Kingsley Heading to Grand Finals for Fourth Straight Year

A dominant force in Rotax DD2 since he joined the category in 2014, Jeff Kingsley has been a staple on Team Canada at the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals and this coming week he will make his fourth straight appearance on the global stage, competing at the Sarno Karting Circuit in Italy.

As a driver who enjoys a challenge and steps up his game at the larger events, Kingsley is aiming for the top of the podium in Italy after three previous years of great pace, but falling short on the final result. He qualified third in New Orleans in Rotax Junior, winning a couple heat races as well that year but trouble found him in the Final. A year later in Spain and now in DD2, Kingsley scored his best finish to date, qualifying sixth overall and coming home tenth at the line. Last year, Kingsley qualified thirteenth and finished eighteenth after trouble in the PreFinal forced him to start the Final from the tail of the grid.

Kingsley secured his ticket to the Rotax Grand Finals via two victories at the US Open Championship (Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN)

Needless to say, he is deserving of a break at the Grand Finals on Championship Saturday and he is ready for the challenge.

“It is a great pleasure to be representing Team Canada at this year’s Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals,” explains Kinglsey. “Both my mechanic, Sylvain Clair, and I are well prepared for this year’s finals and every fellow DD2 driver is a close friend. It will be both a fun and intense finals for me but I am excited to go.”

Given how his season has gone so far, Kingsley is full of confidence heading to Italy after scoring wins all over North America in 2016, including sweeping the US Open rounds and dominating the Eastern Canadian Karting Championship.

“For both myself and Sylvain, our goal is to become the 2016 Rotax DD2 World Champions. As a team we are confident in our abilities and preparation for the event so winning is the top priority. Out of my entire racing career, I have never felt so confident in my abilities as I do now.”

While Kingsley is only 18 years old, he speaks and acts like a veteran on and off the track, especially when we asked about his preparation for the big race.

“The best way to prepare for the Grand Finals is through seat time. I have been fortunate enough for my family to fund many races and practice sessions both in Canada and internationally. This has helped both with the development of driving skills, mental adolescence, and diversified driving styles. Other forms of preparation include training at the gym, video analysis, and mental preparation’s.”

Kingsley is one of four Team Canada drivers in Rotax DD2 at the Rotax Grand Finals, all of whom are great friends (Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN)

And like almost all of his teammates, he is heading to Italy not only to race, but to enjoy the food and take in the sights and spend some quality time with his friends and family while abroad.

“I will be enjoying the Italian food, historic scenery, and good company. It is a grateful experience to travel anywhere in the world so it will be good attend another amazing place.”

The Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals runs from October 16 to 22 in Sarno, Italy. Team Canada has qualified 17 drivers to compete in the event and CKN is the official media partner for Team Canada covering every aspect of the event. Tune in often as we preview members of the team travelling to Italy.