Strong Start for JV Kart in BC

The Jacques Villeneuve Kart sure has left an impression after its first few races of the season in British Columbia. Making the brand’s debut at the Greg Moore Raceway in Chilliwack, the baby blue JV Kart has stood atop the podium in its first two races.

In the hands of Zachary Claman DeMelo and competing in the TaG Senior division against a number of different chassis/engine/tire combos, the JV Kart has led the field so far at the West Coast Kart Club. In addition, Josh Finer joined DeMelo on the podium in race two, taking an impressive third-place finish.

Under the guidance of Steve Rickman, the Director of Motorsports at RaceLab, the out-of-the-box speed comes from the preparation and efforts of the entire team.

We caught up with Rickman for a quick chat about the new chassis and team that operates out of the new Area 27 Kartplex facility in Oliver, BC.

“We are super optimistic about the chassis and team so far. We are showing we can be competitive against the top drivers in the west and I’m super happy with the way the equipment is working right now. The team is a big part of why everything is working so well and we’re looking forward to the rest of the season and where it will go. Danny [Kacic] has done a great job as Team Manager we can’t wait for more races.”

He also mentioned the team plans to focus on their efforts at home in BC this summer but has their eyes on competing in Alberta, Quebec and Ontario if the schedule and current restrictions allow. They also intend to compete in the SKUSA SuperNationals in Las Vegas this coming December as Claman DeMelo is the defending X30 Senior race winner.

Claman DeMelo has been very impressed with the chassis and the team since moving to BC full time in May.

“Overall I’m really impressed with the JV chassis and our whole team. We have run on two tracks that are complete opposite tracks, one high grip, one low grip, and the kart performed extremely well at both. I’ve also been impressed by the competitiveness and professional approach of my new team. We have worked hard to put together a top-level program. I’m looking forward to showing what the kart and team can do at the national level.”