CKN ECKC Preview: Rotax Senior

The 2013 Eastern Canadian Karting Championship hits the track this weekend for the first of four stops in 2013. Entering its fourth year of competition, the ECKC is Canada’s largest racing series and draws drivers from Ontario and Quebec, as well as the Eastern provinces of Canada and a few of our American friends. This year the series will kick off at Mosport Interntional Karting which is part of Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in Bowmanville, Ontario for the first time as the previous three years have started at Goodwood Kartways. Promising great racing, big grids and plenty of future motorsports talent, the ECKC is the place to be for premier kart racing in Canada.

CKN is if the official media partner of the 2013 Eastern Canadian Karting Championship and has put together it’s official previews to air all this week. Following each event, CKN will have their own version of a Power Rankings for the Rotax Junior, Senior and DD2 classes. Each event, CKN will also select one Junior category and one Senior category driver as their respective ‘CKN ECKC Driver of the Weekend’, earning an article on the website about their weekend.

Next up is the Rotax Senior category, possibly the biggest class of the weekend. Tracking down as many of the entries as possible, CKN presents its preview as well as threats and drivers to watch.

CKN will have a Live Chat operating during the ECKC rounds this weekend at Mosport. Tune in and join the conversation at https://www.canadiankartingnews.com/live

Rotax Senior

This just in, Marco Di Leo will not win the opening rounds of the 2013 Eastern Canadian Karting Championship in Rotax Senior for the first time ever! Di Leo was unbeatable in the three previous years, albeit at Goodwood Kartways, but with his switch to Rotax DD2 it opens up the flood gates for the rest of the Rotax Senior drivers.

2011 Canadian Champion Steven Szigeti (SH Karting/Zanardi) is back for another year and he is the perennial favourite to take over the top spot, but it will not be easy. A trio of  IPK North America drivers look to keep IPK on the top of the box as Tyler Kashak (IPK/OK1), Zachary Claman De Melo (IPK/Praga) and Artem Korolev (IPK/Praga) will bring a force, with De Melo making his debut of a Praga chassis. Another driver that is always fast at Mosport, Kevin Monteith (REM/Birel) has a strong supporting cast under his Racing Edge Motorsports banner, while locals Johnny Flute (PSL Ontario/CRG) and Kenneth O’Keefe (PSL Ontario/CRG) will enjoy mixing it up with Canada’s best.

From the Quebec region, Zacharie Scalzo (Summit GP/TonyKart) should be interesting to watch after a strong FWT campaign, while Marc-Andre Levesque joins powerhouse PSL Karting for 2013. Olivier Bedard (KMS/Birel) will also be another driver to keep an eye on as he campaigns his rookie Senior year as will 2012 Canadian Rotax Junior Champion Tommy Lemaire-Ouellet (SH Karting/Zanardi). Andrew Palmer (J3 Competition/Kosmic) flies the American Flag as he comes to Canada for the competition and track time.

All in all, like Rotax Junior, the fences will be full when Rotax Senior hits the track at Mosport and we can’t wait to see who comes out on top!

Drivers to watch:

Steven Szigeti:  After toying around in the four-cycle ranks, Szigeti gets back into his familiar Rotax machine and looks add another Mosport victory to his resume.

Zachary Claman De Melo: A switch that many didn’t see coming, De Melo joined IPK North America after racing the beginning of the season with the CRG Factory in Europe. It will be interesting to see how quick he gets up to speed, but we all know he will be mixing it up at the front.

Kevin Monteith: Pulling double-duty, Monteith has done an incredible job developing his Racing Edge Motorsports team, while still keeping on his toes in a kart. He is always a threat to win and is a Championship favourite.

Bryson Schutte: In another surprise move, Schutte traded in his Intrepid machine that he has valued for many years for a TonyKart. He was quick this past weekend at Mosport, but we will see if he can carry the speed this weekend.

Andrew Palmer: Palmer enjoyed mixing it up last year at ECKC and he’s back for more this year. The talented American is always in a position to win and will throw a curveball into the mix this weekend.

There was a strong turnout this past weekend at Mosport and it appears 30+ Rotax Seniors should hit the grid for ECKC action.
(Photo by: Cody Schindel/CKN)

CKN Unofficial Rotax Senior Entry List:

**If you are competing and not on the list, be sure to email info@canadiankartingnews.com to get added.

CKN Poll:

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