2022 Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals – Saturday Report
Korn leads Team USA with top-10 Mini Max performance in Portugal
Gage Korn led Team USA at 2022 Rotax Grand Finals with P8 in Mini Max (Photo: Race Rotax - CKN)
The sixth and final day of competition at the 2022 Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals went into the books on Saturday, November 26 with the main events held at the Kartodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão. The 394 drivers were condensed down to the 36-driver main events in the six categories with the additional E20 Senior and Junior races rounding out the 22nd edition for the ‘Olympics of Karting’. Team USA had eight drivers competing on the final day, led by Mini Max driver Gage Korn with a top-10 result.
DD2 Masters: – Praga (36 entries)
Derek Wang (Photo: Race Rotax – CKN)
‘Captain America’ was on his way to his best finish in the category at the Rotax Grand Finals in his 10th start. Wang fell back to eighth early in the main event, however, found himself up to fifth due to two incidents ahead of him. On lap nine, he attempted a pass for fourth and the other competitor drive down onto him, sending both off the track after contact at the apex of the corner to end both their races.
#523 – Derek Wang
Hometown: Seattle, Washington
Qualified: US Trophy Series Champion
RMCGF Appearances: 10 – 2010, 2011 (DD2), 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 (DD2 Masters)
Qualified: 6th
Heat Points: 6th – 14 points
Final Points: 5th – 19 points
Warm-up: No time
Final: 32nd – DNF
Senior Max: – Sodikart (72 entries)
Aidan Fox (Photo: Race Rotax – CKN)
Starting the main event from row 14 was a tough beginning point for Aidan Fox. Unfortunately, it went the wrong direction at the start, getting shuffled back to the tail of the field on the opening circuit. Fox continued fighting, working his way up to 25th after 21 laps, up 10 positions during that span.
#327 – Aidan Fox
Hometown: Redding, Connecticut
Qualified: US Trophy Final – 1st
RMCGF Appearances: 1 – 2017 (Mini)
Qual. Overall: 25th
Heat Points: 26th – 44 points (Prefinal B)
Final Points: 27th – 60 points
Warm-up: 10th – 1:00.712 +0.576
Final: 25th +12.721
#329 – Ethan Ho
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Qualified: US Trophy Series – 2nd place
RMCGF Appearances: 1 – 2021 (DD2)
Qual. Overall: 37th
Heat Points: 37th – 59 points (Prefinal A)
Final Points: 39th – 78 points
Junior Max – Sodikart (72 entries)
Jorge Ortiz (Photo: Race Rotax – CKN)
Florida driver Jorge Ortiz made up nearly half the positions on track he was trailing when the green flag waved. Ortiz started back in row 14 and was able to fight his way forward during the 18-lap run. He was up to 16th by the checkered flag, gaining two more after penalties to put him into the top-15, a first for Team USA since 2018. O’Clair was up and down all race long and looked to be inside the top-20 until he was shuffled back with two laps remaining. In the end, after penalties, O’Clair ended up 22nd.
#212 – Jorge Ortiz
Hometown: St. Cloud, Florida
Qualified: Rotax Winter Series
RMCGF Appearances: 0
Qual. Overall: 30th
Heat Points: 35th – 52 points (Prefinal A)
Final Points: 28th – 63 points
Warm-up: 1st – 1:01.376 +0.110
Final: 14th +9.451
#233 – Cooper O’Clair
Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona
Qualified: US Trophy Final – 1st
RMCGF Appearances: 1 (2021)
Qual. Overall: 25th
Heat Points: 29th – 47 points (Prefinal A)
Final Points: 26th – 60 points
Warm-up: 5th – 1:01.617 +0.241
Final: 22nd +14.250
#234 – Ben Hernandez
Hometown: Massapequa Park, New York
Qualified: US Trophy Series – 2nd place
RMCGF Appearances: 0
Qual. Overall: 64th
Heat Points: 53rd – 73 points (Prefinal A)
Final Points: 53rd – 96 points
Mini Max – Praga (72 entries)
Kai Johnson (Photo: Race Rotax – CKN)
The Mini Max main event suffered a red flag on the initial start with Gage Korn among those involved. He took advantage of the full restart, jumping up six spots to sit fifth after the opening lap. Eventually, Korn settled into the second lead group, placing eighth for an improvement of 10 positions from last year’s Rotax Grand Finals. Kai Johnson started inside the top-10 but luck was not on his side come the full restart. He dropped to 15th on the opening lap and on lap seven, contact dropped him to the tail of the field. Johnson ended up 29th in his first Rotax Grand Finals.
#124 – Gage Korn
Hometown: Aurora, Colorado
Qualified: US Trophy Final – 1st
RMCGF Appearances: 1 (2021)
Qual. Overall: 40th
Heat Points: 18th – 34 points (Prefinal B)
Final Points: 11th – 38 points
Warm-up: 16th – 1:05.018 +0.645
Final: 8th +3.929
#131 – Fion Shi
Hometown: Mount Clair, New Jersey
Qualified: US Trophy Series – 2nd place
RMCGF Appearances: 0
Qual. Overall: 17th
Heat Points: 39th – 64 points (Prefinal A)
Final Points: 43rd – 80 points
#132 – Kai Johnson
Hometown: Gulfport, Florida
Qualified: Rotax Winter Series
RMCGF Appearances: 0
Qual. Overall: 8th
Heat Points: 13th – 24 points (Prefinal A)
Final Points: 10th – 30 points
Warm-up: 7th – 1:04.752 +0.379
Final: 29th +26.466
Micro Max – Birel ART (32 entries)
Marco Sammut (Photo: Race Rotax – CKN)
Marco Sammut carried the USA flag to a 17th place finish in his first Rotax Grand Finals. It was an up and down 12-lap main event with Sammut moving up and then down. Eventually he crossed the checkered flag three positions below where he started, which is still a solid finish after recording zero laps in qualifying. Luke Kanjanapitak, the Florida driver racing under the Thailand license but still part of Team USA, was able to improve seven positions to finish inside the top-25 in his first Rotax Grand Finals.
#14 – Luke Kanjanapitak
Hometown: Miami, Florida
Qualified: Rotax Winter Series
RMCGF Appearances: 0
Qualified: 29th
Heat Points: 29th – 55 points
Final Points: 32nd – 83 points
Warm-up: 13th – 1:08.902 +1.308
Final: 25th +19.418 (+5-seconds PBB)
#17 – Marco Sammut
Hometown: Locust Valley, New York
Qualified: US Trophy Final – 1st
RMCGF Appearances: 0
Qualifyied: 36th
Heat Points: 14th – 34 points
Final Points: 14th – 50 points
Warm-up: 22nd – 1:09.131 +1.537
Final: 17th +14.228
