PR: Goodwood Kartways ECKC Round Two Race Report

Goodwood Kartways was on display in full force a week ago as its operations team was in special event mode hosting the second round of the Eastern Canadian Karting Championship and its race team was supporting over 30 drivers in the paddock. Definitely showing the talent of its roster and the breadth of knowledge the race team support staff has, Goodwood/Intrepid had a driver cross top-three in seven of nine classes and sent ten different drivers up the podium steps!

“It just goes to show what we can do as a race team supporting drivers under our tent along with all those who take our products on track,” said Team Manager Marco Di Leo, who made a switch to developing the Intrepid Briggs & Stratton platform after retiring from the Rotax Senior Championship at Mosport due to injury. “We’ve definitely been at this long enough to put on great events, and our experience supporting and helping develop drivers at all levels is definitely something we’re proud of. We always have the range from rookies to champions around the team, and we work to see each do well and achieve their goals at the track. It’s just awesome when they do, and we have a great weekend like we did at Goodwood.”

Proof of the point runs from Christopher Chanko to Zachary Claman DeMelo. A graduate of the Goodwood Kartways arrive-and-drive program, Chanko raced in Micro-Max last year in his first year with the team and this season races Mini-Max with Goodwood/Intrepid. He qualified on the front row Saturday, but was knocked down the order in the PreFinal, finishing tenth. He then rebounded in the Final, crossing fourth and setting the fastest lap of the race in the process. Sunday he qualified fourth to start the day, moved up to second in the PreFinal and then held position there in the Final to earn his first podium of the ECKC season, once again setting the fastest lap in the field.

Zachary Claman DeMelo (c) on the Rotax Senior podium (Photo by: Cody Schindel/CKN)

At the other end of the spectrum is DeMelo, who after going two-one at the opening round swept both days at Goodwood to strengthen his points lead in Rotax Senior. DeMelo has been a class champion at the end of every ECKC season, and this year is looking to make it back-to-back in Senior just as he did in securing Junior titles. Feeling at home on the track where he won the 2013 Canadian National Championship, DeMelo put his HRS/Intrepid on pole by over two-tenths on Saturday, then won the PreFinal by over four seconds and the Final by more than five. Back on pole Sunday, the field drew closer in the timed session and the PreFinal, but DeMelo was once again well clear in the Final when he crossed over four seconds up.

Other drivers to climb to the podium tower and spray champagne included Tyler McCullough and Gavin Saunders together in Briggs Junior, kicking off a day that had seven Goodwood/Intrepid drivers in the tower. Di Leo was third in Briggs Senior, Chanko second in Mini-Max, Max Preston third in DD2 and Francis Mondou third in DD2 Masters. A day earlier Xavier Harris and Tyler Kashak were each second, the former in Mini-Max and the latter in DD2, and Joe Crupi scored his first National podium with third place in DD2 Masters. Full driver results can be seen below.

Christopher Chanko scored his first Mini-Max podium on Sunday at Goodwood. (Photo by: Cody Schindel/CKN)

The spirit of the team was perhaps best exemplified during the DD2 Final on Sunday when many were tearing down and packing up. After a first corner accident badly damaged Kashak’s Intrepid entry, team members rallied to the cause during a red flag stoppage and set to work repairing it. In just over seven minutes, a crew straightened the steering column and replaced three tie rod ends, two tie rods, one spindle, a front brake disk and the air box before sprinting back down the pit lane in a mad dash. They missed the green flag – where is a waved start when you need one – but Kashak entered late and went on to set the fourth-best lap time in finishing seventh. An epic performance all around to be sure.

The Eastern Canadian Karting Championship resumes August 2nd at Le Monaco de Trois-Rivieres with races 5 and 6. For more information on how Goodwood Kartways can assist you there in Rotax or Briggs & Stratton classes, please contact Team Manager marco@goodwoodkartways.com and visit goodwoodkartways.com

Goodwood/Intrepid Driver Results – ECKC 2, Goodwood Kartways

Briggs & Stratton Junior
Tyler McCullough – 16th, 2nd
Gavin Saunders – 5th, 3rd
Nicholas Hornbostel – 15th, 5th
Chaston Cullum – 8th, 20th
Sebastian Fazzina – 19th, 10th
Riley Jackson – 11th, 15th

Briggs & Stratton Senior
Marco Di Leo – 8th, 3rd
Kyle Rennie – 18th, 27th

Briggs & Stratton Masters
Dave Anderson – 6th, 5th

Rotax Micro-Max
Gianluca Savaglio – 4th, 8th
Dale Curran – 9th, 5th
Austin Boyle – 5th, 11th
Anthony Sardelleti – 6th, 12th
Ryland Duesburry – 12th, 7th
Lorenzo Morsillo – 8th, 13th

Rotax Mini-Max
Christopher Chanko – 4th, 2nd
Xavier Harris – 2nd, 6th
Cole Hooton – 8th, 8th

Rotax Junior
Russell Boyle – 7th, 25th
Jordan Slipacoff – 23rd, 10th

Rotax Senior
Zachary Claman DeMelo – 1st, 1st – Championship Leader
Tyler Kashak – 7th, 8th
Aleki Liverant – 18th, 24th
Nate Spinks – 24th
Jeffrey Oswald – 29th

Rotax DD2
Tyler Kashak – 2nd, 7th
Max Preston – 5th, 3rd
Elvis Stojko – 7th, 5th

Rotax DD2 Masters
Francis Mondou – 11th, 3rd
Joe Crupi – 3rd, 7th
David Nevin – 5th, 8th
John Cariati – 8th, 6th
Paulo Gomes – 12th, 11th

*Team Facts: Goodwood Kartways is in Stouffville, Ontario, Canada, where drivers can progress from turning rental kart laps to world championships. The Goodwood Kartways race team annually represents the facility at National and International Championships like the Florida Winter Tour, Eastern Canadian Karting Championship, Canadian National Championships and SKUSA SuperNationals.

It has also had drivers contest the Pan-American Rotax Max Challenge, the World Karting Association Manufacturer’s Cup, the Rotax European Championship, the Rotax International Open Championship and the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals. Goodwood Kartways operates in conjunction with Intrepid S.r.l. in Verona, Praga Kart, HRS Racing Engines, IMAF Racing Seats and Vega Tires.