Mariembourg welcomes the RMC Euro Trophy back for round 3

Mariembourg hosted the Rotax championship for the first time last year and is expecting some hot, sunny days to add to the more technical aspects of the 1,366 metre layout. There’s a lot of history here in the Ardennes region surrounding the longest outdoor karting circuit in Belgium, but so much has already been written about the great race battles on this amazing track. Now we can look forward to even more exciting and intense competition as the contest for the Rotax European titles and the RMC Grand Finals tickets for Bahrain continues to play out.

Following two closely-fought rounds at some of the best locations in the world for racing – Karting Genk ‘Home of Champions’ in Belgium and the beautiful French circuit of Val d’Argenton – the leading drivers on the points table still need to push to remain at the top. Round 3 brings 145 entries to the start grid in the five Rotax categories on the program, with 24 different nations represented. It’s also the midway stage of the Mini MAX series back for their second round of three, with two RMC International Trophy tickets offering free entry to the Le Mans event later this month for the top two place-getters.

Heading the rankings in Mini MAX, Jacob Ashcroft (LN-Dan Holland Racing) was the standout at the season opener when he made a clean sweep of proceedings. However, the British driver, who is the current vice champ in his class at world level, has some very eager and motivated young competitors lining up alongside him at the RMCET. The RMC Grand Festival 2022 champion has already won his entry ticket to the RMCIT at Le Mans as part of his prize from the first round at Karting Genk.

Junior MAX is where we find so much of the budding young talent showing up as well, led by local entry Matija Radenkovic (Tonykart-Bouvin Power). The national champion is definitely going to be tough to beat, but he’s one of a number of fast juniors that can take victory here in Mariembourg. The Euro Trophy has the reputation for being one of the most beneficial series for developing the next generation race driver, with the exceptional parity and competitive standard of competition. 

Last season’s DD2 winner and RMC Grand Finals Champion Mark Kimber (Tonykart-Strawberry Racing) made a stunning return to the Senior MAX class, securing the lead in the points’ standings after a dominant performance at round 2. Having a unique Rotax ‘triple crown’ to his name, Kimber knows his rivals are also some of the most experienced at this level. Fellow Brit and first round winner Sean Butcher (Kosmic-KR Sport) is only six points behind coming into the race in Belgium, but there will still be many more of the senior field looking to take the honours this time around too. 

Ranking P1 in the DD2 category is the former class champion from the RMCGF in Bahrain 2021, Martijn van Leeuwen (KR-Schepers Racing). One of the most experienced drivers on the grid, the Dutch driver has excelled this year in reigning supreme so far; albeit with some incredibly good competition from the youngest guys… who have shown up on a mission to steal his thunder. 

In the DD2 Masters, Lithuania’s Martynas Tankevicius (Lenktyniu Linija) holds a gap of just two points in the overall standings from RMCET defending champion Denis Thum (LN-Kraft Motorsport). Once again, this class provides an interesting mix of competitors from numerous countries, with a wealth of experience behind them. The combined two-speed gearbox mix showcases the speed and racecraft of the over-32-years group, while adding to the obvious challenge of the depth of field. 
Qualifying to determine the start positions for Saturday’s heat races begins on Friday afternoon from 3.30pm. Follow the LIVE TIMING online and check out the official RMCET website for more info plus all the links to RESULTS. The LIVESTREAM coverage across the weekend begins from 10.25am (CEST) on Saturday and Sunday. 

Download the ROTAX GLOBAL app (free on the App Store or Google Play Store) for easy access to follow the racing action from Mariembourg July 7th-9th. 

OFFICIAL RMCET WEBSITE

LIVE TIMING 

LIVESTREAM

RESULTS

From Mariembourg, Jen Wade - Photos: ©HelloFoto