News & Notes: Coupe du Quebec Grand-Mere

It was an emotional day for those in attendance at Karting Grand Mere this past weekend as the location north of Montreal held their final karting race before it closes for good later this year. The Coupe du Quebec held their third race of the season at the popular karting track that twice hosted the ASN Canadian National Karting Championships.

To cap off the day, the three owners of the track displayed the “Last Lap” board before waving the final checkered flag.

Thomas Nepveu scores another Micro-Max victory

In the Rotax Micro-Max class, Thomas Nepveu and his SH Karting/Zanardi Kart were nearly perfect. The youngster is enjoying a great year and at Grand Mere Nepveu topped the results sheet in three of the four official sessions; winning one heat, the pre final and the Final in fine fashion. Behind Nepveu, a great race for second saw William Chayer (KMS NA/Birel), Alexandre Légaré (SH Karting/Zanardi), Patrick Woods-Toth (CRG) and Marc-Antoine Joseph (CRG) all duking it out. Chayer would hold on for the spot, with Légaré joining him on the podium.

Maxime Couturier holds on in Briggs & Stratton

Once again the largest class of the weekend, the Briggs & Stratton division saw 31 karts hit the track. As usual the action was very tight with the top-six in qualifying covered by less than two-tenths and nineteen karts within a second of pole-position. When it came to racing, ECKC Goodwood winner Tommy Lemaire-Ouellet (Zanardi) would lead the early stages of the Final ahead of Maxime Couturier (Zanardi), with Mathieu Demers (CRG) was also in the mix. Couturier made his move to the lead with two laps to go and that proved to be enough as he would hold on for victory ahead of Lemaire. Coming through the field, Jean-Francois Lafontaine (Birel) would make it all the way to third with Demers finishing fourth.

Photo Courtesy of Denys Beaudin

DD2 win for Francis Methot; Dany St-Hilaire takes DD2 Masters

It was a three horse race in Rotax DD2 as the two-speed drivers put on a show at Grand Mere. Alessandro Bizzotto (PSL Karting/CRG) was able to take the early lead only to surrender it on lap three to Dominic Legrand (CRG). Bizzotto would fall to third a lap later as Francis Methot (PSL Karting/CRG) charged to the front. Legrands lead would only last a lap with Methot taking over the point on lap five. From there, the trio would begin to separate with Methot pulling away out front en route the victory. Bizzotto would hold on and take second with Legrand third.

In the DD2 Masters division, Dany St-Hilaire (PSL Karting/CRG) added another victory with Francis Mondou (IPK Quebec/OK1) second and Martin Verville (Haase) third.

Andres Felipe De Alba Escobar Takes the Top Honours in Mini-Max

The Mini-Max class continues to put on great racing at the Coupe du Quebec. This weekend saw a new name on top of the podium as Andres Felipe De Alba Escobar (Zanardi) held off ECKC winner Charles Deschenes (SH Karting/Zanardi) to score his maiden win. Deschenes had his hands full as well with Tommy Simard (TonyKart) putting up a great fight but settling for third. Samuel Lupien (CDL/Birel) was fourth ahead of Thierry Cote (PSL Karting/CRG).

Photo Courtesy of Denys Beaudin

Steven Szigeti on Top in Rotax Senior

At Grand Mere, fourteen Rotax Seniors hit the track, the largest turnout of the Coupe du Quebec season for the category. Going flag-to-flag in the Final, Steven Szigeti (SH Karting/Zanardi) would go untouched to score his first victory of the season. Behind, PSL Karting teammates Nathan Kelly and Marc-Andre Levesque enjoyed a great battle that saw Kelly get the position at the line while SH Karting teammates Tommy Lemaire Ouellet and Maxime Couturier rounded out the top-five.

American Gavin Reichelt wins in Rotax Junior

In his second Coupe du Quebec start of the season, Gavin Reichelt (PSL Karting/CRG) was once again victorious in the Rotax Junior category. Reichelt was a winner at round #1 at SH Karting and he backed it up at Grand Mere. Christophe Paquet (CRG) did all he could but had to settle for second while Alexandre Couturier (SH Karting/Zanardi) stood on the third and final podium step. Cedrik Lupien (CDL/Birel) and Alexandre Lacroix (Zanardi) completed the top-five.

The Coupe du Quebec now welcomes the Eastern Canadian Karting Championship to their final two rounds of the 2013 Championship. Next up will be the Monaco de Trois-Rivieres on August 1-4 where the Coupe du Quebec races on Saturday and ECKC on Sunday. The series will then wrap up in September at Le Circuit Karting Mont-Tremblant when again the Coupe du Quebec races on Saturday (Sept 14) and the ECKC on Sunday (Sept 15).

Photo Courtesy of Denys Beaudin