2013 CKN Year in Review Awards: Junior Driver of the Year

Looking back at the successful year that 2013 was, we here at Canadian Karting News decided to create our own set of awards, all pertaining to categories we feel worthy. Throughout the final weeks of 2013, we will highlight an award for categories such as Junior and Senior driver’s of the year, helmet design of the year, Canadian event of the year, best appearing kart among many others.

While these are all the opinion of CKN, you can let us know who you think deserved each award. Using the comments below each article, let us know who you feel was worthy of the award and a short blurb why you believe so.

*Junior Driver of the Year*

Nominee’s:
– Devlin Defrancesco
– Jeff Kingsley
– Gianfranco Mazzaferro
– Coltin McCaughan
– Christophe Paquet

Winner: Jeff Kingsley

What a colourful year in Rotax Junior. In 2013 the class welcomed many new faces who graduated from the Mini-Max division, giving those who returned for their second or third year a handful. At the Eastern Canadian Karting Championship, four different drivers were able to top the podium, with a fifth driver taking the win at the Canadian National Championships. Add the winner from the Western Canadian Championship and there were six drivers all leaving their mark on the class this year across the country.

Earning

the honour as our Junior driver of the year was Jeffrey Kingsley, as the Port Hope, Ontario pilot enjoyed a solid campaign from start to finish.

As one of only two drivers to score two victories at the Eastern Canadian Karting Championship, Kingsley booked his ticket to the Rotax Grand Finals after winning the class championship. Kingsley also enjoyed a spirited campaign at the Western Canadian Championships finishing second after dominating most of the weekend. Also a contender at the Canadian Championships, he led early on in the Final before an unfortunate DNF, but rebounded at the ECKC finale. Finally, he ended up fourth overall in the Coupe du Quebec after a shorted season that still saw him on the podium twice, including a victory in Mont-Tremblant.

On the International stage, Kingsley put himself on the podium in New Orleans, USA at the Rotax Pan American Challenge with a third place result, and then backed it up at the Rotax Grand Finals a month later. Qualifying third overall in the 72-strong Junior division, Kingsley went on to win two of his three heat races and started from the pole-position for the Prefinal; albeit not quite scoring the final results he had hoped for.

Kingsley also enjoyed a short campaign in the F1600 series as he prepared for his open wheel career. Overall, a pretty stellar season.

Jeffrey Kingsley
(Photo by: Cody Schindel/CKN)