US Open of New Jersey: Rotax Mini-Max Preview

At the US Open of New Jersey in 2017, event organizers decided to try the engine raffle for the Micro and Mini Max classes to test the waters. It was a massive success with the Mini-Max Final being a shootout among ten drivers racing in a big pack for the entirety of the race before Josh Pierson emerged as the race winner, earning him a spot on Team USA. There were positive reviews amongst the paddock and it surely helped the organizers make the decision to raffle engines in all categories this year.

This year, GoRotax has decided to join the Micro and Mini-Max groups and provide a single category shootout of the best young drivers in the sport. The entry list has attracted 30 drivers from seven different countries so far, including 2016 Rotax Grand Finals Micro-Max Champion Diego Laroque. There will be two tickets to the Rotax Grand Finals up for grabs. One set for the highest finishing Mini-Max age eligible driver and one for the highest finishing Micro-Max age eligible driver.

As expected, the best Mini drivers from the east have entered, continuing the great racing competition we’ve seen recently in the Florida Winter Tour. The likes of Jeremy Fletcher, Miguel Costa, Brent Crews, Nikita Johnson, James Egozi and Noah Baker have been racing together for years now, and always in pursuit of victory.

They will be challenged by a number of drivers from the Northeast who will use their home track experience to their benefit. Expect Karsten Defonce, Danny Dyszelski, Eli Trull and Ryan Stanton to challenge throughout the weekend.

The international contingent includes two from Argentina, Felipe Bernasconi and Santiago Biagi, Heitor Ferias from Brazil, Umana Luis Alejandro from Columbia, Stephano Vivanco-Straetg from Ecuador, Juan Pablo Cepeda from Mexico and Jonathan Madden who travels across the Atlantic from Great Britain. They will be bringin their best to compete with the USA’s best.

We’re expecting a few more last-minute entries into the Mini category this weekend and very well could sell out the 34 spots before the engines are raffled on Wednesday in New Jersey.

Bring it next week Mini’s, we’re pumped!

Read more: Junior Max Preview | Senior Max Preview

Rotax Mini-Max Entry List, as of June 29.