ECKC: Latimer wins by 0.003 in Briggs & Stratton Junior; Barrick Tops Masters

The final major karting event of the Canadian season wrapped up this past weekend as the Eastern Canadian Karting Championship completed another at the Jim Russell Karting Academy in beautiful Mont-Tremblant, QC. It was a cool and overcast weekend as the event hosted the Coupe du Quebec on Saturday before setting up the ECKC Championship finale with some classes coming down to the wire for titles and for who would join Team Canada for the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals.

There was only six drivers in Briggs & Stratton Junior, but did they ever put on a show! The three K&K Karts Jordan Latimer, Braxton Terry and Andre Fiorini had the company of 2013 Canadian Champion Tyler McCullough (Praga) and the foursome displayed some incredible racing for the win and the class championship. After trading the lead all throughout the race, Latimer and McCullough sliced and diced on the final lap, trading the lead at least five times. This allowed Terry and Fiorini to close up in the final corners and a three wide finish that saw Latimer take it by 0.003 seconds! McCullough would cross in second and Terry third, his first race on the K&K, while Fiorini settled for fourth.

The win vaulted Latimer to the top of the Championship Podium with Terry second overall and McCullough third.

Keith Barrick (Photo by: Cody Schindel/CKN)

In Briggs & Stratton Masters, it was a battle of two. Keith Barrick (K&K) was looking to give his team a sweep of the 4-cycle podiums, while Jamie MacArthur (Birel) was only looking for the championship. Barrick led early on, but MacArthur tracked him down and took the lead at halfway. Waiting until only two laps left, Barrick regained the lead and went on to win.

MacArthur would score the championship as one of only a few competing in all six races, joined on the podium by Tyson Stevens (Birel) and Martin Coursol (Arrow).

The event caps off yet another successful year for the ECKC, showing growth at nearly every event this year. With a strong support and huge growth in the Briggs & Stratton classes as well as growth in the youngest categories of Rotax, the series has plenty to look back on this year as we know it is already looking forward to 2014!