For the past two years a Shifter kart class has been a part of the ASN Canadian National Karting Championships but throughout the season there hasn’t been a proper traveling series focused on the racers who enjoy reaching for six gears.
That has changed in 2017 with the introduction of the Vega Cup and this weekend it will kickoff with its first race of the year in Innisfil, Ontario.
The Vega Cup will piggy back on select Canadian Karting Challenge (CKC) and Champion Ron Fellow Karting Challenge (CRFKC) races this year with this weekend being part of the CKC on the challenging Innisfil Indy circuit near Barrie.
Three Shifter classes make up the Vega Cup; Junior Shifter, Senior Shifter and Masters Shifter, and the champions after four races will earn a free entry-fee to the 2017 ASN Canadian National Karting Championships held at Mosport Kartways.**
Following this weekends race, the series will run two races at Mosport Kartways (July 8 and July 30) before crowning their inaugural champions at Shannonville Motorsports Park on August 6.
We have been keeping our ears open about interested drivers to compete in the Vega Cup opener and thus far we have compiled a great list of drivers. 2016 Canadian Champion Jean-Francois Lafontaine is attending with VSR Karting along karting veteran Marco Di Leo for Goodwood/Intrepid. Ethan Simioni raced the Florida Winter Tour in ROK Shifter and has entered with Prime Powerteam. Innisfil Indy/GP Karts will have a handful of drivers as well including Frank Launi Chad Campbell and Zachary Shearer. Traveling all the way from Alberta, Evan White will also enter with Team VSR. Many more are expected.
Junior Shifter will see Stefano Lucente doing battle with Gianluca Savaglio, Liam Rhodes and Nicky Palladino among others while Masters will be interesting to see who pulls their karts out of the garage and make their way to Innisfil as we know many karting hobbyists love to race their Shifter karts.
The Canadian Karting Challenge will have a selection of Briggs & Stratton and Rotax Max/TaG classes available to race this weekend too for those interested. For more information about the CKC, visit http://www.canadiankartingchallenge.com/.
Practice is available at Innisfil on Friday and Saturday.
**The champion of Shifter Junior will earn $1000.00 cash if the class is not offered at the Canadian Championships.
