Press Release by: KartStars Canada.
The KartStars Canada schedule will cross its halfway point August 13-15 as teams and drivers head to the hallowed karting grounds of Shannonville Motorsport Park for the KartStars Canada National Championship! Viewed as a neutral playing field and dubbed the ‘Birthplace of Champions’ in motorsport circles, Shannonville is certainly that in karting, and as veterans of the sport will tell you – becoming a champion there has had additional meaning for decades, as champions there earn the most coveted award in Canadian karting: The Bear!
“It’s difficult to even try to put into words what it’s like to kart race at Shannonville,” said KartStars President Daniel Di Leo, who captured multiple Bears himself in the 1990’s. “Maybe it’s because it’s a car track as well, or maybe it’s the massive karting history from OKRA to today, but when you roll down the pitlane towards the grid you just know and feel the event is something different, something bigger. Then of course four-stroke racing there is legendary. It’s almost like a karting right of passage to get trained on the main straight. And it’s also produced some amazing two-stroke champions from a number of Canadian provinces over the years. It’s really exciting to be returning, for sure, and it’s just awesome that KartStars will now look to revive the Bear hunt tradition.”
Along with the cherished ‘Bear’ inspired awards for class winners, there will be special awards for Rok National Champions and Runner-Up finishers. Spots on Team Canada are on the line, with class winners in Mini Rok, Rok Junior, Rok Senior, VLR Masters and Rok Shifter being awarded trips to the Rok Cup Superfinal in Italy this October, and the second-place finishers in the same five classes earning tickets to Rok Vegas in November. A number of other special awards will be on offer as well, including the Jiffy Lube Whitby-Peterborough-Oshawa Fast Qualifier Award, $100 to each of the Pole Position winners. The celebrated random podium draws will also happen once again with Racing Slicks, Fuel and FREE entry to the next round up for grabs. Additional items in the prize package including Prize Money in the KartStars Classes to be announced in the coming days.
Move-in and set-up is scheduled for Thursday afternoon, with sunset practice beginning at 5pm. Free camping is available on site, with washrooms and shower facilities available around the clock. The organizational team will host a social event on Friday night sponsored by Thornbury Brewing in conjunction with the podium ceremony as the first winners of the weekend are crowned, specifically in the two Friday Night shoot-out classes of Briggs Junior Pro and Briggs Senior Pro.
Racing gets underway on Friday, and drivers will immediately notice upgrades to the karting circuit. Turn two has been altered and repaved along with a portion of the bus stop on the back straight. Drivers will also notice an increase in track time, including six rounds of practice on Friday before qualifying and Friday Night Shoot Out Special Event Finals in Briggs Junior Pro and Senior Pro! Expected to be two of the fastest Briggs classes of the weekend, Junior Pro will use the Black Slide at 295lbs while Senior Pro will run at a lighter weight of 320lbs. Entry to these two classes only $50! The weekend then brings a return to more standard scheduling, though all classes will be having Heat races at Nationals whether they are single-day classes or Rok classes spread over the weekend.
Registration is now open with a deadline of August 10th, and the first 100 drivers registered will get a free event t-shirt. Customary discounts on tires, fuel and oil apply online as always, along with discounts to those registering early and drivers registering for multiple classes and multiple days.
Ready to Register? Here’s the link: https://kartsportcanada.ca/national-championship-registration/
Looking for the Event Schedule? http://kartsportcanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/2021-KartStars-National-Championship-Schedule-Version1.pdf
Need more information on KartStars? Visit: www.kartsportcanada.ca
Track info? Visit: http://www.shannonville.com
Questions? Email: info@kartsportcanada.ca
