ROTAX TROPHY EAST RD 2 RACE REPORT
July 18, 2022
Image: Rotax Sr. MAX podium (L-R Matthew Goddard, Aidan Fox, Justin White)
The Road to Portimao continued this past weekend for Rotax Trophy East competitors as round 2 took place at the picturesque Lafayette Motorsports Park in upstate New York. The technical circuit played host to yet again close and exciting racing with hot and sunny weather accompanied by an overall fun atmosphere.
“We always enjoy heading to Lafayette this time of year as the weather and scenery are unmatched. The racing proved to be really competitive and we continued the series with a great overall event as we now head to the final doubleheader event next month at Oakland Valley Race Park.” — Jim Giacomelli
Jr MAX
A close and action-packed race was headlined by the return of Aidan Lourenco to the series who managed the perfect weekend with pole position followed by commanding pre-final and final victories. Aidan was followed throughout the weekend with a close battle for the remaining podium positions. At the end of the final it was Ben Hernandez, series points leader claiming second after a charge from the back of the grid followed closely on the podium by young Paulie Hart Jr.
Sr MAX
Close is an understatement in Sr MAX as the top four in qualifying were separated by less than a tenth leading to eventful pre-final and final racing action. Aidan Fox scored the perfect weekend with company close on his rear bumper as Matthew Goddard took second place with the purple rabbit of the race followed by series standout Justin White to round out a solid podium in Sr. MAX.
Masters Max
The Master MAX racing did not disappoint as John Bonanno and Vincent Carey picked up their competition right where it left off from Round 1. Added to the mix in Lafayette was Chris McGinley as Bonanno scored the final victory alongside pole position and the pre-final win with Carey taking second place and McGinley taking the final podium position in third.
Mini MAX
Qualifying provided a close field with Sebastian Rist taking pole position followed by his competitors. Once the racing action started, Rist asserted himself and took a commanding victory in both the pre-final and final where the battle to round out the podium was settled with Nathan Holy in second and Fion Shi taking third place.
Micro MAX
Qualifying was close as Marco Sammut beat young William Roberts out for pole position in a close battle. Sammut continued his winning ways from Round 1 as he swept the pre-final and final events followed by Roberts in second and Kanjanapitak taking a well-deserved third place.
The next and final stop on the Rotax Trophy East series will be August 12-14 at Oakland Valley Race Park in Cuddebackville, NY where rounds 3 and 4 will be played out. The series champions will be presented on Sunday and those competing in the East series will be one step closer to chasing their chance at earning a spot at the 2022 Rotax Grand Finals later at the US Trophy Finals; October 6-9 in New Castle, IN.
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.
