One of the most prestigious events in the world of karting is set to take place. The 2024 Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals is scheduled for October 19-26 at the Circuito Internazionale di Napoli in Sarno, Italy. A total of 392 drivers from over 50 countries around the world will converge on the Sarno, Italy facility to compete in the eight categories for the event’s 24th edition, celebrating 25 years of Rotax Max Challenge racing.

Circuito Internazionale di Napoli in Sarno, Italy

Six of the eight divisions include the standard Rotax Max Challenge categories – Senior MAX, Junior MAX, DD2, DD2 Masters, Mini MAX, and Micro MAX. The E20 Senior electric division returns for a third straight year, with the E20 Masters back for a second time in event history. A special E10 E-Kart Cup will be held on Saturday as well. A total of three manufacturers representing five brands will serve as the chassis partners with each division featuring a spec chassis: Birel ART (Mini MAX, DD2), Charles Leclerc (DD2 Masters), Sodi Kart (Senior MAX, E20 Senior, E20 Masters), Praga (Junior MAX), and Formula K (Micro MAX).

The Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals is making its third visit to Sarno after hosting the event in 2016 and 2019. The facility is open on Friday, October 18 to competitors and continues with sporting checks and registration on Saturday, October 19. Sunday is picture day, as all the karts set to compete will be staged on the front straight for the most popular photo of the season before each are handed out to their respective driver in the kart raffle. Once handed out, the competitors and their teams will prepare their machines for five days of action.

On-track sessions begin on Monday with three full rounds of practice for all eight categories. Three more practice sessions for all divisions on Tuesday, October 22 before E20 Senior, E20 Masters, Micro MAX, Mini MAX and DD2 Masters contest their qualifying sessions at the end of the day. A seventh practice session for the remaining categories along with warm-up for those that qualified begin the action on Wednesday. Junior MAX, Senior MAX and DD2 contest their qualifying sessions next before all classes battle in their first round of heat races. Thursday, October 24 hosts the second round of heat races with Junior Max, Senior MAX, DD2 and Mini MAX contest their third round of heats. Friday is reserved for warm-up and all Prefinal races. Those categories with 72 drivers will split the fields into two Prefinals. The final points will be tabulated to set the grids for the main events on Saturday, October 26 with the top 36 drivers starting in each category.

A total of 14 drivers will represent Team USA in Sarno, Italy for the 2024 Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in seven of the eight categories. It is at Sarno that USA driver Diego LaRoque won the first ever Micro MAX main event at the RMCGF. The roster is a mix of veterans and first-time competitors, all with the focus of reaching the main event to perform their best with the Red, White and Blue colors.

EKN will publish daily reports from the RMCGF each day, along with a breakdown of the results for each of the drivers on Team USA.

Be sure to follow CanadianKartingNews.com to follow the action of Team Canada.

Event Information

Time Schedule

2016 Rotax Grand Finals Coverage

2019 Rotax Grand Finals – Saturday Report

DD2 – Birel ART (72 Drivers)

#404 – Cooper O’Clair

(Photo: RaceRotax)

Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona
Qualified: US Trophy West Champion
RMCGF Appearances: 3 – 2021, 2022 (Junior Max), 2023 (Senior Max)

“The Rotax Grand Finals are always that event you look forward to all year. This year I have the DD2 ticket so it should be a new challenge as I feel pretty familiar in Senior MAX. I sort of wish I could go put a Senior MAX result down considering I’ve had the speed but struggled to put it together the last three years, but I enjoy the way the DD2 drives and feel confident.”

Team Canada

Gianluca Savaglio
Ludovic Sabourin
Olivier Bedard
Lucas Pernod
Griffin Dowler
Arnaud Sabourin

DD2 Masters – Charles Leclerc (36 Drivers)

#503 – John Bonanno

(Photo: RaceRotax.com)

Hometown: West Deptford, New Jersey
Qualified: US Trophy East (Masters MAX Champion)
RMCGF Appearances: 2 – 2018, 2021

“Thrilled to be heading back to the unofficial Olympics of karting and a race that should be on every single drivers bucket list.  I’m excited to head to Italy and unlike the other two Rotax Grand Finals I competed in, I have my wife, kids and parents all coming over which will be cool to share that experience with them. My mechanic is my good friend and fellow teammate Chris McGinley. Laurentiu Mardan and I have built a good friendship over the last few years and I am pumped for him to qualify and to work with him and his wrench Stepanova Nekeel this year. We stole a Brit on the team so hopefully Oliver brought some of their pace with him to share with Team USA. I saw Dalton Hanes doing some hand-stand pushups on social media, clearly he’s fired up and ready. It should be a fantastic event, as Rotax always does a first class job and hopefully we have a great team result”

#528 – Laurentiu Mardan

(Photo: RaceRotax.com)

Hometown: Arlington Heights, Illinois
Qualified: US Trophy Final Winner
RMCGF Appearances: 0

“I’m super excited to finally be able to be part of Team USA for the Rotax Grand Finals! I worked super hard all these past years to achieve this and I’m very proud it finally happen. I had the chance to do a few test days with Oliver Hodgson and Cooper O’Clair in Phoenix, and we feel very good about this RMCGF. GO TEAM USA!”

Team Canada

David LaPlante
Marc-Andre Levesque
Jared Freeston

E20 Senior – Sodi Kart (18 Drivers)

#615 – Patrick Ronveaux-Tordion

Hometown: N/A
RMCGF Appearances: 0

Junior MAX – Praga (72 Drivers)

#213 – Davin Roberts

(Photo: RaceRotax.com)

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina
Qualified: US Trophy Final Winner
RMCGF Appearances: 0

“I’m honored to be a part of Team USA, representing my country in the most prestigious Rotax karting event in the world!”

#216 – Gage Korn

(Photo: RaceRotax.com)

Hometown: Aurora, Colorado
Qualified: US Trophy West Champion
RMCGF Appearances: 3 – 2021, 2022, 2023 (Mini)

“I am very excited to represent the United States at the Grand Finals for the fourth year in a row. I’m pumped to compete in the Junior category for the first time this year. I feel the most prepared this year after all the testing done at Colorado Karting Circuit. It’s nice to see the kid I’ve been working with (Cam Becker) make the team and be able to share this experience with me.  The support that I have received over the last few years has been a huge key to repeated success. I want to give a huge shout out to Race Liberante for all the hard work and dedication he’s put into my career and the Rotax program to make this possible.”

Team Canada

Antoine Lemieux
Ty Fisher
Cole Medeiros
Pearce Wade
Nathan DuPuis

Micro MAX – Formula K (36 Drivers)

#3 – Cameron Becker

(Photo: RaceRotax.com)

Hometown: Englewood, Colorado
Qualified: US Trophy Final Winner
RMCGF Appearances: 0

“I’ve been working hard and racing to win this ticket for two years. I’m excited to be racing with my friends at Team USA.”

#6 – Yutaka Sonoda

(Photo: CanadianKartingNews.com)

Hometown: Tri Cities, Washington
Qualified: Canada Final Winner
RMCGF Appearances: 0

Mini MAX – Birel ART (72 Drivers)

#104 – William Vetor

(Photo: RaceRotax.com)

Hometown: Zionsville, Indiana
Qualified: US Trophy Final Runner-Up
RMCGF Appearances: 0

“It’s an honor to represent Team USA and I could have never imagined doing so when I first sat in my kart a little more than two years ago. It’s such a high standard with so many great Mini drivers in the US and I’m excited to represent them as well as my country. The thing I’m most excited for at RMCGF is seeing so many drivers from all of the world in one location. Seeing what every country has to offer makes it really unique.  I’m not even sure what to expect when I arrive in Sarno, but I’m pumped drive.”

#107 – Enzo DiGennaro

(Photo: RaceRotax.com)

Hometown: Poughkeepsie, NY
Qualified: US Trophy East Champion
RMCGF Appearances: 0

“I’m really excited for my first Rotax Grand Finals! Looking forward to racing the best Rotax drivers from all around the world.”

#108 – Jaxon Porter

(Photo: RaceRotax.com)

Hometown: Scottsdale, Arizona
Qualified: US Trophy West Champion
RMCGF Appearances: 0

“It’s been years in the making! I’ve won the ticket to the RMCGF in previous years but have never been able to make it. I am very excited, and it brings me great pride in representing our country on Team USA. We’ve been racing a lot this year in a few different styles of racing, but I hear there is nothing like the Rotax Grand Finals and look forward to putting my head down and getting the job done. I am very grateful for this opportunity to get to do what I love, and that’s racing. It takes a team and a lot of dedication from myself, our family, and support from my sponsors. I know this going in and am ready to prove our drive on the world stage. Thank you for all the love and support, I look forward to bringing it home for Team USA.”

Team Canada

Alexis Baillargeon
Christian Sanguinetti
Jeremy St-Cyr
Massimo Lorusso
Leo DaSilva

Senior MAX – Sodi Kart (72 Drivers)

#305 – Wesley Gundler

(Photo: RaceRotax.com)

Hometown: Holly Springs, North Carolina
Qualified: US Trophy East Champion
RMCGF Appearances: 0

“I’m honored to represent Team USA this year and to be racing the Rotax Grand Finals for the first time. This event will feature some of the best drivers in the world and I’m very excited to compete with them. Running a new track and on equipment I’ve never raced will demand a quick learning curve on my part, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

#307 – Oliver Hodgson

(Photo: RaceRotax.com)

Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona
Qualified: Canada Open
RMCGF Appearances: 3 – 2012, 2013, 2023 (Team GBR)
Wins: Senior MAX (2013)

“I’m excited to return to the RMCGF event, which is designed to focus on the drivers ability alone. Having come so close to earning my second RMCGF title in 2023, I am extremely motivated this year to win the Senior category in my 30’s. I am putting on the Team USA suit to be more united with the community of drivers in America, where I coach and train all year round.”

#313 – Dalton Hanes

(Photo: RaceRotax.com)

Hometown: Greensboro, North Carolina
Qualified: US Trophy Final Runner-Up
RMCGF Appearances: 0

“It is a mega opportunity to be able to compete for Team USA at the Rotax Grand Finals. Personally, I have never been out of the US so I am extremely excited to try some different food and then hop in the Sodi Kart and get to work to do what I do best.”

Team Canada

Timothe Pernod
Mark Newson

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