Canadian Teams Score Big at Rotax Winter Trophy!

Canadian drivers sure left a strong impression at the Rotax Winter Trophy in Texas, scoring race wins, podiums and a ticket to the Rotax Grand Finals, but in addition to the drivers, a number of Canadian teams were successful as well, hosting drivers from around the world and driving home three championships.

Prime Powerteam, Premier Karting and Pfaff Kartsport were just a few of many teams hosting international drivers for the RMC Winter Trophy, most from the United Kingdom, and each of them shared a helping hand in winning a championship.

Pfaff Kartsport hosted the defending Senior Max Rotax Grand Finals Champion Macauley Bishop in their colours and he showcased why he is currently one of the best kart racers in the world, fighting and clawing his way to the RMC Winter Trophy title in by far the most competitive category of the series. Bishop scored a win, a second, a third and in the final race of the event, drove from last on the grid to the top three before being crashed out on the final lap.

Pfaff also hosted Cameron Nelson from the UK. He secured two podium appearances, including a stellar victory in Sunday’s final event.

Pfaff does share a collaboration with Dan Holland Racing, a powerhouse in European karting, and together the team scored a number of strong results, including a pair of podium finishes for Antoine Bazinet in his Rotax Junior debut.

Tony Silveira, Pfaff Kartsport
“For Pfaff Kartsport, it’s about continuing to grow our brand and strengthening our relationship with our engine partner, DHR-Time Racing Engines. Hosting some of Dan Holland’s drivers during the Rotax Winter Trophy showcases the investment we are making to develop a Rotax Engine Program for North America. DHR has been highly successful in Europe and the UK with talented drivers and exceptional engine tuning. Having Bishop and Nelson driving under our banner and winning Championships is amazing for our team and brand.”

Mccauley Bishop leads the way in Rotax Senior – Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN

Prime Powerteam is no stranger to hosting international drivers during their trips to the USA for winter races, hosting world champions in the past, but over the past three winters, their connection with Aurum Racing Engines has helped steer some very strong young guns to the team to compete.

One of those drivers, James Roots from the UK, was back for his second Rotax Winter Trophy, looking to improve on his impressive attempt last year that saw him come up just short of the title in Orlando.

Roots was dominant in Texas, qualifying on the pole position for all four races, sweeping two race days and adding a third race victory. He was en route to a fourth victory on Sunday, leading by a decent margin before pulling off early to confirm his title. All of this led to the championship and his first invitation to the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals.

Prime was also the home for Rotax Junior driver Aidan Hammond, who drove to victory in Race 2, en route to a third-place ranking in the final standings.

Undoubtedly, having these international stars helped their Canadian drivers develop as racers, as Olivier Chasse, Lincoln Lima and Ava Cabral were able to compare and learn from their international teammates.

Trevor Wickens, Prime Powerteam:
“It’s always a privilege hosting international drivers. It’s an opportunity to see how your program stacks up to the expectations of drivers from overseas. When a driver seamlessly adapts to your program, you can be proud that your program is at the level of European karting.”

James Roots celebrating his victory in Race 3 of the Rotax Winter Trophy – Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN

The third Canadian squad to host a championship-winning international driver was Premier Karting.

Premier shares a technical partnership with Strawberry Racing and their Cream Racing Engines department, providing a number of racers in the paddock with engine rentals for the event, many of whom used that power to secure race wins and podiums throughout the two weekends in Texas. Of note, Rotax Junior driver Benym Abernethy utilized a Cream Racing Engine to power his way to the championship.

But in addition, they hosted a pair of drivers from the UK who competed aboard the RCE chassis in the Micro Max division. The duo of Freddie Baker and Arthur Rhodes were dominant contenders from start to finish, winning all four finals and finishing 1-2 in the championship, with Baker being the first driver in the world to win a 2026 Rotax Grand Finals ticket in Micro Max.

Freddie Baker and his RCE chassis – Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN

In addition to these three teams, Racing Edge Motorsports and PSL Karting were also able to score race wins with their drivers in Texas. Overall, there was a ton of Canadian performances on display at the Rotax Winter Trophy and a showcase of just how strong our programs are, regardless of where we race.

Now, if only we could get some more international drivers to compete at our major events in Canada to show them how strong we are on home turf!