The 2013 Western Canadian Karting Championships are underway at the beautiful Warburg Kart Track, south west of Edmonton, Alberta. The best of the west have gathered for the one round Western Canadian Championship, new this year after past years have seen a three-round series. Tickets are up for the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in four classes, with great action throughout the entire lineup of classes.
Friday saw drivers hit the track for qualifying and their first heat, while Saturday hosted heat two and three to set the grid for Sunday’s Prefinals. Beautiful sunny skies were in sight on friday, but things changed on Saturday with overcast in the morning, with rain falling for the afternoon heat races.
Starting from the pole-position, Bryce Choquer (BBR/TonyKart) held on in heat one, holding off a hard charging Adam Dowler (Apollo/TonyKart) and Zacharie Scalzo (Kevin Glover Karting/Kosmic). Choquer backed it up in heat two taking the top honours again, with Dowler and Scalzo again in check.
However, things would shake up in heat three as the Rotax Seniors hit a fast drying track. Almost everyone elected for slicks, but before the pace lap was complete Choquer found himself on the sidelines with his chain off. He did put it back on in time to join the back of the of the grid for the start, but it wouldn’t last long and Choquer was done.
Dowler would take the early lead as the track quickly dried up and would cruise to the heat win. Behind him, plenty of action would see Tommy Lemaire-Ouellett (TonyKart) running second before contact with Skylar Dunning (LH Kart) woudl push him down the order and allow Scalzo to move into third. Quietly running in fourth, Matthew Moniz (Kosmic) would join leaders as the heat completed but would settle for fourth. Lemaire would cross in fifth, but a penalty for a post-race contact with Dunning would move him to seventh.
With the heats complete, Dowler stands on top with two seconds and a win. Scalzo will line up beside him with Dunning and Choquer filling row two, while row three has Lemaire and Moniz.
