Italian ALEX, just five one-hundredths of a second slower.
125 MAX Qualifying
With no doubt, the Senior MAX class will show close competition, smart and aggressive passing maneuvers, as well as good sportsmanship. This time around, a new name showed up at the top of the list of 125 MAX drivers for qualifying. Berkay Besler of Turkey claimed pole position by posting a time of 1.00.302 – six one-hundredths of a second faster than second-placed ALEX of Italy.
125 MAX DD2 Masters Practice 4 & 5
Practice No. 4 saw the German Robert Schluenssen, who is racing for Team Denmark, post the overall fastest lap time of a 59.529, with Antti Ollikainen of Finland trailing close behind, with a 59.652.
Practice No. 5 separated the two fastest drivers by just one one-hundredth of a second – with the Brazilian Fernando Guzzi posting the fastest lap time of a 59.852.
125 MAX DD2 Masters Qualifying
The DD2 Masters added to the action of Wednesday’s qualifying round. However, one well-known face of the DD2 Masters class, four-time Grand Finals champion Cristiano Morgado, will not be competing this year due to an injury. His absence left the door wide open for new names to hit the top of the charts.
Ultimately it was the American Derek Wang, who claimed the pole position, posting a fast time of 59.257. Wang was followed by the South African Michael Stephen, who ran a 59.313, six one-hundredths of a second off.
125 MAX DD2 Practice 4 & 5
Practice No. 4 saw Kancsar of Hungary post the fastest time with a 59.226, followed by the Austrian, Max Hofer, who was just three-hundredths slower.
Practice No. 5 once again proved the point that the DD2 category is one of the most competitive fields in the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals. Andreas Backman from Sweden ran a 59.330, one one-hundredth faster than the South African Bradley Liebenberg.
125 MAX DD2 Qualifying
With no doubt, DD2 will be the class to watch, as the category hosts some of the most popular names in the racing world, including former Formula 1 pilot Rubens Barrichello.
Not surprisingly, it was Kancsar who claimed the pole position, posting the fastest lap time of a 58.929 and was followed by Luke Varley driving for the United Arab Emirates, running a 58.968.
Congratulations to all of our hard-working pole sitters, their mechanics, and team supporters!
The off-track action also proved interesting as 72 additional drivers competing in the Rotax Grand Festival traveled to the Kartódromo Internacional do Algarve to compete in the Micro MAX (sponsored by IPKarting / Praga) and Mini MAX (sponsored by Birel ART) classes. The young pilots, 36 drivers per class, will compete in an invitational-only race at this international event. A kart raffle and tyre handout was held for the Micro and Mini MAX classes, which will hit the track tomorrow mid-day.
Live timing will be available on the RMCGF homepage, at http://www.rotax-kart.com/en/Max-Challenge/Grand-Finals/Grand-Finals-2015/LIVESTREAM.
Stay tuned for our upcoming daily reports, which bring the intense action of the RMCGF to you!
The Rotax MAX Challenge (RMC) is a professional kart racing series established, owned and organized by BRP and its Rotax kart engine distributors. Approved by and in compliance with CIK / FIA, the RMC is a “one-make-engine” formula: only Rotax kart engines that are checked and sealed (for equal performance) will be used. The success in the competition is mainly up to the skills of the driver.
**Please note the Qualifying results are not official yet.
Day four of the Rotax World finals.
Here are the results of this fourth day of qualifying heats.
Welcome to the first official day of racing at the Kartódromo Internacional do Algarve! *
Today showed the high level of talent at the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals, as 72 pilots battled during four heat races per class to drive to the front of the pack.
Mechanics and drivers hastily ran through the pit area today, to make any last minute chassis or engine adjustments before their drivers headed out for the first of three heat races.
Looking around the paddock, one could notice the focused and determined expressions of the pilots. Now more than ever is the time for competitors to concentrate, center, and mentally prepare for the challenges they will face during today’s heat races.
The better the competitors finish, the more likely they will be admitted into the pre-final round. Although there are 72 drivers per class, the pre-final will only permit 34 of the top ranking competitors to advance, which is why it is doubly important for drivers to finish well.
The newest addition of drivers to the RMCGF – the 72 Portuguese and Spanish drivers partaking in the Rotax Grand Festival event in the Micro and Mini MAX classes – participated in three practice sessions today to prepare for their heat races tomorrow.
Thursday’s weather forecast thankfully was similar to that of Wednesday’s, calling for clear skies and 22°C.
125 Junior MAX Heat Race – Group A + B
The Junior Rotax field saw a tight-knit, competitive field exit onto track for the Group A and B heat race. In fact, the field saw intensive action from the front all the way toward the back.
It took two starts to launch the begin of Junior MAX Group A + B. Ropanen was passed by Symons in turn one, and tactfully stayed behind the UK driver until the very end of the race, when Ropanen suddenly made a pass on Symons with aggression and finesse. Ultimately, it was Ropanen who won, Symons who finished in second, and Manuel Sulaiman of Mexico who finished in third.
125 Junior MAX Heat Race – Group C + D
The C and D heat race also proved to be filled with on-track battles and fair passing. In fact, the start of this race was very clean in comparison to the Junior MAX Group A + B start. Harrison Thomas of the UK immediately took the lead and ultimately won the race with a three-tenth gap over the second placed American, Trenton Estep. An intensive battle ensued for third place throughout the remainder of the last two laps, but Jakub Bezel of the Czech Republic clinched the third spot, one-tenth behind Estep. What great racing so far!
125 Junior MAX Heat Race – Group A + C
The A and C Junior MAX heat races also proved to be extremely competitive, as the first lap saw 36 drivers dive into turn one! Battles took place throughout the entire race with drivers trying to prove their talent and skills. Although Roope Ropanen started on pole, the Fin was soon overtaken by Frenchman Florian Venturi. Venturi finished in the first position, more than four-tenths of a second over the Fin. The Australian Aaron Cameron finished in third, eight-tenths of a second behind Venturi.
125 Junior MAX Heat Race – Group B + D
What a great way to end the day for Junior MAX heat racing! The group B and D start was relatively clean, minus a flipped kart in the beginning of the race at turn three. Group B and D saw intensive battles between the top three drivers lap after lap. The battle did not stop until the last corner of the last lap, keeping the 2015 RMCGF viewers on their toes until the end. However, Harrison Thomas of the UK ultimately clinched the top spot, followed by fellow United Kingdom competitor Scott Symons and Dylan Drysdale from New Zealand.
125 MAX Heat Race – Group A + B
Similar to the previous Junior heat races, the 125 MAX A and B race proved to be exceptionally competitive and eventful! In fact, the start of the race saw intensive action when UK driver Ed Brand took the lead away from pole sitter, Berkay Besler of Turkey. Besler stayed right on Brand’s Bumper, until lap 7 of 9, when he made the move for the win. Brand fell back a few spots and out of the top three. Meanwhile, the American Lucas Selliken steadily worked his way up to second place, finishing one-tenth behind Besler. The German Christopher Dreyspring rounded out the top 3, about three-tenths of a second behind Selliken.
125 MAX Heat Race – Group C + D
The top three drivers were battling from the beginning to the finish of the race, pushing each other to the maximum limits, yet never passing unfairly. Ultimately, it was Luc Willemse of the Netherlands who finished in first, gapping second placed Australian Pierce Lehane by two-tenths, and Hirotaka Sasaki of Japan by more than five-tenths. It truly was a nail-biting race to the end!
125 MAX Heat Race – Group A + C
The Rotax 125 MAX Group A and C race did not disappoint, as the top competitors of the pack battled for the win! At this point, the sun was already setting, and the weather started cooling down, presenting drivers and mechanics with a new challenge to find grip on a track they only have been testing on during warm conditions. Brand had better luck this time than in the previous heat race, as he finished just one-tenth ahead of Berkay Besler of Turkey, and more than eight-tenths of a second over Luc Willemse of the Netherlands.
125 MAX Heat Race – Group B + D
Group B and D demonstrated their competitive spirit as the race started. The Italian driver ALEX put his skills to the test and finished in first by almost seven-tenths of a second over the Estonian Sten Dorian Piirimaegi. The German, Christopher Dreyspring rounded out the top 3. Leonard Hoogenboom of the Netherlands posted the fastest lap time with a 1.00.764.
125 MAX DD2 Masters Heat Race – Group A + B
Don’t get fooled by the name – although DD2 Masters drivers are 32 and older, the class is not slow and the drivers are not afraid to pass. In fact, today proved the opposite is true. The race start saw an immediate pile-up following the small bend on the straight. Wang took the lead early on in the race, leading over Brazilian Fernando Guzzi. The American lead every lap of the race, up until lap 9 of 9. That was when Guzzi dove into the inside Wang to make a pass for the win. Ultimately, Guzzi won over Wang by two-tenths. The South African Michael Stephen finished in third place and posted the fastest lap time of the race.
125 MAX DD2 Masters Heat Race – Group C + D
Track action heated up, as the DD2 Masters’ competitive spirit was shown in today’s Group C and D race. Tomokazu Kawase of Japan lead the race a little over halfway. Then, the Fin Antti Ollikainen took over the lead. It was Ollikainen who finished on top, pulling almost a 1.5 second gap over second placed Robert Schluenssen of Germany. The Canadian Scott Campbell, a former RMCGF Champion, rounded out the top 3, more than 5 seconds behind the Fin. Kawase dropped down to position No. 35 in the last couple of laps. Although some may have seen success during this race, others may have been disappointed. Nevertheless, there still remain two more chances for the DD2 Masters drivers to make up lost positions.
125 MAX DD2 Masters Heat Race – Group A + C
Although the start saw some bumping and pushing among the front and mid-pack drivers, for the majority, the racers got off to a good start, and proceeded to battle, especially toward the front of the pack. Although Kawase did not have much luck last heat race, this time around, he was able to demonstrate his talent, as he grasped first place with just four one-hundredths of a second in front of the American Luis Schiavo. Renato Russo from Brazil fought hard and finished in third place with a gap of two-tenths back from Kawase.
125 MAX DD2 Masters Heat Race – Group B + D
The DD2 Masters heat B and D saw Michael Stephen clinch the top spot of the race, with more than three-tenths of a second gap over Ryan Urban of New Zealand. Although Ollikainen fought well and hard throughout the race, he did not see the top spot, but was able to finish in third.
125 MAX DD2 Heat Race – Group A+B
Predictably, the DD2 heat races did not disappoint. Ferenc Kancsar took off from the start of the race without looking back. In fact, the Hungarian driver pulled out a six-tenths of a second gap over Luke Varley, even though Varley posted the fastest lap time of the race. The Swede, Andreas Backman, finished in a solid 3rd place, 1.5 seconds back from Kancsar. With no doubt, Kancsar could be one of the RMCGF title contenders for the challenging DD2 class!
125 MAX DD2 Heat Race – Group C+D
The DD2 competitors showed off their talent and skill, as they headed into turn one after the track went green. The Polish driver, Lukasz Bartoszuk lead the pack to the finish line, finishing more than three-tenths in front of Luka Kamali of Germany. Martins Steinerts of Latvia rounded out the top 3 positions.
125 MAX DD2 Heat Race – Group A + C
One of the most exciting battles to watch during this race proved to be between Backman and Kancsar. The Hungarian and the Swede battled from the begin to the end of the race, driving bumper-to-bumper, lap after lap. Many times Backman and Kancsar tried to pass each other fairly but aggressively. However, Kancsar came out on top. Backman fell behind the last couple of laps and finished the race with more than 1.2 seconds back to Kancsar. Bradley Liebenberg of South Africa rounded out the top three finishers, just eight one-hundredths of a second behind Backman. What an exciting race!
125 MAX DD2 Heat Race – Group B + D
What a race! The German Luka Kamali got the jump on pole sitter Luke Varley, and lead the pack into turn one. This heat race proved to be thrilling until the end. In lap 1 a red flag briefly made the race come to a halt before drivers restarted in a single-file format. Varley fell back and out of the top three positions during the majority of the race, however was able to make his way back up to third, four-tenths behind Kamali. Lukasz Bartoszuk of Poland finished in a close second place, about one-tenth behind Kamali.
*Please note some of the results are not yet official.
Day five of the Rotax World finals.
Here are the results of this fifth day of qualifying heats.
Welcome to the final day of heat races! The dawn of this new day also saw some changes in race positions from yesterday’s heat races. Tomokazu Kawase was originally classified as the winner of the DD2 Masters race A + C. However, because Kawase illegally prevented a legitimate passing maneuver by another driver, he was given a 10 second penalty, and the new winner of the DD2 Masters A + C is now Luis Schiavo. Renato Russo is now classified as second place and Derek Wang moved up to third. The DD2 race B + D also saw position changes, as both Luka Kamali, yesterday’s winner, and Lukasz Bartoszuk, who finished in second place, were given 10 second penalties due to starting the race ahead of first placed Luke Varley. As such, the new DD2 B + D results are the following: Luke Varley first, Pedro Pinto second, and Sanad Al Rawahi third.
However, today is a new day, and the track action is about to get so much better in terms of tactful passing maneuvers and the nail-biting uncertainty of who will end up proceeding to the pre-final, and who will have to fight through the second chance race to advance into the pre-final.
Taking a look around the paddock, one can tell the past two days of racing were intensive and had much on-track action. Team Australia’s humor never gets old, as drivers set-up a Christmas tree-like display of their entire crash damage from the past two days of racing in their paddock area. Maintaining a sense of humor in these kinds of situations is always beneficial!
Defining the Second Chance Heat Race
The top 28 of the 72 total drivers per category move on to the pre-final round. Of the remaining 44 drivers, the top 34 are selected to compete in the second chance heat race, for a ‘second chance’ to move into Saturday’s pre-final race. The top six finishers of the second chance race are permitted to advance to the pre-final round and will start as the last six drivers of the pre-final starting grid.
125 Junior MAX Heat Race- Group A + D
What a spectacular race! The 125 Junior MAX heat A + D was action-packed from the beginning to the end of the seven-lap race. The audience’s eyes were peeled to the screen from lap 1 to lap 7 – the passing was as tactfully planned out, aggressive, and determined as ever before, and drivers began blocking about two or three laps before the last lap of the race, and not the last two corners before the checkered flag, as is usual. The pole sitter, Roope Ropanen, fell back down the order, but skillfully made his way back up to the top two positions. However, within one lap,
Ropanen fell back down to fifth place. During this race, one never knew who would finish in first, as the top six drivers battled until the checkered flag. Harrison Thomas from the United Kingdom had to block the entire last lap, as Jack McCarthy and Dylan Drysdale were lined up bumper-to-bumper behind Thomas. Just before the checkered flag, McCarthy pulled out of Thomas’ draft in an effort to pass the UK driver, but did not succeed, finishing just four one-hundredths of a second behind Thomas. Drysdale finished a very close one-tenth behind McCarthy. The Australian Reece Sidebottom posted the fastest lap time with a 1.01.737. This is the essence of the RMCGF – having so many drivers within just two or three tenths of another!
125 Junior MAX Heat Race – Group B + C
The 125 Junior MAX B + C heat race saw aggressive battles among the top ten positions. Scott Symons of the United Kingdom and Jules Bollier of France battled intensively for first place for the full duration of the seven-lap race. Like the previous Junior MAX race, one could not take eyes off of the action, in fear of missing an important and defining pass of the race. Symons truly impressed the crowd, as he held the lead for the majority of the race. Although the last lap is typically where the most aggressive and daring passes take place, Symons kept his cool. The UK driver dealt with a tightly-knit pack of approximately 10 drivers behind him, yet he expertly blocked at every major passing zone. It did seem like Bollier was going to stick a pass, but pulled back last minute. Ultimately, it was Symons who won the race by two-tenths of a second over Bollier who finished in second place, and Dean Macdonald of the United Kingdom rounded out the top three with a gap of 1.1 seconds to Symons. However, we want to say congratulations to all Junior MAX drivers, as they have successfully completed the heat qualifier races. What a great effort put in by mechanics and drivers!
125 Junior MAX Second Chance Race
Predictably, the start of the Junior MAX second chance race saw extreme action – just like the previous heats. The second chance heat race proved to be a very thrilling race for the top six positions – and the action didn’t end until the finish of the race. The top 6 finalists changed lap after lap, but ultimately, it was the American Michael Michoff who finished in first, followed closely by second placed Hibiki Taira of Japan, Karl Leesmaa of Estonia finished in third place – nine-hundredths of a second behind Taira, the Australian Reece Sidebottom finished in fourth with a one-tenth gap behind Leesmaa, Matias Fernandez of Argentina finished in fifth with a five-tenth gap to Sidebottom, and Jules Bollier of France rounded out the top six. These six racers will advance to the pre-finals tomorrow – congratulations!
125 MAX Heat Race- Group A + D
The senior A+D heat saw a clean start and an ensuing five-way battle for the lead. The top five drivers separated from the rest of the pack, finishing a relatively clean race – unlike the previous two Junior heat races. Nevertheless, Ed Brand was able to pull out a relatively comfortable lead over the Turkish pole sitter, Berkay Besler by two-tenths of a second. The Swiss driver, Giuliano Cucciolillo rounded out the top three, about five-tenths of a second behind Brand. Silvano Christian of Indonesia posted the fastest lap time with a 1.00.196.
125 MAX Heat Race- Group B + C
The 125 MAX B+C race saw an intensive and ongoing battle between the two fastest drivers, ALEX of Italy and and the German Christopher Dreyspring. Ultimately, it was the Italian ALEX who solidly placed his kart in first. Dreyspring followed closely behind, by about three–tenths of a second and posted the fastest lap time of the race with a 1.00.701. Bruno Borlido of Portugal rounded out the top three positions, with about 1.6 seconds behind Dreyspring.
125 MAX Second Chance Race
After about the first three laps of the race, the top four drivers had a clear lead and were safely on their way to advance into the pre-finals. Ultimately, Joao Rosate of Brazil finished in first place, Dave Blom finished in second place, with a one-tenth gap to Rosate, the American Matt Solarczyk finished in third place with one-tenth back to Blom, Silvano Christian from Indonesia finished in fourth, a second behind Solarczyk, Shane Daly of Ireland finished in fifth place, and Jakub Kadlcak from the Czech Republic rounded out the top 6, with a nine-tenth gap behind Daly.
125 MAX DD2 Masters Heat Race- Group A + D
Without surprise, the DD2 Masters promised intensive action at the start of the race so much so that a crash occurred on the front straight! However, it was the pole sitter, Derek Wang, who lead the field into turn one with Fernando Guzzi and Antti Ollikainen following close behind. Wang was able to pull a gap of a few tenths of a second on Guzzi until about halfway of the race. Then, Guzzi’s kart settled into rhythm and the Brazilian caught up to the American. However, Antti took advantage of a passing opportunity and settled in second place. Antti then reeled in Wang, and in the last lap attempted to pass him, leaving the door open for Guzzi to dive in and reclaim second place. Ultimately, Wang finished in first with a four-tenths of a second gap over Guzzi. Ollikainen finished in third, just one one-hundredth of a second behind Guzzi. The Portuguese Miguel Moura, finishing in eighth, posted the fastest lap time with a 59.353. What an exciting, clean race!
125 MAX DD2 Masters Heat Race- Group B + C
The South African, Michael Stephen, pulled away from the pack relatively quickly and easily. The action, however, was between the second placed Ryan Urban of New Zealand and Tomokazu Kawase of Japan. Urban was leading Kawase for about halfway through the race. However, Kawase steadily caught up to Urban, and ultimately made a clean and fair pass on the New Zealander. After an intense bumper to bumper battle, urban reclaimed his position to ultimately finish in second place, half a second behind Stephen. The Kawase rounded out the top 3, just one-tenth of a second behind Urban.
125 MAX DD2 Masters Second Chance Race
The field saw intensive battles, as the top six drivers fought hard to be able to advance into the pre-final round. It was Horacio Torres who first lead the 9 lap race however, Miguel Moura soon overtook Torres to take over the lead. Moura immediately pulled away, gaining a half-second gap over Torres, who later on fell back to fifth. However, that was not the end to this exciting race. It was the Japanese driver Tomokazu Kawase who caught up to second place and soon passed Moura in lap 8, giving Kawase the lead over the DD2 Masters pack. Meanwhile, behind Moura, Lajos Locskai, Primoz Matelic and the Canadian Stuart Clark followed closely. The end of the race saw Kawase win with a gap of eight-tenths over Moura from Portugal, the Hungarian Lajos Locskai finished in third, Primoz Matelic of Slovenia came in fourth, the Chilean Torres in fifth, and Clark rounded out the top six.
125 MAX DD2 Heat Race- Group A + D
Ferenc Kancsar once again blasted ahead of the field with a great start. However, the Swede, Andreas Backman caught up to the Hungarian leader. The two began battling, working together to push each other down the front straight to get away from the rest of the field. However, the Polish driver, Lukasz Bartoszuk, slowly reeled the leading two pilots in. In a swift passing manoeuver, Kancsar reclaimed his first place from Backman, and proceeded to lead the race to the checkered flag, winning over Backman by three-tenths of a second. Bartoszuk tried to make a last attempt in passing Backman, but remained in third place by just seven-hundredths of a second behind the Swede. The Austrian Constantin Schoell, finishing in 23, posted the fastest lap time of the race with a 59.002.
125 MAX DD2 Heat Race- Group B + C
The last DD2 race saw Luke Varley, who started in first place, take the lead from the start of the race until the checkered flag. Varley’s consistent times gave him the chance to pull out a 1.8 second gap over the second placed Martins Steinerts of Latvia. Bradley Liebenberg of South Africa fought close and hard with Steinerts but ultimately finished in third place, with just a one-tenth of a second gap to second place. Karol Jurmanowicz of Poland, finishing in 8, posted the fastest lap time of a 59.239
125 MAX DD2 Second Chance
It was Lorenzo Van Riet of the Netherlands who finished in first, followed by one of two girls in the DD2 class – the Italian Natalia Balbo – who finished with less than a three-tenth gap behind Van Riet, followed by the former F1 driver Rubens Barrichello, who was two-tenths behind Balbo, the Australian Jason Pringle finished in fourth just eight-hundredths of a second behind Barrichello, another Australian Troy Woolston finished in fifth, and the Canadian Fred Woodley rounded out the top six finishers of this year’s second chance DD2 race. It was an extremely thrilling race to watch – from beginning to end, as these international DD2 competitors gave it their all!
Micro MAX Qualifying / Heat Race
The Micro MAX class proved to be extremely competitive, as the top two drivers were separated by only three one-thousandths of a second! Nico Lavery placed his kart on pole position, posting a fast lap time of a 1.10.239. Santi Vallve finished in second place with his fastest time being a 1.10.242, and Felix Aparicio rounded out the top 3, with a 1.10.242. The top three qualifiers were all from Spain.
The Micro MAX heat race was as competitive as the qualifying round. In fact, the top 3 competitors were separated by just six-hundredths of a second! Racing can’t get any closer than that. The top seven positions were all claimed by Spanish drivers. Nico Lavery of Spain ultimately saw the checkered flag first, winning the race by just over one one-hundredth of a second ahead of the second placed Juan Martinez. Tomas Pintos rounded out the top 3, finishing just four-hundredths behind Martinez and six-hundredths behind Lavery. What a picture-perfect finish!
Mini MAX Qualifying / Heat Race
Similar to Micro MAX qualifying, just one-tenth of a second separated the top three Mini MAX drivers. Carles Martinez of Spain drove his kart on pole position, with a 1.04.742, while Piotr Wisnicki of Poland qualified in second place, just nine-hundredths of a second behind Martinez, and Antonio Correia of Portugal rounded out the top 3, eleven-thousandths of a second behind Wisnicki.
The start of the heat race saw Martinez take the lead early on, with Wisnicki and Correia following close behind. However, Quique Bordas in second and Lucas Sanchez in third, soon caught up to Martinez, putting pressure on the fast Spaniard. Come the checkered flag on lap 7, the order of the top three competitors did not change, and Martinez was pronounced the winner, with a nine-hundredths gap over Bordas and a five-tenths gap over Sanchez.
Final day of the Rotax World finals.
Here are the results of this final day with the finals for each class being disputed.
DD2 senior half way thru the race Tyler Kashak form Canada up to 4 th and Rubens Barrichello up to 10th
1 lap to go Kashak to 6th and Barrichello up to 4th
Barrichello Getting to the final today thru the last chance racing yesterday driving to superb 4th place , getting out of the kart you can see he ecstatic and thanks the support he has had in his own language .
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