This coming weekend, Lombardy Raceway will host their most significant event to date as the Cup Karts Canada Division will put its little circuit on the karting map.
Welcoming racers from Ontario, Quebec, the USA and even New Zealand, the Briggs-only event expects over 100 racers, with most of them getting to experience the circuit for the first time.
For track manager Che Smith of Nonstop Racing, welcoming Cup Karts Canada has been one of his aspirations since he took over the circuit in 2020.
“One of my goals when I took over the raceway was to host a large event and when the opportunity with Gerald came together, it felt like the perfect match.”
Hard at work to make improvements, ground broke in early June for a major overhaul, adding a little extra length to the circuit, along with a new pit road, track entry lane, scale lane and moving of the main structure.
The crew made quick work moving the structure away from the track, which will be rebuilt in the future, allowing for a new grid and scale area. Then the extension was laid out and paved, giving racers a couple of extra corners to navigate before getting to the finish line of the standard clockwise configuration. It also allows for additional configurations to use at the Lombardy Raceway Karting Club.
But one thing that occurred that was a little unexpected was the idea of running the circuit counterclockwise. The location of the pavilion was always a concern in the past, but with it moved away from the track, the idea to try the track in reverse came up and Smith has a surprise for this weekend.
“With these changes, it allows us to run in the counter-clockwise direction and we are going do just that this weekend. It’s a whole new track for everyone, club members and visitors, and I’m excited to try out this new direction.”
It has been a good-sized project for Smith, something he is incredibly proud of, and hopefully just the first of many major improvements to the facility.
“While I’ve had this vision and put everything I have into making it all happen, I’ve also had an enormous amount of help. There are a lot of supporters and volunteers who have stepped up to help and I can’t thank them enough. There is more to come and the future of karting in Lombardy and our nation’s capital, Ottawa, is very exciting.”
Registration for this weekend’s Cup Karts Canada Division race is open online until 6:00 PM on Thursday, with walk-up registration open until the end of the day Friday. This weekend is a great chance to try out a new circuit and enjoy the atmosphere that is Cup Karts Canada.
CKN will be trackside this weekend with our coverage of the event along with some new merch for sale. Photo packages are always available, so be sure to send us a message and let us know if you’d like a photo package or even just a print. https://www.canadiankartingnews.com/store/2023-Single-Race-Photo-Package-CKN-Summer-Tour-p549348795
