Over 200 of the United States Rotax Max Challenge competitors are traveling back home from the 2013 Rotax Grand Nationals at the GoPro Motorplex in Mooresville, North Carolina. Many will return to finish out their local series, some will take their chance at the Rotax Pan-American Challenge in October with a handful set to represent their country at the 2013 Rotax Grand Finals held at the NOLA Motorsports Park come November. Six drivers will be in New Orleans for the Rotax world championship event and North American invitational, thanks to their results at the 2013 Rotax Challenge of the Americas this winter. Today, racers, teams and the karting industry can begin making plans to return to the premier winter karting series on the left coast as the 2014 schedule has been released.
The Rotax Challenge of the Americas will be entering its seventh season this coming January 2014, offering all seven Rotax Max Challenge categories and welcomes competitors worldwide. The opening two rounds will be similar to the 2013 schedule, heading back to Arizona for the months of January and February. The opening two rounds are set for the Musselman Honda Circuit in Tucson, Arizona. The 8/10-mile course is among the most challenging and exciting facilities to compete at in the United States, and is a direct replica of the Suzuka circuit in Japan. The following month, the series heads back to the 3/4-mile Formula K Raceway, home of the PKRA organization. The Challenge of the Americas will close out the 2014 season at the Simraceway Performance Driving Center. The Sonoma, California facility will serve as the season finale for the first time since 2011.
2014 Rotax Challenge of the Americas Schedule
January 24-26, 2014: Musselman Honda Circuit – Tucson, Arizona
February 21-23, 2014: Phoenix Kart Racing Association – Glendale, Arizona
April 4-6, 2014: Simraceway Performance Driving Center – Sonoma, California
“I’m very happy with the schedule we’ve put together for the 2014 Rotax Challenge of the Americas. Working around multiple events across the country and listening to our industry partners, we’ve moved the dates around but are still keeping the same format and exciting event structure for the upcoming season,” commented Andy Seesemann – promoter of the Rotax Challenge of the Americas. “Competitors from the United States, Canada, Mexico and other countries are welcome to take part as always, as we’ve seen a 20% increase in numbers over the past two seasons.”
As the series did in 2013, the drivers who outrun and outlasted the competition over the three month period will earn tickets to the 2014 Rotax Grand Finals. Class champions in Senior Max, DD2, DD2 Masters and Junior Max will be awarded a spot at the Rotax world championship to represent the Rotax Challenge of the Americas and their respective country at the ‘Olympics of Karting.’
In 2013, four drivers secured Rotax Challenge of the Americas championships – Phillip Arscott (Senior Max), Fritz Leesmann (DD2), Alan Rudolph (DD2 Masters) and Blaine Rocha (Junior Max). All four will be representing the series and the United States as part of Team USA for the 2013 Rotax Grand Finals. Arscott is the 2009 winner from the United States Rotax Max Challenge Grand Nationals, taking part in Team USA for a third time in his career. Leesmann and Rudolph are two-time series champions, and each will be making their second trip to the Rotax world championship. For Rocha, this is his first international title and will be making his first start at the Rotax Grand Finals.
“The Rotax Grand Finals is among the most prestigious events in karting worldwide, and it’s an honor to be associated with the event,” continued Seesemann. “This year, the four drivers representing the Challenge should show well on and off the track, as they are among the best in the business. It would be a thrill for me to see one, or even all four of them, hoist the winning trophy on United States soil as the 2013 Rotax Grand Finals champion.”
For more information on the 2014 Rotax Challenge of the Americas, be sure to bookmark www.rotaxchallenge.com and watch for updates as the season draws closer.
About Rotax Challenge of the Americas:
The Rotax Challenge of the Americas series is a growing international Rotax Max Challenge series hosts over 140 drivers each weekend from all across the United States, Canada, and other surrounding countries. The six-round championship takes place from January to March with three weekend events, taking drivers to Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona with the season completing in Sonoma, California. Series champions in the four premier categories will earn tickets to the 2014 Rotax Grand Finals and the United States Rotax Grand Nationals. Click over to www.rotaxchallenge.com for more information.
