Two Canadian Drivers Invited to Rotax Grand Finals on the Weekend

As the annual Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals inches closer, the rosters for each countries teams around the world are becoming closing to being solidified.

This past weekend two more Canadian drivers earned their tickets to the Grand Finals, held this year in Portimao, Portugal. Racing his way in courtesy of the CAN-AM Karting Challenge in Canby, Oregon, Alessandro Bizzotto scored the win in a the DD2 shootout and will represent Canada for the second time in his career. The Montreal, Quebec driver had little challenge to win in Oregon, but Bizzotto still pushed to his limits to ensure his invitation.

Shortly after Bizzotto joined Team Canada, the announcement broke that another Canadian driver was going to line up in Portugal in the Rotax DD2 class. Hamilton, Ontario’s Fred Woodley had a spirited winter competing against the worlds best DD2 drivers at the Florida Winter Tour.

The class champion awarded to ticket to vice-champion Nick Neri, but due to complications Neri surrendered the ticket over the weekend, allowing Woodley another shot at the Grand Finals podium after finishing fourth overall last year in Spain in his first attempt.

“It’s been a difficult year and many of our objectives were not accomplished,” explained Woodley when contact by CKN. “However I’m glad to get this chance to possibly end the year on a good note. Obviously this isn’t the way that I wanted to get my ticket, but I will take the opportunity as anyone would.”

Team Canada will be confirmed this coming weekend when the Eastern Canadian Karting Championship completes it’s 2015 season at the Jim Russell Karting Championship in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec. Four drivers will earn invitations to join the current roster of seven in what looks to be the smallest team Canada has sent to the Grand Finals in the past decade.

Fred Woodley