We are incredibly proud to announce that seven Prime Powerteam drivers have earned tickets to the 2026 Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals in Portugal.
A Grand Finals appearance is a bucket-list goal for almost every Rotax driver. It is something racers work toward for years and, for many, something they can only dream of achieving. We have been fortunate to bring drivers to each of the last several Grand Finals, but having seven drivers qualify while racing under the Prime Powerteam tent represents a new milestone for our program and something we are incredibly proud of.
The honours, of course, belong first and foremost to the drivers. They are the ones behind the wheel, putting in the laps, dealing with the pressure and delivering when it matters most. But an accomplishment like this also takes an entire team.
Our engine partner, Aurum Racing Engines, provided incredible power and support throughout the season. Our dedicated mechanics and tuners worked countless hours preparing equipment and finding every bit of performance available, while our coaching staff worked with each driver to help them continue developing throughout the year.
It took everyone working together to make this possible.
In total, Prime Powerteam drivers captured six of the Canadian Grand Finals tickets available in 2026, plus one international ticket. With Canada receiving just 14 tickets in total, having six of them earned by drivers racing with Prime is an incredible national accomplishment.
Our seven tickets came through four different championships:
- 2 — RMC Ontario Championship
- 3 — Canada Western Final
- 1 — RMC Quebec Championship
- 1 — RMC US Trophy
Three Mini MAX drivers. One Junior MAX driver. Three Senior MAX drivers.
Here is the story of Prime Powerteam’s Road to Portugal.
MINI MAX
James Roots — RMC US Trophy Champion
Our first Grand Finals ticket of 2026 came before the Canadian season had even begun.
James Roots travelled with us to New Caney, Texas for the RMC US Trophy, contested over two weekends from January 23 through February 1.
Texas wasn’t exactly waiting for us with sunshine and warm weather. We were greeted by frigid temperatures and major storms, with conditions bad enough that one of the races had to be postponed.
It wasn’t the ideal way to start a racing season, but championships aren’t always won in ideal conditions.
James was the class of the Mini MAX field.
He cruised to victory in each of the first three races and was set to start from pole for Race 4. With the championship using a best-three-of-four format with one drop, those three victories meant James had already mathematically secured the title.
With the championship wrapped up, James started the final race, built himself a comfortable lead and then pulled into the pits. Instead of chasing another victory he didn’t need, he stepped aside and watched the rest of the field battle for the final win of the championship.
It was a classy end to a dominant championship performance.
More importantly, James had secured our first ticket to Portugal.
As it turned out, that was only the beginning of an incredible season for our Mini MAX program.
Yousef Adi — RMC Ontario Champion
It is difficult to imagine putting together a much stronger Canadian Rotax season than the one Yousef Adi produced in 2026.
Yousef earned his Grand Finals ticket through the RMC Ontario Championship, where he was nearly untouchable.
He won each of the opening three rounds before finishing second at the Canadian Open, securing the championship by an incredible 200-point margin.
One championship would have been impressive enough.
Yousef wasn’t finished.
He went on to win the US Trophy Final and then added the RMC Quebec Championship to his season as well.
A driver can only claim one Grand Finals ticket, but Yousef effectively qualified three separate times in 2026.
Three championships. Three different paths to a Grand Finals ticket.
An absolutely incredible season and one that established Yousef as one of the standout Mini MAX drivers in the country.
Now he gets the opportunity to take that success to the biggest Rotax race in the world.
Lincoln Lima — Canada Western Final Winner
Lincoln Lima’s road to Portugal looked very different.
His Canadian season didn’t get off to the start anyone had hoped for. An early injury at a KartStars event sidelined Lincoln for several weeks and forced him to miss the opening round of the RMC Ontario Championship, effectively taking him out of contention for that ticket before his season had really begun.
He returned for the opening RMC Quebec event but was still recovering from an injury making it difficult to be at his best.
Plan A hadn’t worked.
Plan B hadn’t worked.
So Lincoln went to Plan C.
He travelled west for the Canada Western Final and put himself in contention from the beginning, running inside the top five throughout the event.
Then, when it mattered most, he saved his best performance for last.
Lincoln won the Final and, with it, claimed his first RMC Grand Finals ticket.
It was a perfect example of persistence. His season could easily have been defined by the injury and the opportunities it took away. Instead, Lincoln kept looking for another opportunity until he found one — and then made the absolute most of it.
He’ll be joining James and Yousef to give Prime Powerteam three Mini MAX drivers on the grid in Portugal.
JUNIOR MAX
Olivier Chassé — Canada Western Final
Olivier Chassé will be our lone Junior MAX representative at the 2026 Grand Finals, and he has certainly earned his place.
Olivier was a force throughout the season and consistently found himself at the sharp end of some extremely competitive Junior MAX fields.
He finished third in the RMC Ontario Championship and followed that with a second-place finish at the Canadian Open.
But some of his best racing came in August.
Olivier delivered victories on back-to-back weekends, winning at both the Canada Western Final and the Canadian Karting Championship.
His Western Final performance secured his Grand Finals ticket and punched his ticket to Portugal.
Olivier also brings a significant amount of international racing experience with him. He knows what it is like to compete outside of Canada against unfamiliar drivers, tracks and conditions, and that experience should serve him well when he arrives at the Grand Finals.
He has shown all season that he belongs at the front of the field. Now he’ll have the opportunity to test himself against the best Rotax Junior drivers from around the world.
SENIOR MAX
Three Prime Powerteam Senior MAX drivers will make the trip to Portugal, giving us an experienced and exciting group ready to represent Canada on the world stage.
Ryan Maxwell — RMC Ontario Champion
Ryan Maxwell was the first of our Senior drivers to secure his ticket, winning the 2026 RMC Ontario Championship.
Like Yousef in Mini MAX, apparently one championship wasn’t enough.
Ryan also went on to clinch the RMC Quebec Championship and came incredibly close to capturing his second consecutive Canadian Karting Championship.
Ryan returns to the Grand Finals after competing at the event last year, where he showed tremendous pace but endured more than his share of bad luck.
That experience matters.
The Grand Finals is unlike almost any other karting event. The size of the field, level of competition, pressure and format all create a unique challenge. Ryan has been there, experienced it and knows what to expect.
This time he returns with another year of experience and another outstanding season behind him.
He’ll suit up for Team Canada once again, ready to show what he can do on the world stage.
Arnaud Sabourin — Canada Western Final
Our second Senior MAX ticket was earned by Arnaud Sabourin at the Canada Western Final.
Arnaud is fast just about everywhere he goes, and when a Grand Finals ticket was on the line out west, he delivered.
A second-place finish was enough to secure his place in Portugal and add another Grand Finals appearance to his racing résumé.
Arnaud brings plenty of international experience into the event. He has spent significant time racing in Europe and has previous RMC Grand Finals experience, meaning there will be very few surprises waiting for him when he arrives in Portugal.
He understands the level of competition, the intensity of the event and what it takes to compete against some of the best Rotax drivers in the world.
We can’t wait to see what he can deliver.
Noah Landry — RMC Quebec
Rounding out our seven Grand Finals ticket winners is Noah Landry.
Noah has quietly put together a very impressive rookie Senior MAX season.
Making the jump into Senior is never easy, but Noah took on the challenge with a full racing calendar that included both the RMC Ontario and RMC Quebec championships.
One of the biggest keys to putting together a successful championship season is consistency, and that is where Noah delivered.
Race after race, he continued putting himself near the front, collecting strong results and accumulating points. That consistency ultimately paid off when he earned the Senior MAX Grand Finals ticket through the RMC Quebec Championship.
It is a tremendous achievement for a young driver who is still developing and already performing well beyond what would normally be expected in a rookie Senior season.
The Grand Finals will be another massive opportunity to continue that development. Noah will be racing against some of the best Senior MAX drivers in the world, gaining experience that simply cannot be replicated anywhere else.
We are excited to see what he can accomplish in Portugal — and equally excited about the lessons and experience he will bring home with him.
Seven Drivers. One Team. One Destination.
James Roots.
Yousef Adi.
Lincoln Lima.
Olivier Chassé.
Ryan Maxwell.
Arnaud Sabourin.
Noah Landry.
Seven drivers who took seven very different roads to arrive at the same destination.
Some dominated championships from the opening race. Some had to overcome setbacks and find another path. Some relied on outright victories, while others put together consistently strong seasons that ultimately delivered the points they needed.
Together, they earned six of Canada’s 14 available Grand Finals tickets, plus an international ticket through the RMC US Trophy.
For Prime Powerteam, sending seven drivers to the RMC Grand Finals is an accomplishment we are extremely proud of. More than anything, it is a reflection of what can happen when talented drivers, dedicated mechanics and tuners, experienced coaches and strong technical partners all work toward the same goal.
Once again, a huge thank you to Aurum Racing Engines, our entire team of mechanics, tuners and coaches, and everyone who has supported these drivers throughout the season.
Most importantly, congratulations to James, Yousef, Lincoln, Olivier, Ryan, Arnaud and Noah.
The tickets have been earned.
Next stop: Portugal.
