#CupKartsCanada
CKNA Champions Crowned in Point Pelee
Cup Karts Canada completes their 2024 season in Canada’s most southern region
Completing the journey of more than 900 kilometres between the first venue and the last, the Cup Karts Canada Division wrapped up its 2024 championship season over the weekend at Point Pelee Karting in Leamington, Ontario.
It has been a long journey from start to finish, even longer for series organizers Gerald and Marie Caseley who travel from Moncton, New Brunswick for each race, and now their third season is complete and eight class champions were added to the record books.
Starting at the TAG Karting Academy in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec back in June for round one, the series transitioned to the Lombardy Raceway in July for round two before culminating in Canada’s most southern region for the third and final chapter to determine the class of 2024 and the champions who will represent the CKNA Canada Division at the the CKNA Grand Nationals 8.
Wet weather loomed around the circuit on Saturday as cool temperatures and a hefty breeze greeted the racers, but thankfully no rain fell on day one of competition. Sunday was a return to blue skies and warmer temps that the Sun Parlour of Canada is known for.
The PPK circuit was new to many of the Cup Karts regulars, while a contingent of Point Pelee Karting Club members participated on their home circuit with local knowledge to show the way. The laps went by quickly on the circuit that is just short of 1 km in length and featured just nine challenging corners.
Here’s how the weekend went in each category.
Cadet
Kegan Irwin locked up the championship on Saturday with his fourth win of the season. Irwin had Brodie McDonell and Jackson Cadney for company in the early laps of the Feature but was able to stretch out to a victory margin just shy of one second.
On Sunday, McDonell and Irwin went toe-to-toe for the final race of the season. After trading the lead a number of times, Irwin snuck up the inside it corner four with two laps to go to seal the deal and take his fifth Cup Karts Canada win of the season.
Irwin will represent the Canada Division at the Grand Nationals in Indiana.
Kegan Irwin
Saturday Feature:
- Kegan Irwin
- Jackson Cadney
- Brodie McDonell
- Michael Patrick
- Cayson Misener
Sunday Feature
- Kegan Irwin
- Brodie McDonell
- Jackson Cadney
- Michael Patrick
- Zachary Hansuruk
Junior
Hudson Jack Urlin did his best to make a late-season run at the championship over the weekend, scoring both race victories in a hotly contested Junior division, however, it wasn’t quite enough to catch Declan Black, who entered the weekend with a large margin.
Local PPKC member Jacob Parker was the fastest in Qualifying and led most of the race until Max Franceschelli and Urlin drafted by him with only a couple of laps remaining. Urlin then pulled off a beautiful last-lap pass on Max Franceschelli to score the Saturday Feature victory, catching the race leader off guard with a sneaky lunge in corner seven.
On Sunday, Urlin was just behind the leaders until contact between the top two, Black and Franceschelli, on the final lap opened the gates for him to slip through and score his second win of the weekend.
Hanging on by only 49 points, thanks to three race wins this season, Declan Black was crowned the champion for the second straight year.
Hudson Urlin
Saturday Feature
- Hudson Jack Urlin
- Jacob Parker
- Max Franceschelli
- Declan Black
- Sebastian Day
Sunday Feature
- Hudson Jack Urlin
- Jacob Parker
- Sebastian Day
- Declan Black
- Sloan Sterling
Senior Light
Making his first CKNA start of the season Tyler Derosiers dominated at his home track in Senior Light on Saturday, driving away to a convincing victory. Ivana Tchiplakova and Madison Douglas endured a great battle and were rewarded with podium positions.
On Sunday, Mickael Aubin Poirier finally figured out the circuit and challenged the race leader with a chance at the championship.
Opening lap drama for championship leader entering the weekend, Isaac Teed, provided Aubin Poirier the chance and when the opportunity to take the race lead arose, he pounced. Desroisiers was left with only one lap to try and regain the race lead but was unable to and Aubin Poirier celebrated the race win and the championship at the finish line. Finishing third was Matthew Bertleff, who stepped up from Junior for the weekend.
Teed could only recover to P6 and had to settle for P2 in the championship.
Tyler Desrosiers
Saturday Feature
- Tyler Desrosiers
- Ivana Tchiplakova
- Madison Douglas
- Samuel Gow
- Ryan Brutzki
Sunday Feature
- Mickael Aubin Poirier
- Tyler Desrosiers
- Matthew Bertleff
- Madison Douglas
- Samuel Gow
Senior Medium
One of the closest championship battles of the weekend saw four drivers in the running for the Senior Medium title, separated by less than 100 points, and it all came down to the final lap of the Sunday Feature.
Michael Ing pulled off a great victory on Saturday to pad his championship lead in the penultimate race while Zach Boam did his best to keep close with a runner-up finish. Mike De La Plante completed the podium and all three entered the final day of competition with a great shot at the title.
Sunday’s Feature race was a pursuit between Boam, Ing and local shoe Brodie Myer.
Myer got to the lead and Boam latched onto his bumper to push away from Ing. Leading until the final lap, Myer looked to be in control until Boam pulled off an epic pass around the outside of corner one. Myer was left with only one corner to attempt an overtake but Boam held him off and completed the perfect final lap to score the race win and enough points to overtake Ing by only five points, who was third to the finish line.
Zach Boam
Saturday Feature
- Michael Ing
- Zach Boam
- Mike De La Plante
- Kristopher Ryan Bissonnette
- Jason Rothman
Sunday Feature
- Zach Boam
- Brodie Myer
- Michael Ing
- Vassil Tchiplakov
- Mike De La Plante
Senior Heavy
Locking up his second straight Cup Karts Canada Senior Heavy championship, Jason Rothman recovered from a tough result on Saturday to the top of the podium on Sunday, his third victory of the season.
Tyson Wassink was the victor in the Saturday feature after the initial top two finishers had penalties from the start of the race. Dalton Watson was the first to the finish line, but he had a start lane violation negating him from his first big victory, as did runner-up Rothman. When all the dust settled, it was third-place finisher Wassink being awarded the win and Abigail Collins being promoted to runner-up. Watson slotted into P3 in the final results.
Sunday’s race was a showdown between Watson and Rothman. Leading from start to finish, Rothman controlled the race and kept Watson at bay for all 25 laps of the main. Third went to Collins who held off Wassink and Christopher Mitchell for her second trip to the podium at her home track.
Jason Rothman
Saturday Feature
- Tyson Wassink
- Abigail Collins
- Dalton Watson
- Jason Rothman
- Kevin McCathie
Sunday Feature
- Jason Rothman
- Dalton Watson
- Abigail Collins
- Tyson Wassink
- Christopher Mitchell
Masters
Another driver to notch his second straight Cup Karts Canada Championship was Mathieu Demers. Point Pelee was a long way from home for Demers, but that didn’t stop him from supporting all three rounds of the 2024 campaign.
Demers was awarded the Saturday Feature victory after initially crossing the finish line in P2, but provisional winner David Anderson was issued a penalty for jumping the start which moved him back to P3. Corey Walsh kept his championship admirations alive with a runner-up result to keep the pressure on Demers and it all came down to Sunday.
Sunday saw Anderson get his revenge and drive away with the victory that he got to keep. Walsh was able to get ahead of Demers in the race and solidify second, but with Demers crossing in P3, that was enough to seal the championship.
Mathieu Demers
Saturday Feature
- Mathieu Demers
- Corey Walsh
- David Anderson
- Steve Attard
Sunday Feature
- David Anderson
- Corey Walsh
- Mathieu Demers
- Steve Attard
Legends
Eli Yanko swooped in and stole the championship in this weekend’s final race in Legends.
Jamie MacArthur moved himself into the championship lead with a victory on Saturday but with only a 25-point margin separating the top two, it would all come down to the Sunday Feature.
Added into the mix was Simon Pepin, who was having one of his best efforts this season that led to him starting the Feature from the pole position and it was a 3-kart race for the win.
Pepin led the opening laps but Yanko wasted no time taking control on lap three. MacArthur was cruising in third place but as the laps ticked away, Yanko opened up a gap and the championship was in his control.
Crossing the finish line 1.2 seconds ahead, Yanko celebrated the title with Pepin ranked P2. MacArthur was left in third place, one position short of tying for the championship.
Eli Yanko
Saturday Feature
- Jamie MacArthur
- Eli Yanko
- Simon Pepin
- Ronald Henrie
- Mike Marion
Sunday Feature
- Eli Yanko
- Simon Pepin
- Jamie MacArthur
- Ronald Henrie
- Mike Marion
Kid Kart
On Saturday, Koah Dozet extended his Kid Kart win streak to five races in a row. Early race leader Chase McDonell spun out in corner two and did his best to recover and chase down the race leader, unfortunately, he pushed just a little too hard and spun again, ending his chances at the win. Koah’s brother Kyrie picked up his pace in the closing laps to catch the rear bumper of the leader but wasn’t able to pull off a pass.
Sunday was a day of redemption for McDonell who drove a flawless race to notch his first Kid Kart victory of the season. Koah crossed the finish line in second place and Kyrie in third.
Koah Dozet was crowned the inaugural Cup Karts Canada Kid Kart Champion.
Chase McDonell
Saturday Feature
- Koah Dozet
- Kyrie Dozet
- Chase McDonell
Sunday Feature
- Chase McDonell
- Koah Dozet
- Kyrie Dozet
With the Cup Karts Canada Division championship concluded, attention shifts to the Grand Nationals where every category except Kid Kart and Sportsman is sold out. A huge number of Canadian racers will be in attendance and CKN will be too.
Support our venture to this spectacular race by purchasing a weekend photo package, where more than 550 entries will compete day and night at New Castle Motorsports Park in Indiana to capture North America’s most valuable title for four-cycle racing.
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