Drivers and teams returned to Mosport International Karting for race two of the 2013 Eastern Canadian Karting Championship. The weather was very much the same as Saturday’s competition where a mixture of rain and sun and heavy winds played havoc on everyone in attendance.
Saturday winner Kevin Monteith (Racing Edge Motorsports/Birel) continued his excellent weekend by scoring the pole-position for a second straight day in Rotax Senior. Senior rookies Zacharie Scalzo (Summit GP/TonyKart) and Zachary Claman DeMelo (IPK North America/Praga) posted the second and third quickest times of the session ahead of Michael Kundakcioglu (Maranello North America/Maranello) and Johnny Flute (PSL Ontario/CRG).
Monteith would get out to a great start of the Pre Final as DeMelo would fall down the order in the early stages. Scalzo and Kundakcioglu held in the top-three with Scalzo even taking a couple shots at the lead, but Monteith returned to the lead with three to go and never looked back. Kundakcioglu held on for third with Steven Szigeti (SH Karting/Zanardi) and Maxime Couturier (SH Karting/Zanardi) rounding the top-five.
For the first time of the weekend, the Rotax Seniors knew what the conditions would be for their race as the rain continued to fall during the race before them. With everyone on wet tires, Monteith took the lead up the hill into turn two. But it wouldn’t last long as he would overshoot his entry into turn five and drive off the track, opening the lead to Olivier Bedard (KMS North America/Birel) and Szigeti snuck by too before Monteith returned to the track.
Tracking down Szigeti, Monteith wasted no time getting by and then set his sights on Bedard. Monteith also elected a very different rain racing line and it seemed to be paying off as he tracked down Bedard before the halfway point, with Szigeti doing all he could to keep up. Making his move to the lead on lap eight in the final corner, Monteith retook the lead and was posting laps much quicker than the field. With the battling up front, Couturier quietly held onto fourth, while Tyler Kashak (IPK North America/OK1) snuck into fifth. But it was all Monteith in this one as he went on to win his second Final in a truly dominating weekend. Bedard and Szigeti joined him on the podium while Saturday runner-up Flute charged from 28th on the grid to sixth at the line.
The series now shifts to Goodwood Kartways on June 28-30 for races three and four. As Goodwood is the host for the Canadian Championships, there should be another great turnout of karters as many will utilize the time to prepare.
