2025 Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals – Team USA – Preview
The 2025 Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals is scheduled for November 29 – December 6 at the Bahrain International Karting Circuit. Nearly 400 drivers from over 50 countries will compete in eight categories for the 25th edition of the world event which began in 2000.
Bahrain International Karting Circuit
Six of the eight categories include the standard Rotax Max Challenge divisions – Senior MAX, DD2, Junior MAX, DD2 Masters, Mini MAX, and Micro MAX – featuring 360 drivers from around the world. The E20 Senior and E20 Masters classes are returning for the 2025 RMC Grand Finals. A total of three manufacturers serve as the chassis partners with each division featuring a spec chassis: Birelart (Micro MAX, DD2, DD2 Masters), Praga (Mini MAX, Junior MAX), and Sodi Kart (Senior MAX, E20 Senior, E20 Masters).
2025 Rotax Grand Finals Team USA suits
The Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals is making its third visit to the Bahrain facility after hosting the event in 2021 and 2023. The event begins on Sunday, November 30 when each country takes their team photo in front of nearly 400 karts before they are all raffled throughout the day. The day ends with a welcome party prior to the first on track sessions beginning on Monday, December 1. Each category takes on two rounds of practice with Micro and Mini receiving three. Action shifts on Tuesday with the final rounds of the five practice sessions for each division, with the schedule beginning at 1pm and going into the night under the Bahrain lights. Wednesday begins at 10am local time with the warm-up for all categories before going into the qualifying sessions. A short break and the first round of heat races are contested into the night, wrapping up around 8pm local time. Thursday begins an hour earlier at 9am local with warm-up before hitting the second round of heat races and rolling into the third round of heats that wrap up at 7pm local time. Micro MAX and the E20 divisions only run two rounds of heat races. Friday is a later start again, with warm-up sessions starting at Noon local time. Each category runs their Prefinal races to finalize the grids for the main events on Saturday.
A total of nine drivers will represent Team USA in Bahrain for the 2025 Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in six of the eight categories competing. In the previous two outings in Bahrain, Team USA has a best result of sixth place put in both times by Derek Wang in the DD2 Masters division. It is also site of a provisional win by Team USA driver Lucas Palacio (Micro MAX), as well as then Team GBR driver Oliver Hodgson (Senior MAX). Both were removed from the results for a technical infraction with their engine.
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.
DD2 – Birelart (72 Drivers)
#467 – Pauly Massimino
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina
Qualified: RMC US Trophy Final Runner-Up (Senior MAX)
RMC Grand Finals Appearances: 0
“I am very grateful for this opportunity to go represent Team USA. Hopefully, we can go and do well and show what Team USA can do against the world. I did a little bit of testing in the DD2, but this will be my first time racing in the category. It will also be my first time racing overseas, but I have a great group behind me with Brandon Jarsocrak on the wrenches. We are excited and ready.”
#466 – Macy Williams
Hometown: Littleton, Colorado
Qualified: Max Karting Group Canada Final Winner
RMC Grand Finals Appearances: 1 – 2021 (Senior MAX)
“It’s an absolute honor to partake in the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in Bahrain this year on Team USA. It’s going to be a fun one this year for my first time running DD2 at the RMC Grand Finals, previously I ran in the Senior MAX class in 2021 also in Bahrain. I’m looking forward to getting on track.”
Team Canada:
#450 – Matthew Taskinen
#456 – Lucas Pernod
#457 – Lucas Nanji
#458 – Gianluca Savaglio
Senior MAX – Sodi Kart (72 Drivers)
#367 – Oliver Hodgson
Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona
Qualified: RMC US Trophy Final Winner
RMC Grand Finals Appearances: 4 – 2012, 2013, 2023 (Team GBR), 2024 (Team USA)
Wins: Senior MAX (2013)
“This is my favorite event on the calendar, racing the best Rotax drivers in the world on equal equipment. I am gunning to win a second Rotax Grand Finals title in my 30’s. I feel proud to represent the country where I race and coach for 51 weeks of the year.”
#366 – Cooper O’Clair
Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona
Qualified: RMC USA West Champion
RMC Grand Finals Appearances: 4 – 2021, 2022 (Junior MAX), 2023 (Senior MAX), 2024 (DD2)
“With this being my fifth time, I don’t think it’s any secret getting to this race is the goal every year. It never fails to have that ‘wow’ factor from the moment you get the suit with your country on it in the mail to the moment you show up at the racetrack. That aside, I’ve shown some really good speed around Bahrain, the focus this year is putting it all together the right way. We do races in the USA that have the same dynamic of large of fields but the difference is that everyone here is each driver had to earn their way. This race takes absolute perfection to lay down a good result.”
#347 – Charlie Smith
Hometown: Orange County, California
Qualified: BNL Karting Series Championship – Fourth Place
RMC Grand Finals Appearances: 0
“It’s a great honor and privilege to represent my country and being at one of the biggest events in the world. I’m very excited to drive on Bahrain track. I’ve heard nothing but good things about it. We’ll get to work right away when we arrive and see what the week brings.”
Team Canada:
#361 – Ayden Ingratta
#362 – Ryan Maxwell
#363 – Olivier Mrak
DD2 Masters – Birelart (36 Drivers)
#535 – Christopher Mann
Hometown: Vancouver, Washington
Qualified: RMC USA West – Third Place
RMC Grand Finals Appearances: 0
“Being selected for Team USA means the world to me — my wife and family can confirm I’ve been literally jumping for joy. The journey to get here pushed me to race against some of the best drivers anywhere, and that makes this moment even more surreal. It’s an honor to represent the United States alongside racers who’ve been nothing but supportive. I love this community, and their encouragement motivates me to push even harder. The Rotax Grand Finals have always been a bucket-list goal and reaching it feels like a pinnacle achievement.”
Team Canada:
#531 – Sebastien Bernier
#532 – Noel Dowler
Junior MAX – Praga (72 Drivers)
#212 – Davin Roberts
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina
Qualified: Rotax Winter Trophy Champion
RMC Grand Finals Appearances: 1 – 2024 (Junior MAX)
“I’m exited to be heading to Bahrain. I am honored to be on Team USA for a second year in a row. The track looks more like a roller coaster and much smoother surface than Sarno.”
Team Canada:
#256 – Rayan Ghandour
#258 – Leonardo Serravalle
#260 – Jeremy St-Cyr
#261 – Cole Medeiros
#270 – Alexis Baillargeon
Mini MAX – Praga (72 Drivers)
#136 – Enzo DiGennaro
Hometown: Poughkeepsie, New York
Qualified: Rotax Winter Trophy Champion
RMC Grand Finals Appearances: 1 – 2024 (Mini MAX)
“I’m very excited to get back out to the Rotax Grand Finals. This is the race I’ve been looking forward to the most since competing in last year’s RMC Grand Finals and earning the ticket early on at the start of 2025. I have never been to the Bahrain circuit, but a lot of people who have told me it’s one of the best in the world. It looks fast and should be fun.”
Team Canada:
#156 – Christian Sanguinetti
#157 – Mateo Pai
#158 – Nicholas Lorusso
#159 – Heston Jeffery
Micro MAX – Team Canada:
#30 – Oliver Aupry
#31 – Jack Klym
#32 – Jayden Francisco
E20 Senior – Sodi Kart (19 Drivers)
#609 – Ellis Spiezia
Hometown: Hoboken, New Jersey
RMC Grand Finals Appearances: 1 – 2021 (E20)
“Returning to the USA this year after racing in Europe for four years, I’m extra excited to rep Team USA once again at the Rotax Grand Finals in Bahrain. This time, as an official ambassador for Can-Am and the Pulse electric motorcycle, I’m showing a true race-to-road journey, with the Project E20 powertrain being the prototype for the Pulse. I’m gonna show everyone here that Americans can do way more than go fast and turn left sometimes. Let’s put it on the top step and show them what Red White and Blue can do.”
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