The second championship series to hit the streets of Trois-Rivieres, Quebec this weekend was the Eastern Canadian Karting Championship. After Saturday’s Coupe du Quebec round, the inter-provincial series took their turn and provided the many fans on site some great racing action all day. Once again Mother Nature played games with everyone in the paddock as rain threatened all day and even drizzled down multiple times during the day but never enough to force drivers to rain tires.
The third round of the ECKC set the tone not only for their final round of the championship, held in September in Mont-Tremblant, but also it was the final major race before this years Canadian National Karting Championships, held at Goodwood Kartways in Ontario.
In Briggs & Stratton qualifying, Tyler Givogue (Margay) and teammate Charlotte Lalonde (Margay) topped the charts and shared the front row, with Taylor Gates (REM/Birel) in third ahead of Sylvain Clair (PSL/CRG) and Gerarld Caseley (PSL/CRG).
Givogue had a great start to the prefinal as he took the lead ahead of Clair, King, Caseley and Mathieu Demers (PSL Quebec/CRG). On the second lap Clair took over first from Givogue. The biggest mover in the race was Gates as he went from last to fourth by lap eight after an exclusion in qualifying. King would go on to take the prefinal ahead of Clair who just got by Givogue at the line. Gates was fourth after a very impressive race followed by Demers.
The inside row of the Briggs Senior final had a great start into turn one as King, Givogue, Demers and Lalonde all made their way to the front. Early on it was a four-kart breakaway for the lead with King and Givogue followed by Demers and Lalonde. Pushing very hard, Givogue was able to muscle away from third and fourth near the halfway point. Lap nine saw Givogue take the lead going into the last corner as a slight drizzle began to fall and moisten the track. Two laps later King retook the lead in the hairpin but with the two of them battling, this allowed Lalonde and Demers two catch up. After a tough start, Gates was also on the move, getting back to fifth and catching the leaders. Demers got past Lalonde as the drizzle continued to fall. On the last lap it was a five kart battle for the lead as King held on for the win just ahead of Givogue, Demers, Vicent Cyr (Birel), who battled throught the field on the wet track, and Gates, while Lalonde settled for sixth.
