2014 CKN Year in Review Awards: Western Canadian Driver of the Year

For the second year in a row we present the CKN Year in Review Awards. We here at Canadian Karting News decided to create our own set of awards, all pertaining to categories we feel worthy and throughout the final weeks of 2014, we will highlight an award for categories such as Junior and Senior driver’s of the year in both the Rotax Max and Briggs & Stratton divisions, helmet design of the year, Canadian event of the year among many others.

To see the full list of awards and announcement dates, click here.

While these are all the opinion of CKN, you can let us know who you think deserved each award. Using the comments below each article, let us know who you feel was worthy of the award and a short blurb why you believe so.

**2014 Western Canadian Driver of the Year**
2013 Winner: Coltin McCaughan

Nominees:

– John Buzza
– Bryce Choquer
– Ryan Martin
– Coltin McCaughan
– Jordan Redlin
– Carson Vogel

Winner: Coltin McCaughan

There were plenty of performances by drivers hailing from the western provinces of Canada that caught our attention in 2014 and while they don’t always get as much exposure on CKN as we would like, we still take this award very seriously.

We had some very serious delineation’s as to who would be awarded the Western Canadian Driver of the Year. Both Bryce Choquer and Coltin McCaughan were in a field of their own in the Western Canadian Championship where the championship came down to the wire, while both drivers also made their presence known at other major events across North America.

Choquer claimed the title as well as a championship podium in the Rotax CAN-AM Challenge, but McCaughan was strong all season long as well, standing on the championship podium in the WCC, Eastern Canadian Karting Championship and ASN Canadian National Championship as a rookie in the Rotax Senior division.

Needless to say, the decision was so close we had to call in some support to help us out.

2010 Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals DD2 Masters World Champion Scott Campbell traded in his go-kart for a headset this summer and he had the best view in the house of this rivalry, offering up his two-cents and helping us make our decision.

“This year the Senior Max class in the WCC was a tight race right up to the last round. I had a different view being on track as the Race Director and was keeping a watchful eye on everyone. The battle between Coltin and Bryce was at top level. Bryce edged out Coltin for the championship but in my eyes Coltin deserved it just as much. Coltin had three wins to Bryce’s two. He had just missed out on consistency that Bryce pulled to the table. Coltin then continued his excellent way out east at ECKC and Nationals with podiums. Coltin has earned the Western Driver of the year with nothing but hard work and a great attitude. Well deserved.”

To both McCaughan and Choquer we can only hope this rivalry continues in 2015 and beyond!

Coltin McCaughan (Photo by: Cody Schindel/CKN)