Briggs & Stratton National Title for JF Lafontaine

The 2013 ASN Canada FIA Canadian National Karting Championships presented by Canadian Tire hit the track for Championship Sunday at Goodwood Kartways, just north of Toronto, Ontario. The final day of competition meant nine new Canadian Champions would be crowned in their respective classes, while 10 drivers would join Team Canada for the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals, held this year in New Orleans, USA. It was a beautiful day at Goodwood, aside from a brief rain shower during podium presentations. The action on track was tense, exciting and everything it was expected to be as Canada’s best battled for National supremacy.

The largest class of weekend continued to provide the most excitement and when the sound of 34 Briggs & Stratton LO206 engines fired up, it was standing room only at Goodwood Kartways as everyone in attendance was taking in the action.

Polesitter Cory Cacciavillani (Birel) rolled into corner one with the early lead, but it didn’t take long for Jean-Francois Lafontaine to move into the lead and he brought Gerald Caseley (CRG) and a whole group with him by Cacciavillani. By the time the second lap was complete, a lead pack of ten had formed and the action was fierce. Cacciavillani slotted back into sixth and then went back to work, trying to return to the front. With the front two pushing, Cacciavillani made his move to P3 passing Ryan Brutzki (Birel) and Kyle Edgar (K&K Kart), but the move held them up enough to lose the leaders. Cacciavillani would actually begin to pull away from the group behind, but with the front two already checked out he was a sitting duck for many laps with no help.

The action was all over the track as accidents claimed the victim of many drivers include Jamie Riberdy who had worked his way up to seventh before being forced into an early retirement. The battle for fourth became really heated by the midpoint of the race, but Abby Bolton (LH Kart) was able to sneak to the front of the train and actually pull away with her sights set on Cacciavillani and the championship podium.

The two up front waited until five laps to go before trading the lead. Lafontaine knew from the prefinal, that a good block on the final two laps could earn him the win, but last years Champion Caseley moved to the point with three to go. Lafontaine returned the favour on the same lap and then went on the defensive. Trying everything he could, Caseley just couldn’t crack him as his chances ran out. Lafontaine erupted as he crossed the line, winning the National title in fine fashion. Caseley settled for second while Bolton got by Cacciavillani for third. The hardest charger of the race was Jonathon Treadwell (K&K Kart) as he drove all the way from 31st on the starting grid to fifth at the line.

While no trips to races around the world were up for grabs for the Briggs & Stratton divisions, the racers were loaded with incredible prizes and awards as many teams, products and supporters jumped on board for the event to help continue the growth of the Briggs & Stratton program.

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