For the international Rotax elite, things are finally getting underway this coming weekend. The opening event of the Rotax MAX Challenge Euro Trophy is in the starting blocks and promises plenty of excitement in advance for the start of the 2023 racing season. More than 200 drivers have signed up for the first round of the top-class championship and will be fighting for the first points of the year in the coming days.
Almost traditionally, the RMC Euro Trophy will be held in Genk, Belgium, at the start of the season. With its 1,360 meters of asphalt, Karting Genk ‘Home of Champions’ provides perfect conditions for an eventful start to the championship duels at the highest level. The stop in Belgium marks the first of a total of four events on this year’s agenda. The second race will take place at the end of May in Val d’Argenton, France. The second half of the season will then begin in July in Mariembourg, Belgium, before the finale takes place for the first time at the PF International Circuit in England.
The season is therefore a challenging one and is additionally fueled by the drivers’ goal of winning the coveted tickets for the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals. A total of ten tickets will be available for the most successful participants at the end. Additional tickets for the 2023 RMCGF will be awarded in the Rotax Project E20 Senior and E20 Senior Masters categories for the champions in the two-round series (Genk and PFI). Meanwhile, the Mini MAX drivers will compete over three weekends of the season (Genk, Mariembourg and PFI). The winners of the rounds in Genk and Mariembourg will also get the chance to participate with free entry in the Rotax MAX Challenge International Trophy in Le Mans at the end of July.
The range of Rotax categories at the start of the season in Genk thus extends from Mini MAX, Junior MAX and Senior MAX to DD2 and DD2 Masters. The spearhead is represented as usual by the Senior field – with just under 80 starters, where the places are completely booked up. In addition, the Rotax Project E20 electric karts will provide plenty of variety on the track. Here, the competitors duel it out in the Junior, Senior and newly-introduced E20 Senior Masters classifications.
The numerous kart drivers will start in the first free practice sessions on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday will then see the timed practice sessions for the individual categories. The weekend will then be dominated by the heats, from which the best drivers will emerge at the end for the finals on Sunday. The events can be followed from home via live timing and live stream at www.rotaxmaxchallenge-eurotrophy.com and also via the Rotax Global App (free download from the App Store or Google Play). In addition, all the latest news from the weekend can be seen on the social media channels via the hashtag #rotaxmaxeurotrophy.
Info BRP-Rotax / Photo © Nina Megger