Rotax succeeds in Portugal

With or without championship status, fans of the Rotax format are well established in Portugal. In any case, in 2022, the Portuguese Automobile and Karting Federation (FPAK) instead of promoting the national kermesse with a trophy has decided to grant Rotax competitions the status of Portuguese Championship, so within a few months – when it concludes at the end of October in Portimão – the first Rotax Karting National Champions will be known.

«This change meets expectations – emphasizes Arnaldo Frias, head, together with Rui Vieira, of Korridas and Kompanhia, a company that promotes Rotax competitions in Portugal and has been organizing the Rotax Max Challenge Grands Finals since 2012, with the exception of 2018, when it was held in New Orleans, USA. In the first year – Frias continues – with this championship designation, we did not expect to see an increase in the number of participants. We had almost 80 drivers per race and we believe that next year we will have even more, especially in the younger categories, as we have reformulated the main preparatory categories.
For example, the Micro Academy category is very interesting, as is the Micro/Mini category. We decided to merge the two categories to have a larger grid and thus improve the show for the public. Another important change in 2022 was to make sure that all categories had their own engines. It was a winning bet. I also emphasize the participation of more female drivers; this year we counted 8. And speaking of finals, in 2022 the Kartódromo Internacional do Algarve, in Portimão, will once again host another edition. 
This will be the fourth time that the Rotax Max Challenge Grands Finals will be held in Portimão. Portimão has everything to host a competition of this size, as the infrastructure of the Kartódromo is good, the climate is good, the location is good, the security, the gastronomy, the people, the prices, etc. All those who have already been to Portimão – Frias finally says – have very good memories, and I hope that those who come again will enjoy the competition and the other activities they can enjoy in Portimão to the fullest.»
by Filipe Cairrao