During the opening weekends of club racing action in 2016, Racing Edge Motorsports’s drivers have demonstrated their potential by winning multiple races, standing on the podium and setting the fastest laps in a majority of the events thus far. With results like these, REM hopes to build off it’s early season success heading into the first round of the Eastern Canadian Karting Championship.
Starting with Briggs & Stratton Senior category, REM will be fielding Taylor Gates and Logan Cusson. Cusson, who is in his sophomore season with the team, will be looking make a name for him self in the senior ranks. In his first season with REM, Cusson improved drastically taking a front row starting spot at the nationals in Briggs & Stratton Junior while battling with the best Junior drivers in the country. Joining Cusson in the class this weekend will be long time Rotax Senior driver for the team Taylor Gates. While he’s had some good runs with the team over the years in Rotax competition, this season Gates made the decision to go back to his roots and race in Briggs Senior. Gates has had a strong start to this season winning at the second TRAK race of the season as well as driving through the field from 36th to a 6th place finish in last weekends Champion Ron Fellows karting Challenge race. Both drivers will look to work together and make their way to the front of the field come Saturday.
REM’s Gavin Sanders will be one of the favourites in Briggs & Stratton Junior this weekend. After joining the team late last season, Saunders has been finding success ever since he stepped into the Kosmic STV four cycle chassis winning his first race in the kart and having multiple podiums ever since. Along with Saunders, Nolan Bower will be competing in his first national event this weekend. After many years of being coached by REM owner Kevin Monteith, Bower will look to add on to his training by gain valuable experience this season at Goodwood Kartways.
In the Briggs & Stratton Masters category, Scott Jefferies will be the teams lone wolf this weekend. Jefferies was one of the most consistent drivers in Briggs & Stratton Senior category in 2015. Not only did Jefferies get his first National victory in the ECKC Finale at Mont Tremblant, but he also finished third in both ECKC and Coupe du Quebec Championship. After an impressive season, Jefferies is focused to win more races in 2016 and claim his first ECKC title.
Taegon Poles will be the one of two returning drivers to REM’s Rotax Senior contingent. Poles will be looking to make gains in the 2016 season working with REM to improve on her Senior rookie year in 2015. While Poles hasn’t raced many races this season REM’s driver support program will be by her side so she can make her way up the order in no time. Poles will also be joined by Logan Cusson who will be pulling double duty this weekend. This won’t be Cusson’s first major event in the Rotax Category as he jumped straight to the deep end this past winter racing at the Florida Winter Tour. Racing against the talented field of drivers in Florida was a tough task for the class rookie, but Cusson managed to hold his own narrowly missing out on a top ten finish in Ocala. Matthew Vitelli will also be running with REM this weekend and has had good pace in testing. Although Vitelli hasn’t competed in a few events this season due to other commitments, he should be on pace once racing starts Saturday. The team’s final entrant in the Senior Category will be Cameron Butler. Butler has been doing many local club races aiming to improve his racing skills. All of his hard work has been paying off and he should show some great speed this weekend.
Finally, in the local option Briggs & Stratton Junior light category, REM will have one driver, Anthony Boscia. Anthony is relatively new to the sport and will be looking to gain as much experience as possible. He has shown success during 2015 by winning the Briggs Novice championship but, in Junior Light he will be faced with a new challenge which will definitely make him a better driver.
A notable omission from the list is REM Owner/driver Kevin Monteith. This season Monteith decided it was time to hang up the helmet and focus on developing drivers under the tent to further improve the success of REM thus far.
REM is a professional go-kart racing team out of Ontario Canada. If anyone has further interest in REM please contact us by phone at (416) 671-7990 or by email at info@racingedgemotorsports.com.
