The 2013 Eastern Canadian Karting Championship finally got under way as a record turnout of drivers filled the grids at Mosport International Karting, just north of Bowmanville, Ontario. The weather kept everyone on their toes as it switched from dry to rain, back to dry, back to rain, and then dry to complete the day. Regardless of the weather, the racing action was intense in nearly every class and those who stayed to watch got a great show.
A dozen Micro-Max’s is the largest grid the ECKC has ever seen for the class and it is great to see as they are the future of the sport. The SH Karting/Zanardi duo of Thomas Nepveu and Alexadre Lagare swept the front row in qualifying while Matthew Latifi (Ferrolari Corse/TonyKart) was third. Xavier Harris (IPK North America/Praga) and William Chayer (PSL Karting/CRG) completed the top-five but were over a second off the pole-position time.
The Pre Final saw Latifi get out front early and the defending class champion was on a cruise control never looking back. Nepveu and Lagare traded the second spot a couple times while Harris and Jeremy Tallon (Praga Racing Ontario/OK1) waged a great battle for fourth.
The Final was very much the same for Latifi as even though it was under wet conditions, he got out front early and pulled away never making a mistake, while the race for second created the excitement. Chris Chanko (OK1) moved into the position for the opening laps, but spun out in turn two all by himself. This moved Lagare to the spot but he would be passed by Matthew Barry (OK1) before the halfway point. But up front it was Latifi all the way to the checkers, continuing his dominance of the class. Barry wold hold off Lagare for second while Patrick Woods Toth (PSL Montreal/CRG) got by Harris to claim fourth at the finish.
