The Mini Rok competitors put on a show this past weekend during the opening round of the Motomaster Ron Fellows Karting Championship at the Canadian Mini Indy in Hamilton.
On Saturday, Jensen Burnett (Energy Corse/Energy Kart) set the pace during the wet weather qualifying but slipped down the order in the PreFinal. Savio Paniccia (PRO-Mosport/CL Kart) moved up to score the PreFinal win and set himself on the pole position for the Final.
With the group switching to slick tires for the dry Final it was evident that a number of different setup strategies were used.
Paniccia held the early lead before Pearsall took his turn at the top. He led until lap nine when Major Makovskis (PRO-Mosport/CL Kart) took advantage of a squabble between Pearsall and Burnett to grab the lead.
It didn’t last long as Burnett put the pressure on the new race leader and went to the point a lap later.
Pulling out a small lead, Burnett was in control a late-race charge from Pearce Wade (Prime/BirelART) came knocking on his rear bumper. Closing in with three laps to go, they traded the lead a number of times on the final laps. Burnett got out front with three corners to go and held on to the finish line to cross 0.065 seconds ahead.
After the race, a pushback bumper penalty moved Burnett back to third in the finish order and elevated Wade to the race win and Makovskis to second on the podium, while Pearsall and Mayer Deonarine (Exprit Kart) rounded the top-five after Alexis Baillargeon (TRT/Parolin) was penalized from fourth for gaining position after the formation line.
MRFKC1 Rok Mini Saturday Final Results
1
Pearce Wade
2
Major Makovskis
2.920
3
Jensen Burnett
4.935
4
Jackson Pearsall
9.358
5
Mayer Deonarine
11.775
6
Alexis Baillargeon
7.280
7
Matthew Roach
15.633
8
Edward Kennedy
15.917
9
Savio Paniccia
18 laps
10
Decklan Deonarine
20 laps
Burnett, who has spent a good portion of the last six months racing in Italy, stormed to the pole position on Sunday, posting a lap nearly three-tenths of a second quicker than his competition.
After moving up to second in the PreFinal behind Burnett, Baillargeon had a great start from the outside of the front row to leap out to the early lead.
Leading the first five laps while under pressure from Burnett, Baillargeon surrendered the top spot on lap six.
It was pretty uneventful from there as Burnett pulled out to a 3.2-second margin of victory. Makovskis closed in late on Baillargeon but didn’t get close enough to challenge for the second position on the podium.
Wade was a distant fourth while Paniccia was fifth after Edward Kennedy (TRT/Parolin) was accessed a three-second penalty for being out of his lane at the start.
