By now, just about everyone has heard the news from Goodwood Kartways, Mosport Kartways and ASN Canada that was released in the past week and a half. So after having some time to digest and gather more information, here’s a little more as to what is going on.
Let’s start with the ASN Canada news.
There is no argument that Paul Cooke, the leader of the ASN Canada FIA for more than two decades, has managed his position well past the age of retirement, but the man loved his job. While some didn’t think he would ever retire, it was bound to happen at some point and I’ve had a conversation with more than a few people as what we think would happen after Paul. His experience and expertise will be nearly impossible to replace by one, let alone two people.
With that being said, I’m happy Paul has decided to retire. He deserves it and his legacy will not be forgotten. I know many people are happy to see him go, and for that, I’m a little disappointed because they are happy for the wrong reason. ASN Canada did so much for the sport of karting in Canada, and yes he did make some decisions that not everyone has been pleased with, but he made them with integrity and often stuck to his guns. Paul, thank you.
Finally, for those saying ASN Canada was forced to resign by the FIA, you are incorrect. It was ASN Canada’s decision to resign. End of story.
Looking to 2020, nothing has been confirmed as to who or what will become our new sanctioning body. I’ve been notified of a business filing out of BC, but nothing has confirmed what that filing means at this point but I’m sure we will find out soon.
Drivers looking to race internationally this winter…
Speaking with the organizers from ROK Cup USA and SuperKarts USA, Canadians will not require an international license to compete in their events this winter. Canadians competing in the Florida Winter Tour and Challenge of the Americas will not need an international license or letter of permission to compete, while the SKUSA Winter Series drivers will need a SKUSA license.
Kart Stars Canada vs MotoMaster Ron Fellows Karting Championship
It appears there won’t be any shortage of races in Ontario in 2020. Goodwood Kartways announced following their separation with the Mosport Karting Centre that they will take matters into their own hands and have announced a five-race series schedule for 2020, with locations to be determined. It has been named Kart Stars Canada and has association and prizes from Rok Cup Canada.
At the same time, MotoMaster and Ron Fellows have informed me that they too will host a series of races in 2020, maintaining the same series name and corporate partnership. There is a lot of work being done to try and get their official details and formal release done, but I don’t expect it before the New Year.
Canadian Tire Motorsports Park confirmed they will be managing the Mosport Karting Centre in-house in 2020 and beyond, promising to continue to host club races, corporate events and arrive and drive racing. We are hearing that the management staff will be announced soon, most likely when the new MRFKC program is released.
There were hopes following the Goodwood announcement that the two parties would still try and come together on a single program in 2020, but as the days tick away, it’s tough to see it happening.
It’s too early for anyone to take sides and we hope that all of our racers keep an open mind when deciding where to race in 2020. It’s unfortunate that a strong such program as the MRFKC has been sliced up in a way, but it’s not the first time a program has been chopped up in Ontario and it won’t be the last.
It’s also a situation like this where an ASN would be very ideal. The decision of who manages and is the true leader of these programs needs some oversight, otherwise, anyone could start their own series, right?
Canadian Karting Championships
As for the 2020 Canadian Karting Championships, Goodwood Kartways announced in their release that they will host an event called the Kart Stars Canadian Karting Championships on the typical August weekend, but we’ve also heard that Mosport has assumed the rights to the event from ASN Canada. There is also the Canadian Open, which hasn’t announced their date yet.
This isn’t a big issue as of today, but hopefully, it can be sorted out sooner rather than later. At this point, the Nationals can’t go away, but there needs to be something that brings it back to truly attracting drivers from coast to coast, even if there is a couple of thousand miles in between on regions.
My take, I think we need to have a couple of different events to showcase our programs. On the two-cycle side of things, Rok Cup and Rotax Max deserve to showcase their programs in standalone events, while a special Briggs 206 event would be very cool to have the calendar where all of our regions can be on board in some way, shape and/or form.
That’s all for now.
Merry Christmas CKN Nation. Thank you for making 2019 great. We’re very much looking forward to what 2020 really has in store for all of our racers from coast to coast. No doubt, there will be more to come.
