Article originally appeared on Canadian Karting News – https://www.canadiankartingnews.com/burnett-blazes-to-victory-in-rotax-senior-as-rem-sweeps-the-podium-at-rmc-ontario-opener/
The sophomore season of the Rotax Max Challenge Ontario roared to life this past weekend at the Hamilton Karting Complex, launching the 2025 campaign in thrilling fashion. With a stacked grid of talent and Team Canada invitations to the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in Bahrain on the line, the intensity was turned up from the very first lap.
All eyes were on Rotax Senior, where 28 hungry competitors took to the track, including a number of past Team Canada representatives eager for another shot at international glory. The series threw a curveball at the drivers by running the circuit in reverse – a high-speed, razor-edge configuration that challenged even the most seasoned racers to find the limit.
One driver rose above them all, and did so with authority.
Making his Canadian Senior debut, Jensen Burnett (REM/Kosmic) put on an absolute clinic. A multi-time Canadian Champion, Burnett returned home fresh from European competition and wasted no time reminding everyone why he’s one of the nation’s top prospects.
From the first green flag to the final checkered, Burnett was untouchable. He topped every competitive session and then crushed the 25-lap Final, leading nearly every lap in a performance that left the paddock buzzing.
Rotax Senior roars around the opening corner at Hamilton (Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN)
But it wasn’t a solo cruise to the win; Burnett’s REM teammates weren’t making it easy.
Off the start, Ayden Ingratta (Pfaff/Gillard) was forced wide while challenging in the opening corners, sending him tumbling down the order. That opened the door for a swarm of REM drivers – Ryan Maxwell, Antoine Lemieux, Olivier Mrak, and William Bouthillier to hunt down the race leader.
Mrak made the first bold move, sliding past Lemieux and pressing hard on Maxwell. That forced Maxwell’s hand. He dove for the lead on lap eight in a daring move that briefly shuffled Burnett off the top spot. The lead group traded places in a flurry of action, thrilling the crowd with high-stakes dicing.
But Burnett stayed cool. By lap eleven, he was back in control, and from there, he never looked back. Lap after lap, Lemieux tried to reel him in, but Burnett’s pace was relentless, always responding with a faster lap when needed.
The battle behind him stayed fierce. Bouthillier surged late, overtaking Mrak for third before Maxwell followed through as well. Ingratta mounted a fiery comeback, charging back into the top group after his early setback.
When the dust settled, Burnett crossed the line with arms in the air, celebrating a flawless Senior debut on Canadian soil.
Initially, Lemieux crossed second, but a penalty for passing under yellow early in the race dropped him off the podium. That handed second place to Bouthillier, while Maxwell completed an all-REM podium sweep. Timothe Pernod (PSL/BirelART) and Major Makovskis (REM/Kosmic) rounded out the top five after post-race penalties reshuffled the final standings.
With a dominant team performance and a star-making win for Burnett, Racing Edge Motorsports made a massive statement to kick off the RMC Ontario season.
The championship rolls on with Round 2 back in Hamilton on July 12-13, before heading to the Canadian Karting Championships at Mosport on August 15-17. The season finale will take place at SH Karting in Quebec during the Canadian Open, August 29-31.
If Round 1 is any indication, we’re in for a spectacular summer of Rotax racing.
