Already around 180 drivers at Wackersdorf
Already around 180 drivers at Wackersdorf

Already around 180 drivers at...

Already around 180 drivers at Wackersdorf

Already around 180 drivers at Wackersdorf

Roughly 180 drivers representing 20 nations already entered the opening round of the 2025 Rotax MAX Challenge Euro Trophy.
RMC Euro Trophy Entries open for Wackersdorf
RMC Euro Trophy Entries open for Wackersdorf

RMC Euro Trophy Entries open for...

RMC Euro Trophy Entries open for Wackersdorf

RMC Euro Trophy Entries open for Wackersdorf

Registration is now open for the opening round of the 2025 Rotax MAX Challenge Euro Trophy. The four-round championship will kick off in Germany at the Prokart Raceland circuit in Wackersdorf.
RMC Winter Series: Viterbo crowns the Champions of the Winter Series
RMC Winter Series: Viterbo crowns the Champions of the Winter Series

RMC Winter Series: Viterbo crowns the...

RMC Winter Series: Viterbo crowns the Champions of the Winter Series

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Livestream: Round 2 of the 2025 Rotax MAX Challenge Winter Series at the Leopard Circuit in Viterbo

Livestream: Round 2 of the 2025 Rotax...

Livestream: Round 2 of the 2025 Rotax MAX Challenge Winter Series at the Leopard Circuit in Viterbo

Livestream: Round 2 of the 2025 Rotax MAX Challenge Winter Series at the Leopard Circuit in Viterbo

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RMC Winter Series: Viterbo, the leaders after heats

RMC Winter Series: Viterbo, the leaders...

RMC Winter Series: Viterbo, the leaders after heats

RMC Winter Series: Viterbo, the leaders after heats

The long day of heats at Round 2 of the Rotax MAX Challenge Winter Series has just concluded at the Leopard Circuit in Viterbo. A damp track pushed the drivers to their limits, delivering plenty of...
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RMC Winter Series: Read, Kobakhidze, Mentier, Kristensen and Picot shine in the rainy qualifying at...

RMC Winter Series: Read, Kobakhidze,...

RMC Winter Series: Read, Kobakhidze, Mentier, Kristensen and Picot shine in the rainy qualifying at...

RMC Winter Series: Read, Kobakhidze, Mentier, Kristensen and Picot shine in the rainy qualifying at...

The qualifying day and first heats have just concluded at the Leopard Circuit in Viterbo, which for the first time is hosting a round of the RMC Winter Series.
Results: Round 2 of the 2025 Rotax MAX Challenge Winter Series at the Leopard Circuit in Viterbo
Results: Round 2 of the 2025 Rotax MAX Challenge Winter Series at the Leopard Circuit in Viterbo

Results: Round 2 of the 2025 Rotax MAX...

Results: Round 2 of the 2025 Rotax MAX Challenge Winter Series at the Leopard Circuit in Viterbo

Results: Round 2 of the 2025 Rotax MAX Challenge Winter Series at the Leopard Circuit in Viterbo

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Live timing: Round 2 of the 2025 Rotax MAX Challenge Winter Series at the Leopard Circuit in Viterbo
Live timing: Round 2 of the 2025 Rotax MAX Challenge Winter Series at the Leopard Circuit in Viterbo

Live timing: Round 2 of the 2025 Rotax...

Live timing: Round 2 of the 2025 Rotax MAX Challenge Winter Series at the Leopard Circuit in Viterbo

Live timing: Round 2 of the 2025 Rotax MAX Challenge Winter Series at the Leopard Circuit in Viterbo

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Winter Series Champions to be crowned in Viterbo
Winter Series Champions to be crowned in Viterbo

Winter Series Champions to be crowned in...

Winter Series Champions to be crowned in Viterbo

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Sunday live streaming coverage: 2025 Rotax Max BNL Karting Series - Round 1 at Karting Genk
Sunday live streaming coverage: 2025 Rotax Max BNL Karting Series - Round 1 at Karting Genk

Sunday live streaming coverage: 2025...

Sunday live streaming coverage: 2025 Rotax Max BNL Karting Series - Round 1 at Karting Genk

Sunday live streaming coverage: 2025 Rotax Max BNL Karting Series - Round 1 at Karting Genk

Live-timing 2025 Rotax Max BNL Karting Series - Round 1 at Karting Genk
Live-timing 2025 Rotax Max BNL Karting Series - Round 1 at Karting Genk

Live-timing 2025 Rotax Max BNL Karting...

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2025 Rotax National Cup heads to Albury Wodonga

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RMC Winter Series: Championship standings update

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RMC Winter Series: Spencer, Sejersen, Bishop, Bezel and Picot win in Cremona

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RMC Winter Series: Spencer, Sejersen, Bishop, Bezel and Picot win in Cremona

RMC Winter Series: Spencer, Sejersen, Bishop, Bezel and Picot win in Cremona

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Livestream: Round 1 of the 2025 Rotax MAX Challenge Winter Series at the Cremona Circuit

Livestream: Round 1 of the 2025 Rotax...

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Livestream: Round 1 of the 2025 Rotax MAX Challenge Winter Series at the Cremona Circuit

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RMC Winter Series: Sun and exciting battles in Cremona

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RMC Winter Series: Sun and exciting battles in Cremona

RMC Winter Series: Sun and exciting battles in Cremona

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Relentless rain at Cremona Circuit as first heats conclude
Relentless rain at Cremona Circuit as first heats conclude

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Relentless rain at Cremona Circuit as first heats conclude

Relentless rain at Cremona Circuit as first heats conclude

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First polemen of the year in a rainy Cremona

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Results: Round 1 of the 2025 Rotax MAX Challenge Winter Series at the Cremona Circuit
Results: Round 1 of the 2025 Rotax MAX Challenge Winter Series at the Cremona Circuit

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Results: Round 1 of the 2025 Rotax MAX Challenge Winter Series at the Cremona Circuit

Results: Round 1 of the 2025 Rotax MAX Challenge Winter Series at the Cremona Circuit

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BNL returns in style at the Kick-off!

Published on Thursday, March 25, 2021

BNL returns in style at the Kick-off!

After 167 days since the last day of the 2020 season, the BNL Karting Series would return to action in its 14th season for the 2021 Kick-Off, which was hosted by Karting Genk: Home of Champions, the 1,360-metre circuit based in Belgium’s Limburg region, just over an hour away from Brussels.

After a lot of hard work behind the scenes by the organisation, the event was given the green light to go ahead, courtesy of the Belgian Ministry of Sport. However, despite the Kick-Off being classed under elite sporting status following much deliberation and discussion, both the Micro and Mini MAX classes were not allowed to compete.

This meant that almost 100 drivers from over 10 nations headed into battle over a full two-day programme, which saw four classes compete in qualifying practice, heats and finals. A total of 24 races saw plenty of action amidst pretty clear weather, apart from some overnight rainfall on Saturday.

 

Junior MAX: Stolcermanis untouchable all weekend!

Latvia’s Tomass Stolcermanis was the driver to beat in Juniors with 27 racers putting their best foot forward, but the #213 capped off Saturday after not only taking pole position in the two groups during qualifying but also won all three heats. The battling between him and Belgium’s Kaï Rillearts (#274), last year’s Euro Trophy champion, continued all the way through the weekend, with the pair swapping the lead during several races.

Rillearts was also in contention to win the Kick-Off, had a multi-kart incident between Enzo Bol, Olivier Jonckers, Lawrence Herbots and Edgars Vilcans off turns four and five on the first lap not brought out a full-course yellow that would be retracted with just seven and a half minutes to go.

Tommie Van Der Struijs, new signing at Kombikart Racing Team in the #254 entry, would take his first Junior podium of the year, having moved up two classes after the 2019 season, which saw him take the BNL Karting Series Micro Max crown. It also showed that the young Dutchman’s struggles in 2020 were not in vain, and his pace and prowess was rewarded.

Bruno Mulders (NED - #271) would end up battling away within the top three for the majority of the weekend but would edge out SP Motorsport’s Nick Gerhards to secure fourth by a mere 0.085 seconds at the finish line. The top ten were completed by Mikkel Pedersen, Joep Breedveld, Thomas Strauven, Farin Megger and Marius Rose.

 

Senior MAX: Riis rules the roost after epic fightback.

Denmark’s Mads Riis put on a dynamite display during Sunday’s proceedings, to become the winner of the 2021 Kick-Off in the Senior class, as the #379 from DAEMS Racing Team fought his way back after a difficult day in the heats, which saw him suffer two successive non-finishes early on.

The Dane, who will be heading to GT4 competition this season, could not resist the allure of karting again, as he secured a straightforward victory in the Second Chance heat on the Sunday morning, before scything his way through the field to secure a close-fought victory in the final by just 0.131 seconds.

Belgium’s Luca Leistra (#307) ended up as the vice-champion behind Riis, having initially led the intermediate classification, but he would stay within striking distance throughout proceedings before a last-moment mistake by SP Motorsport’s Juho Valtanen on the last turn of the final lap of the race weekend, gave him the welcome assist in taking second.

Belgium were also represented on the final step of the podium, courtesy of GKS Lemmens Power’s Lars Zaenen, as the #397 would cross the line just over a tenth of a second behind Leistra, whilst Valtanen would end up fourth ahead of 2019 BNL Karting Series champion Dylan Lahaye (#328 – Belgium). Lucas Schoenmakers (#396 – JJ Racing – Netherlands) would make an impressive début in Seniors, finishing in sixth, whilst Luca Thiel, Bennet Ahrens, Storm Broer and Jordy Van Der Eijk rounded off the top ten finishers in the exciting 16-lap finale.

 

DD2: Besancenez top of the pile, beating home soil favourites.

KMD’s Paolo Besancenez was able to take a first win of the 2021 season, as the Frenchman used all of his experience to hold onto victory, after what had been a rather interesting weekend for the DD2 class. He would end up winning by only 0.054 seconds ahead of Finland’s Ville Viiliäinen (#422 – RS Competition), who had been in the mix all weekend long and had even taken a victory in the second heat on Saturday.

Mick Nolten (#403 – GKS Lemmens Power), would get another season off to a great start, as the Dutchman also made it count when most needed, having ended up fifth following on from the heats on Saturday. But he would capitalize on dramas for both former two-time BNL champion Xander Przybylak (#402 – SP Motorsport) and defending champion Glenn Van Parijs (#401 – Bouvin Power) during the weekend, to hit the final step of the podium.

Przybylak and Van Parijs would battle away for the victory in heat one on Saturday, with part of the exhaust flying off after drama in the final corner of the race, with a five-second time penalty for the former being rescinded giving him two out of three wins on Saturday. However, Van Parijs would end up taking fourth at the chequered flag, ahead of his former teammate, who still has some learning to do regarding the Kart Republic chassis he now pilots.

Ricards Subeckis from Latvia would take sixth, ahead of the returning Sebastien Degrande, Aymeric Guerin, Hannes Borde and Imke Arts, with the latter being the remainder of the top ten to cross the finish line.

 

DD2 Masters: Desair secures back-to-back Kick-Off crowns in style!

Despite having the lowest grid size of all four classes, the biggest drama happened right at the last dying moments of the race itself, as it had been a clear all-Belgian battle all weekend long between Carl Cleirbaut (#510 – KMD) and countryman Tom Desair (#530 – GKS Lemmens Power). But the latter would provide one of the most dramatic overtakes on the final lap at turn 12, as Desair would make the move up the inside to defend his title as Kick-Off champion from last year.

Cleirbaut, who was at the top of the intermediate classification after the heats on Saturday, would do his best to counter Desair’s move on the final corner of the final lap but would have to settle for second by only 0.114 seconds at the chequered flag.

France’s Bruno Dos Santos completed the top three, and was only 0.563 seconds off the overall victory, having kept consistent pace during the final, whist Estonia’s Priit Sei (#501) and the returning Christophe Adams (#555) completed the top five.

 

After a welcome return to racing, it was a glorious sight for BNL Karting Series organiser Dave Ritzen, who was able to enjoy the racing, after much hard work behind the scenes.

 “Even though we were, unfortunately, unable to run Micro and Mini MAX this weekend, we were pleased to be able to go back racing, thanks to the Belgian Ministry of Sport’s assistance in allowing the event to proceed as planned,” he explained. “Now we are looking forward to the first round in just under two weeks’ time, with Junior and Senior Rotax already fully booked, which means that everyone is exciting about going full throttle in what could be a fantastic season for us!”

The first of three rounds for the BNL Karting Series takes place between April 3rd and 4th, which will see the very best of Rotax racers make their return to the Limburg region, with a lot of drivers making their return to another exciting season.

 

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