15 Lead Changes, One Epic Rotax Senior Final – Lemieux Triumphs at TMP

The Rotax Senior drivers may have featured a smaller grid than usual at Toronto Motorsports Park, but they more than made up for it by producing what many in attendance agreed was one of the greatest races ever seen in Rotax Max Challenge Ontario competition.

Making its long-awaited return to TMP for the first time in more than two decades, the championship’s penultimate round took place on one of the fastest circuits in Canada, where Rotax karts blasted down the 600-metre back straight at speeds approaching 145 km/h. The result was an unforgettable 18-lap chess match, with drafting, strategy and split-second decisions determining the outcome until the final metres.

The weekend began with Antoine Lemieux (Firano/TonyKart), who was making his first Canadian start of the season, claiming pole position after championship leader Ayden Ingratta (Racing Edge Motorsports/Kosmic) was stripped of his fastest qualifying lap when he inadvertently activated his pushback bumper during the session. After initially topping the timing charts, Ingratta slipped back to fifth on the grid.

Three different drivers shared the victories through the preliminary races. Lemieux captured the opening heat race, Ryan Maxwell (Prime Powerteam/RedSpeed) answered by winning Heat Two, and Logan Pacza (Prime Powerteam/RedSpeed) emerged victorious after an incredible battle in the SuperHeat to set the stage for what would become the race of the weekend.

From the moment the Final began, it was clear fans were in for something special.

Over the course of 18 breathtaking laps, the lead officially changed hands 15 times at the start-finish line and even more often around the rest of the circuit. Every trip down TMP’s massive straightaway completely reshuffled the order, with the draft proving so powerful that a driver could enter the straight in first and emerge from turn one running fifth.

Despite the constant swapping of positions, the racing remained remarkably clean. Drivers raced inches apart at more than 140 km/h, executing pass after pass without forcing one another off the circuit in an impressive display of skill and respect.

The race’s only significant incident came on lap five when Pacza and Ahmed Mostafa (Racing Edge Motorsports/Kosmic) made contact entering turn two. Mostafa’s race ended in the grass while Pacza rejoined nearly half a lap behind, taking one of the early favourites out of contention.

At the front, Lemieux, Maxwell and Ingratta spent much of the race trading the lead and briefly broke away from the rest of the field. Their relentless battling, however, allowed the seven-kart chase group to reel them back in, creating a ten-driver fight for victory entering the closing laps.

One of the late chargers was Theo Silveira (Pfaff KartSport/Gillard), who timed his moves perfectly to climb into second as the white flag waved. Drafting past on the long straight, Silveira briefly took over the lead, but Lemieux immediately countered with a bold move to the inside in the penultimate corner. Silveira attempted to stay alongside around the outside but wisely lifted entering the final corner to avoid contact.

That opened the door for one final drag race.

As the field exited the final turn, Lemieux was flanked by Ingratta on one side and Maxwell on the other, with the rest of the field tucked tightly behind. In a breathtaking sprint to the checkered flag, all ten karts crossed the finish line separated by less than 1.5 seconds.

Lemieux prevailed by just 0.076 seconds over Ingratta, while Maxwell was only 0.090 seconds shy of victory in third. Silveira completed an outstanding drive in fourth, with Noah Landry (Prime Powerteam/RedSpeed) rounding out the top five after surviving the frantic final-lap battle.

The championship now shifts to the Canadian Open in Mirabel, Quebec, where the 2026 RMC Ontario title will be decided. The event will count toward both the RMC Ontario and RMC Quebec championships, with 1.5-times championship points on offer, meaning a perfect weekend is worth 450 points.

Ingratta enters the finale leading the standings with 870 points, ahead of Maxwell (745) and Pacza (692), while Josh Soumvalis (611) and Mostafa (598) complete the top five. Landry, Maksim Yarich and Silveira also remain within striking distance.

With Ingratta already qualified for Team Canada, the coveted Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals ticket could ultimately fall to the championship runner-up, adding another layer of intrigue to what promises to be a spectacular finale in Mirabel.

Ayden Ingratta, Antoine Lemieux and Ryan Maxwell on the Rotax Senior podium (Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN)

Rotax Senior Final Results