2023 US Trophy East Series Concludes
August 17, 2023
J3 Competition concluded its 2023 Rotax Trophy East series this past weekend by returning competitive Rotax competition to New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey. Following exciting Rounds 1 and 2 in Wampum, PA at Pitt Race Complex the series witnessed a few first-time weekend final winners along with awarding the top three in each category with the championship podium and award packages. Competitors who competed in the entire Trophy East series will now be qualified to compete for a ‘Reserved’ RMC Grand Final ticket alongside ‘Open’ RMC Grand Final ticket(s) at the US Trophy Final event held later this year in September at New Castle Motorsports Park.
“New Jersey proved yet again that it is one of the finest and most challenging facilities in the United States. Returning the Rotax program to the NJMP facility did not disappoint in any fashion as the final rounds were some of the most competitive events we’ve had to date in the Trophy East series with photo finishes in multiple categories. As we awarded our deserving competitors on Sunday, we thank everyone who participated in the Trophy East series, stay tuned as we are already nearing completion of the exciting 2024 Trophy East program announcement.” – Justin Stefani
Junior MAX
The MAX Jr category was witness to an intense four-way battle each day in addition to tighter competition throughout the entirety of the field during the weekend. The weekend started off with championship points leader Antoine Lemieux as the one to beat, however, several drivers jumped in close competition with Wesley Gundler, Cole Wilson, Ben Hernandez, and several others upping their speed to challenge at the NJMP facility. After an intense set of heat races, Wesley Gundler was able to capitalize with the final victory on Saturday and he was followed by Antonie Lemieux in second, and Cole Wilson in third place. Sunday’s action mixed up as the track added a chicane and removed a chicane and providing for an intense final. Unfortunately, Hernandez and Wilson collided during the early stages of the final which gave way to a repeat win by Wesley Gundler followed by Antoine Lemieux with Federique Lemieux taking third place! The overall weekend podium saw Gundler on top followed in second by Lemeiux and young Sebastian Rist was rewarded third place with his strong consistency.
Top three championship winners were: Wesley Gundler (156) | Antoine Lemieux (154) | Ben Hernandez (132)
Senior MAX
The Senior Max category lost a few entries for the final rounds due to scheduling conflicts and some drivers returning to college, however the class was able to pick up a few new participants to add to the mix. On Saturday the action proved to be electric, after a couple of great heats which saw usual suspects Aidan Lourenco and Yash Rampal battle Rotax newcomer Ryan Raffa. The final was a three-way battle with Ryan Raffa getting a push from Aidan Lourenco for a marginal win over Yash Rampal.
Sunday witnessed a similar trio battling for the final top spot with Rampal being able inverse the finish with Lourenco taking third while young talents Ben Gaunt, Anthony Prior and Chris Harrower put on a show for the final top five positions. The final podium was Ryan Raffa in first, Rampal second and Lourenco in third.
Top three championship winners were: Aidan Lourenco (119) | Yash Rampal (115) | Ryan Raffa (84)
Masters MAX
Nearly all the northeast Masters MAX drivers showed out in New Jersey to take on the fast and flowing circuit. There was constant action across the fifteen-driver field providing perfect competition for the driver categorized by competitors over 32 years old mark. On Saturday, John Bonanno was tough to beat with Vincent Carey and Alex Gelcius keeping Bonanno honest in the heat races. There was a shift Sunday with Vincent Carey taking pole position over Bonanno creating some exciting heat races with Gelcius and Sparacio coming into the mix. Sunday’s final settled and Bonanno proved flawless in his drive followed by Carey and Gelcius rounding out the top three while Chris McGinley and Ray Banach battled intently for the final top five with McGinley besting Banach. The final podium was Bonanno in first, Carey second and McGinley in third.
Top three championship winners were: John Bonanno (172) | Ray Banach (126) | Chris McGinley (117)
Mini / Micro MAX
Continuing to compete as one category in the Trophy East series the Micro and Mini drivers all utilizing the Mini Max engine kit continued close racing for the top spot as throughout the entirety of the group. Saturday’s final was a close two-way fight between Antoine Lemieux and Marco Sammut with Edward Kennedy coming home in third. Sunday was a repeat of Saturday with Sammut challenging Lemieux to the checkered with Lemieux taking the victory. In the Micro category Enzo DiGennaro took the win both days with Holden Myers close in tow as he becomes more accustomed to his Rotax Mini package. The duo was joined by George Ziminski who proved that the Rotax package is the correct and competitive package for newcomers to the sport.
Top three Mini championship winners were: Antoine Lemieux (180) | Ed Kennedy (134) | Marco Sammut (132)
Top three Micro championship winners were: Enzo DiGennaro (179) | Holden Myers (145) | George Ziminiski (70)
Next Up:
US Trophy Final
*12 Grand Final Tickets Available: New Castle Motorsports Park | September 14-17
About J3 Competition:
J3 Competition is an American based distribution and competition product resale company that focuses on the sector of high-performance kart racing. With a tenure being recognized as a world leader in the development of the karting industry, J3 Competition is the United States distributor of BRP-Rotax products designed for kart racing including; Rotax, XPS lubricants, MoJo tires. Contact: technical@j3competition.com | +1 (814) 864-1846
