For the second Motomaster Ron Fellows Karting Championship race in a row, we witnessed a great head-to-head battle between Callum Baxter (Kosmic) and Jordan West (BirelART) and before a pushback bumper penalty on Sunday afternoon, Baxter came close to sweeping the race wins for a second time this season.
Only minutes before the Briggs Junior division was set to take the track for their Final on Saturday, Mother Nature delivered a heavy rainstorm and a lengthy delay to the start of their race due to lightning.
When it was finally clear to race again, a drizzle remained falling and every kart took to a very wet Mosport Karting Centre circuit, clawing for any ounce of grip they could find.
Baxter led the way with Ethan Donkers (TonyKart) and Nolan Hofrichter (BirelART) in tow. The mixed choice of racing lines around the track showed just how challenging the conditions were.
Keeping the pressure on the leader, Donkers took a shot at the top with a pass on lap five, but Baxter fired back a lap later and Hofrichter followed him through into second.
Coming through the field from eleventh on the grid, West was on the move and with four laps remaining he moved into second place, passing his teammate.
Closing in on the race leader late, West ran out of time before the checkered flag as Baxter scored his third MRFKC Briggs Junior win in a row over West and Hofrichter. Unfortunately, a pushback bumper penalty moved West back to sixth in the results and elevated Noah Taylor (CL Kart) onto the podium after he worked by Donkers on the final lap.
MRFKC2 Briggs Junior Saturday Final Results
1
Callum Baxter
2
Nolan Hofrichter
0.363
3
Noah Taylor
2.038
4
Ethan Donkers
2.758
5
Scotty Watkins
4.204
6
Jordan West
5.158
7
Jaden Harry
8.980
8
Mitchell Morrow
12.154
9
Joseph Launi
18.178
10
Caden Drummond
18.723
11
Carson Bartlett
21.034
12
Ryder Hare
21.148
13
Blaise Darmaga
24.045
14
Jake McNeely
24.470
15
Johnathan Petrone
27.494
16
Ian Qiu
27.687
17
Branco Juverdianu
39.389
18
Matt McCallum
51.089
19
Samuel Gow
3 laps
It stayed dry on Sunday and from third on the grid, Ian Qiu (Awesome Kart) made a slick move after the drop of the green flag to split the two front-row starters and move into the early race lead of the Final. Branco Juverdianu (BirelART) also had a great start to get into second and on lap two, found his way around Qiu for the race lead.
The shuffling up front continued for a few more laps as Donkers was next to go for the lead before West regained the position that he started in.
From sixth on the grid, Baxter was steadily moving towards the front and on lap six he moved by both Donkers and West to take the lead.
West clung onto the rear bumper of the leader for the remainder of the rain but Baxter defended like the two-time Canadian Champion that he is and never relinquished the lead to the checkered flag.
West fended off an attack from Donkers to cross in second, while Qiu got by Hofrichter on the final lap for fourth.
At the scales, Baxter received a five-second penalty for a pushback bumper violation, moving him all the way back to sixth in the rankings and putting West, Donkers and Qiu on the podium.
