Paddock Insider: 2025 Race Rotax RMC USA West
(Photo: Cody Schindel - CKN)
EKN’s Paddock Insider is part of our Trackside coverage, bringing you notes, updates and breaking news as it happens. The article will feature notes from trackside at the 2025 Race Rotax RMC USA West held at the Phoenix Kart Racing Association in Glendale, Arizona. This is insider info will not be seen anywhere else.
Nearly 100 Drivers Battling for Six Rotax Grand Finals Tickets
Drivers from USA, Canada, Mexico and UAE competing this weekend at PKRA (Photo: EKN)
A beautiful day to start out the 2025 Race Rotax RMC USA West event at the Phoenix Kart Racing Association. The one-off style event features a full day of practice today, beginning at 2pm local time and running into the night hours. Saturday features the first round of racing before a second round is contested on Sunday. The combination of the two rounds will determine the overall event winner, with the six winners awarded tickets to the 2025 Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals set for this December in Bahrain. Nearly 100 drivers will compete in the six categories, featuring 35 from Canada with a handful of other drivers representing Mexico and the UAE.
What is a DD2?
Rotax DD2 engine (Photo: EKN)
The headline division in the world of Rotax Max Challenge is the DD2 category. In countries around the world, and especially at the Rotax Grand Finals each year, the ‘best of the best’ drivers compete in the DD2 class. What is a DD2? The engine is a chainless, two-speed Rotax gearbox engine with shift paddles. It was originally launched around the spec RM1 package that included the Sodi Kart chassis. The category evolved into the DD2 class, welcoming all manufacturers. The unique chassis does not require a right rear cassette hanger, with the axle going through the engine. In the past here in the USA, shifterkart drivers would move over from the six speed categories to the two-speed Rotax power, in an attempt to win at the US Rotax Grand Nationals and race at the Rotax Grand Finals. USA has stood on the podium four times at the RMCGF, as best finish of runner-up by Joey Wimsett in 2013 at the NOLA Motorsports Park for the lone event held on USA soil.
Here is a description of the DD2 from the voice of Rotax Henry Beaudette and Team Canada member Matthew Taskinen.
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Double Duty for Macy Williams
Macy Williams running double duty this weekend at PKRA (Photo: EKN)
2021 Team USA member Macy Williams is the lone driver doing double duty at the 2025 RMC USA West event. The driver from Colorado is racing both DD2 and Senior MAX at PKRA. It’s not the first time racing both classes in the same weekend, having done so at the Max Karting Group events in Canada. Williams raced at the 2021 Rotax Grand Finals in Bahrain in the Senior MAX division. She’s nearly won a ticket back multiple times since, vying for both here this weekend. Talking with Williams, who has raced single speed, ROK Shifter and KZ platforms, says there is not much difference jumping from one to the other, aside from the full brake system on the DD2 machine. Macy said the jump from single-speed to a six-speed shifter is a bigger difference. Williams is coming off a near podium result at the recent Challenge of the Americas event in Tucson, and is working with former Rotax Grand Finals MOJO Tire Changing Champion Wesley Boswell this weekend under the CB Motorsports tent. Boswell – the 2003 SKUSA SuperNationals SuperPro winner – attended many RMCGF events as a mechanic for several drivers, earning five victories in the tire changing contest.
Factory Karts FZ Demos at PKRA
Five-time SuperNationals winner Billy Musgrave talking with Cadet driver before hitting the track in the FZ65 (Photo: EKN)
This weekend, Factory Karts is providing demo rids in their spec Factory Karts FZ packages during the RMC USA West event. Now located in the Phoenix, Arizona area, Factory Karts continues to introduce karters to their new grassroots shifterkart platform. The FZ65 for Cadets, FZ85 for Juniors and the FZ125 for Seniors were sampled over Friday and Saturday morning by racers, mechanics, dads and those in attendance. Many of the Micro and Mini drivers enjoyed both days, getting introduced to shifter around the same circuit they are racing the Rotax machines for a chance at the Rotax Grand Finals. The feedback was similar by all who sampled, fun, thrilling and fast. The platform will be offered as categories at the 2025 ProKart Challenge along the west coast as well as the new Southwest Super Series in southern California.
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