Lucas Pace, the Rotax Max Junior champion, will be another Maltese driver participating in the next round of the Rotax Max Challenge Sicilia at the Pista del Sole, Mellili, on Sunday.

Although only 15, Pace has been driving for five years and has already raced in Sicily. He also had the opportunity to participate in the Rotax Max World Grand Finals in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, last December.

In the World Grand Finals he had to compete against the best 71 drivers in the world. Given such a difficult racing experience in a foreign environment, he did not get the placing he was hoping for but it was certainly an excellent learning opportunity.

Pace showed what he learnt in Egypt when he went to Sicily earlier this year at the Kartodromo Castelvetrano in Triscina.

There he left a good impression, clocking the second fastest time of 51.767 seconds in the qualifying session for the pole position. He placed second again in both the pre-final and the final.

It is going to be interesting to see how Pace and Adrian Cauchi are going to perform at the Pista del Sole as they seek to secure a podium finish. This is going to be the first time for Pace at this racing track, while Cauchi raced there in a different regional championship three years ago and finished third.

In some kart races in Sicily, separate timings are published for different classes and this is expected to be the case in Mellili.

The Italian drivers will, no doubt, be doing their best to accumulate more points for their own championship, so the race is not going to be easy for the Maltese drivers.

Pace drives a PCR MXK3 kart with the Rotax Max Fr 125 engine.

He will be assisted by mechanic Joseph Zaffarese, in addition to members of his family. Pace is still going to school but is succeeding to keep a good balance between his studies and his favourite sport.