#CKC2017: Open Shifter and Rotax DD2 Preview

The wait is finally over as the 2017 ASN Canadian National Karting Championships are here and we at CKN are excited! Drivers from coast to coast have made their way to Mosport Kartways in Bowmanville, Ontario for the seventeenth version of the Canadian Championships.

With a ticket to the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals up for grabs in Rotax DD2, there are drivers who haven’t raced much this season who’ve joined in on the party hoping to qualify for Portugal.

Last time the Nationals were held at Mosport, ECKC Champion Tyler Kashak scored the Canadian title in 2015 in front of Jeff Kingsley. With Kingsley spending more time in cars this year and less in a kart, he shook off the rust at the ECKC Finale and showed that he’s ready to chase his third National #1. Max Preston and Taegen Poles were close contenders this season and should put a strong effort into shaking up the podium order while Justin Luik has slowly been gaining on the leaders this year as a rookie DD2 driver.

“Winning a big race like this is what fuels the desire to compete in ‘the big race’!”
– Jeff Kingsley

Matthew Taskinen brought home the Rotax DD2 title at the EDKRA Summer Challenge and with it, booked a ticket to Mosport. He could be a wildcard this week.

Tyler Kashak was victorious in 2015, can he do it again at his home track? (Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN)

And after his heartbreak at last years Nationals, we are excited to see Natael Cantin back. Cantin came within a lap of winning in Mont-Tremblant, but a miscue on that final lap saw him slow down to celebrate a race he thought was over, only for Alessandro Bizzotto to blow by and take the crown. Like Taskinen, Cantin can be a wildcard this weekend.

Rotax DD2/DD2 Masters Pre-Entry List:

**Rotax DD2 Masters

With a few more gears than their DD2 counterparts, Open Shifter continues to draw attention at the National Championships as they run for their third straight year.

We have watched Zachary Shearer cruise out front in the Vega Cup this year but with some beefed up competition coming out of Quebec, it shouldn’t look like a walk in the park this week. Jean-Francois Lafontaine enters as the defending champion while Gianfranco Mazzaferro has been strong both in Quebec and on the SKUSA Pro Tour this year. Dominic LeGrand is another driver from Quebec to keep an eye on. From Alberta, Even White is back at Mosport after showing great pace at the Vega Cup earlier this summer.

Could Evan White (238) of Ethan Simioni (408) upset Zachary Shearer for the National title, or could it be a driver from Quebec? (Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN)

From Ontario, we have to keep an eye on Ethan Simioni, who is focusing solely on Shifter and traded in his ROK for a KZ powerplant. Frank Launi can’t be left out either, along with Dante Lerra and Chad Campbell. Nissan Micra Cup driver Austin Riley could also be a threat for the podium this week too.

“I love shifter, because the kart goes as fast as my mind races.”
– Austin Riley

And with the Open Shifter Masters also on the grid, there will be no less than 20 shifter karts lined up all waiting for the lights to go out on Sunday.

Open Shifter Pre-Entry List:

**Open Shifter Masters

If you are coming to Nationals and are not on the list, please email us at info@canadiankartingnews.com.