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Briggs Championship Battles Going Down to the Wire
The sixth and final round of the Coupe de Montreal season hits the track this weekend at the Jim Russell Karting Academy in Mont-Tremblant. Even in the compressed summer action, organizers were still able to fit in all six races across four different circuits, culminating with a grand finale, the Fall Classic which also coincides as the Canadian Open. There is plenty on the line this weekend and we’re so excited to be trackside for it all.
For many, their season all comes down to this final weekend and if they can muscle up enough points, they could just drive home with a coveted Coupe de Montreal class championship.
In our first look at the points standings, we’re breaking down the four Briggs & Stratton divisions competing this weekend. With each driver getting one drop of their points, we have unofficially calculated the top-five in the standings to see who has the advantage going into the weekend and who will be chasing hard to overcome the gap.
With a maximum of 255 points available, no driver has locked up the championship title just yet, meaning each category will go down to the wire to determine the 2020 Coupe de Montreal champions.
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Briggs Senior
| Pos | Points | Drop | Total | Gap | |
| 1 | Kevin King | 1170 | 195 | 975 | |
| 2 | Mickael Aubin Poirier | 874 | 42 | 832 | -143 |
| 3 | Brandon Stephens | 874 | 109 | 765 | -210 |
| 4 | Simon Belanger | 830 | 0 | 830 | -145 |
| 5 | Eric Lessard | 809 | 50 | 759 | -216 |
An impressive 42 different drivers have suited up in Briggs Senior so far this year and that number will surely grow this weekend with many racers from Ontario traveling to compete. The grid will exceed 30 racers this weekend and the action will be intense.
Kevin King (CL Kart) has enjoyed a great return to full-season karting and leads the way courtesy of two wins and two runner-up finishes. His margin is only 143 points ahead of Mickael Aubin Poirer (BirelART), while Simon Belanger (SodiKart) is only an additional two points back. Belanger had to miss the first race, but is the most recent race victor and could mount a charge this weekend.
With so many drivers in attendance this weekend, these drivers will need to keep their noses clean and secure as many points as possible to have a chance at catching King for the top spot.
Rounding out the top five and still within striking distance, Brandon Stephens (Ricciardo Kart) and Eric Lessard (Intrepid) have been very close to victory this season and will be very hungry to score a first-place trophy in their final start of the season.
Briggs Junior
| Pos | Points | Drop | Total | Gap | |
| 1 | Mathieu Cousineau | 1149 | 184 | 965 | |
| 2 | Laurent Legault | 1095 | 190 | 905 | -60 |
| 3 | Zack Lalonde | 1014 | 144 | 870 | -95 |
| 4 | Maika Chamberland | 932 | 126 | 806 | -159 |
| 5 | Raphael Tremblay | 801 | 84 | 717 | -248 |
After drops are calculated, less than 100 points separates the top-three drivers in Briggs Junior going into this weekends finale.
Mathieu Cousineau (BirelART) leads the way and aims to add Coupe de Montreal Champion to his Florida Winter Tour title from earlier this year. Laurent Legault, his teammate at Ben Cooper Racing, is very close with only 60 points separating the two, while Zack Lalonde (FA Kart) in 95 points back. The three have scored all the race wins this season, with Cousineau holding three to his credit, but Lalonde is riding the momentum of being the most recent race winner.
Maika Chamberland (TonyKart) cannot be left out of the conversation as she has earned three straight podium finishes and is only 159 markers behind the leader.
The category is expected to exceed 30 entries this weekend with an influx of Ontario drivers looking to compete with Quebec’s best meaning there won’t be any shortage of great racing action, that is for sure.
Briggs Masters
| Pos | Points | Drop | Total | Gap | |
| 1 | Mathieu Demers | 1190 | 210 | 980 | |
| 2 | Eric Lessard | 1034 | 170 | 864 | -116 |
| 3 | Eric Beltrami | 932 | 135 | 797 | -183 |
| 4 | Daniel Courtemanche | 925 | 152 | 773 | -207 |
| 5 | Serge Boisvert | 911 | 126 | 785 | -195 |
We have a great feeling about the Briggs Masters class this weekend.
Leading the way in the championship is Mathieu Demers (BirelART), who has three race wins to his credit this season. His advantage is only 116 points to Eric Lessard (Intrepid), who is coming off a race win at SH in round five.
Eric Beltrami (BirelART) and Daniel Courtemanche (CL Kart) are a little further back, but have both found the podium enough times this season to not be taken lightly, while Serge Boisvert (BirelART) has a hill to climb if he wants to defend his title from 2019.
The group will have to keep an eye on Marc Stehle (Ricciardo Kart) as the Ontario driver has enjoyed a stellar season thus far, winning all four rounds of the Kart Stars Canada championship. He’s no stranger to the circuit in Mont-Tremblant and has to be a favourite to steal a race win from the championship contenders this weekend.
Briggs Cadet
| Pos | Briggs Cadet | Points | Drop | Total | Gap |
| 1 | Ilie Tristan Crisan | 1255 | 245 | 1010 | |
| 2 | Louis David Boucher | 1055 | 185 | 870 | -140 |
| 3 | Lucas Deslongchamps | 1037 | 182 | 855 | -155 |
| 4 | Jade Wilson | 902 | 162 | 740 | -270 |
| 5 | Bronson Hetherington | 805 | 111 | 694 | -316 |
Five race wins in five races has Ilie Tristan Crisan (CRG) leading the way with a very sizable advantage in Briggs Cadet. He has been a force this season and we will see if he can secure his six victory on Sunday.
In the race for vice-championship honours, Louis David Boucher (BirelART) and Lucas Deslongchamps (BirelART) are separated by only 15 after drops and will go head-to-head all weekend long for the position.
Rounding out the top-five are Jade Wilson (BirelART) and Bronson Hetherington (TonyKart).
If you haven’t registered for this weekend’s Coupe de Montreal and Canadian Open, what are you waiting for? Head over to http://coupedemontreal.com to register and race this weekend in Mont-Tremblant!
