Article by Canadian Karting News, originally posted at – https://www.canadiankartingnews.com/rotax-senior-delivers-another-classic-as-burnett-wins-round-2/
Round two of the Rotax Max Challenge Ontario (RMC Ontario) championship brought the heat, both on and off the track, as the series returned to the Hamilton Karting Complex, racing on the high-speed National layout.
With the coveted Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals ticket on the line, the Rotax Senior category delivered a showcase of elite Canadian karting talent in a weekend-long head-to-head between Jensen Burnett and Ayden Ingratta. In scorching, humid conditions that pushed drivers to their physical limits, Burnett emerged victorious once again, securing his second consecutive win in the championship.
A Weekend-Long Battle
Burnett (REM/Kosmic) wasted no time asserting his pace, topping Qualifying for the second straight round. His margin of 0.133 seconds over the field might seem comfortable, but positions two through six were separated by a razor-thin 0.091 seconds, foreshadowing the intense competition ahead.
In the heats, Burnett and Ingratta (Pfaff/Gillard) went blow-for-blow in a high-stakes dance of strategy and aggression. Burnett edged Ingratta in Heat 1, only for the favour to be returned in Heat 2 when Ingratta snagged the holeshot and led every lap. Heat 3 swung back to Burnett, though not without resistance, as Ingratta fought tooth and nail to stay in the mix.
The SuperHeat saw the battle boil over. Trading positions multiple times, the pair clashed in corner 12 on the final lap, tangling just long enough to allow Ryan Maxwell (REM/Kosmic), Antoine Lemieux (REM/Kosmic), and Timothe Pernod (PSL/BirelART) to sneak by, shifting the grid dramatically for the Final. Ingratta would start from pole, with Maxwell alongside, and Burnett shuffled back to row two.
Maxwell (334) and Ingratta (305) lined up to lead on the front row for the Final. (Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN)
Chaos and Comeback in the Final
With 25 gruelling laps ahead, the Rotax Senior Final started in dramatic fashion. A crash in turn two dashed Olivier Mrak’s (REM/Kosmic) hopes early, and a wild midfield scramble out of turn four saw karts running three and four-wide. Burnett, squeezed for space, was forced off-track through the grass before rejoining in fifth place.
Disaster struck for Pernod as well, who was flagged off the track with a mechanical issue just two laps in, ending what had been a strong run.
Out front, Ingratta got the launch he needed, leading the opening laps with Lemieux and Maxwell giving chase. Burnett moved up to P4 with Pernod’s retirement and quickly set his sights on the leaders. Lemieux took over the lead briefly on lap four, only for Ingratta to reclaim it on lap eight. Burnett followed him through to slot into second, setting up another Burnett-Ingratta showdown.
By lap 11, Burnett made his move, diving into the lead and instantly switching to a defensive posture. The tactic worked, but it bunched up the lead group, allowing six karts to join the fight. Ingratta tried a bold outside move in turn one on lap 15, but Burnett closed the door firmly, costing Ingratta momentum. That opened the door for William Bouthillier (REM/Kosmic), who had endured a rough start to the weekend but surged forward in the Final to snatch second place.
From there, Burnett executed flawlessly. Calm, composed, and consistent, he pulled out a small gap to Bouthillier, who himself had clear track behind as Ingratta was unable to recover the lost ground. After 25 demanding laps, Burnett took the checkered flag first, with Bouthillier securing a hard-earned P2 after failing to post a time in Qualifying and starting the weekend from the rear. Ingratta settled for third, while Lemieux and Maxwell rounded out the top five in a tightly contested race.
Rotax Senior podium: William Bouthillier, Jensen Burnett and Ayden Ingratta (Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN)
Looking Ahead
With two wins in two rounds, Jensen Burnett now holds the upper hand in the RMC Ontario championship standings. But the battle is far from over. The second half of the season will unfold on the national stage with the Canadian Karting Championships at Mosport and the Canadian Open at SH Karting, both joint events with RMC Quebec competitors, ensuring the level of competition will only intensify.
Burnett may be in control, but with a Grand Finals ticket still to be earned, the fight for the title is just heating up.
