Williams Survives the Drama to Win Rotax DD2 at Canada Final

The Rotax DD2 category at the 2025 Max Karting Group Canada Final was packed with returning Grand Finals contenders, experienced veterans, and a handful of young challengers, all chasing the same prize: a ticket to Bahrain and the Rotax Grand Finals.

From the first session, it was clear this was going to be more than just a battle of speed. Gamesmanship was on full display all weekend, from drivers waiting out large portions of practice and Qualifying, to strategically avoiding the lead in sessions. Every move on track seemed to have a second layer, and it made for compelling, and at times, head-scratching viewing.

In the end, consistency beat chaos. American Macy Williams (CB Motorsport/OTK) managed the weekend with a steady hand, collecting solid points across all three race days and navigating the drama just well enough to secure the championship.

Friday

Friday’s PreFinal started out exciting, as the top seven drivers were trading positions lap after lap until the race settled down and Williams led Lucas Pernod (SCR-PSL/BirelART) across the finish line.

The Final was rather uneventful as Williams broke away early and Pernod was unable to catch her to battle for the race lead. Behind them, a solid race for the final step of the podium featured Griffin Dowler (Apollo Motorsports/OTK) trading rubber with Matthew Taskinen (Taskinen Motorsports/CRG), along with Nolan Bower (Premier Karting/TonyKart), while Lucas Nanji (HM Propela/Kart Republic) and Ludovic Sabourin (HM Propela/Kart Republic) were just behind.

Williams scored the victory by 3.8 seconds over Pernod, with Dowler working his way onto the podium in third place.

Saturday

Tire strategy came into play on Saturday with a number of drivers opting for their second set of new tires in Qualifying. Williams ripped off the quick time in Qualifying, but Dowler drove to the PreFinal win over Taskinen and Nanji as Williams finished two laps down.

The Saturday Final was the breaking point for many as Nanji, Sabourin, Bower, Pernod and Taskinen bolted on their new tires.

Dowler led a very slow pace lap and gridded up a field for the start.

Getting the lead, Dowler immediately went on the defensive, white lining, blocking, braking early and counterattacking every driver that attempted to gain the lead.

All eleven karts were in the lead pack, with the pace well off the speed these DD2 machines were capable of. For the first half of the race, Dowler fought off attack after attack from Nanji, Pernod and Taskinen, with the others trading positions based on opportunities and the accordion effect.

Finally, just after the halfway mark, Pernod was able to find a way by Dowler after the chicane, with a little help from the bumper. More contact down the order saw Bennett MacKay’s (SCR/Kosmic) race come to an end in the field, and the lead pack was broken up from there.

Pernod pulled away and was the first to cross the finish line. Nanji was never able to find a way by Dowler. Bower was the fourth across the finish line, followed by Williams and Sabourin.

But these results were far from official.

A number of penalties were issued. Pernod activated his pushback to add 5 seconds to his time. Dowler was penalized 5 seconds for contact early in the race defending the lead, and Bower also had a pushback bumper.

When the dust settled, Nanji was awarded the race win, followed by Taskinen, Pernod, Williams and Sabourin.

Lucas Nanji celebrates his race victory – Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN

Sunday

Entering the final day, Williams led Taskinen by 9 points, with Nanji 12 points back. Pernod, Dowler and Sabourin were still within striking distance, too.

Nanji led the way in Qualifying with a heater, more than two-tenths of a second quicker than his rivals.

In the rain for the first time, the PreFinal saw Williams return to the top over Pernod to help add to her points lead.

With the track drying, all of the DD2 drivers switched back to slick tires just before the Final race.

Williams led the opening laps, but Nanji was quick to pressure her for the race lead. He made a move in the penultimate corner to gain the lead, and Williams was forced to defend P2 from Sabourin, down the main straight. Sabourin never lifted and pushed her wide into corner one.

Nanji controlled the race from there and did what he needed to put himself in position to win the championship, with Sabourin keeping close but never putting too much pressure on his teammate. Williams held off Pernod to secure P3 at the finish line, followed by Dowler and Taskinen.

But once again, post-race penalties played a role. Sabourin was docked for the contact with Williams, moving her up to second in the race, and giving her just enough points to take the overall title.

Had the penalty not been issued, Williams and Nanji would have been tied, with Nanji earning the tiebreaker thanks to two race wins.

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After three days of intense racing, tire strategy gambles, defensive driving clinics, and a few key stewards’ decisions, Macy Williams emerged as the 2025 Rotax DD2 Canada Final Champion. She will represent Team USA at the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in Bahrain this fall, a fitting reward for a weekend where calm consistency ultimately triumphed over chaos.

Nanji’s late surge earned him second in the championship, while last year’s winner Pernod, settled for third. Taskinen and Dowler rounded out the top five.

It was a weekend to remember, and one that reminded everyone just how fine the margins can be when a ticket to the world stage is on the line.

Macy Williams, Rotax DD2 Canada Final Champion – Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN