Saturday’s action at the Steel Ring in Trinec delivered an intense day of racing for Round 2 of the 2025 Rotax MAX Challenge Euro Trophy. After a dry and consistent start in the morning, rain arrived midway through the afternoon, reshuffling the dynamics and rewarding those who adapted quickly to the slippery conditions.
Mini MAX – Smith takes over after late shake-up
The weekend had started with Riley Murro (Sam Pollitt Racing) setting the overall fastest lap in qualifying, while Mathias Drexler (KRT Racing Team) impressed in Group 2. Alfie Mair (SFR Motorsport) opened his account with a win in the first heat and looked strong throughout the day.
However, an off-track-related disqualification cost Mair a win and dropped him out of the top five, shuffling the standings dramatically. Lucien Smith (KR Sport) took full advantage of the situation and will start tomorrow from pole, flanked by teammate Oliver Spencer and Tom Read (Strawberry Racing). Murro remains a contender in fourth.
Junior MAX – Ashcroft remains unstoppable, but Ghandour is very close
After dominating Friday with a clean sweep in qualifying and heat wins, Jacob Ashcroft (Dan Holland Racing) continued to impress on Saturday, securing a perfect 4/4 across both days.
Rayan Ghandour (KR Sport) will start from pole in Prefinal B, thanks to consistent top-three results that rewarded his calm approach to tricky track conditions. Right behind him are Mate Kobakhidze (Dan Holland Racing) and Boaz Maximov (Bouvin Power).
Senior MAX – Bishop edges out Butcher in tense finale
Macauley Bishop (Dan Holland Racing) had already claimed overall pole with a late-session flyer on Friday, and he carried that momentum into Saturday’s heats. In a tight back-and-forth with Sean Butcher (KR Sport), the decisive clash came in the final heat, where Bishop came out on top.
Butcher will start close behind, while Dan Holland Racing shows strength in numbers: three more of their drivers feature in the top seven — Ties van Wijk, the fast and consistent Tereza Babickova and Lizzy Mentier.
DD2 / DD2 Masters – Zsebo and De Ruwe still in command
After dominating Friday’s qualifying, Bende Zsebo (Birelart by KSB) confirmed his frontrunner status in DD2 with solid heat results that keep him at the top heading into Sunday. Behind him, Jakub Bezel (Kraft Motorsport) and Michael Rosina (MKC Motorsport) complete the provisional top three.
In DD2 Masters, Xen De Ruwe (AKK Sportstil) was once again untouchable, converting his pace into consistent heat wins and retaining the category lead.
What’s Next
The final day of racing at Trinec promises high-stakes action as drivers battle for crucial points and podium glory.
Sunday, June 8: Warm-up from 9.00 am, Prefinals from 10.40 am, Finals from 1.45 pm. The Pre-finals and Finals will be broadcast live.