Rotax MAX Challenge - The Last Day of Silence
Tweet| 27 November 2012 |
official press release - Portimao/Algarve, November 25, 2012
This was the last day of Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals without action on the track.
After the registration of all drivers and scrutineering of their karts, it’s now time to the teams to work hard, granting that all is set for the first laps in the Kartódromo Internacional do Algarve.
Even if karting is seen like a category for young drivers, and almost every one of them has the dream to progress in a career in Motorsport, the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals show the reality in another way: The presence of the DD2 class drivers in this event, with more than 32 years old, and no maximum age, brought to Portugal for example the veteran Al Dhaheri Mohamed from UAE, with his respectable 54 years…
But let’s take a look at the classes and categories:
Junior Class uses Birel chassis powered by 125cc Rotax engines with 21 hp. In this category, drivers between 13 and 16 years old do have an “all together weight “ – equipped driver+kart with at least 2L of fuel – of 145 kg.
Mariano Faveri the big boss of this Italian manufacturer explains us a little: “Here we race with a kart model used during all the year. We have made some tests in Austria, and I think it is a good base. The best drivers will have the possibilities to show their capabilities. The Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals are a great party overall.
Junior Class will have 74 drivers on track...
The MAX category uses Sodi Kart. This manufacturer once had Jean-Eric Vergne as driver – now F1 driver of Toro Rosso – as well as Sebastien Bourdrais. In the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals the MAX category will have 72 drivers, almost all of them with good possibilities to win:
“This class has been always very competitive, and I am sure this is going to happen again this year. We are pleased about the fact that the drivers appreciate all the stuff that we let them to use. As in the other classes it’s the same for everyone, so they have to show their talent, to beat each other’s”, says Thierry Germanovitch the big boss
of Sodi Kart.
The MAX class uses Rotax engines of 28 hp, and the total minimum weight is 165 kg.
Martin Hetschel is the master chief of Mach 1, the chassis used in DD2 class. This is another category for drivers with more than 15 years old competing with Rotax 125cc engines, with 32 hp, a 2 speed gearbox and direct steering; with a total weight of 173 kg.
“All four categories are in a high level. I think all our 72 drivers will stay in the same second, or second and a half. This is an impressive track, and I think also they will reach 120 km/h. No bets about who will be the winner…”
Joan Haase is the owner/boss of Haase, the chassis manufacturer for the DD2 Masters category. This is the class for veteran drivers, and he says: “I think these will be interesting races. We have many different ages between our drivers, but his experience helps a lot, for example in the chassis set up and the wheels angles. They are 61 in a great track, so the spectacle is granted...
Now it’s time for a little rest, before the first heats of free practice. A big party at Alvor with all teams and drivers.
omorrow the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals will move to the track,
until Saturday.
