Following an excellent day of SuperPole Qualifying, the action resumed on Friday in Mont-Tremblant with the first two rounds of heat races for all classes participating in the 2014 ASN Canada FIA Canadian Karting Championships in Quebec.
With karts going wheel to wheel for the first time this week, it was an excitement filled day of action with an excellent preview of what is to come throughout the rest of the weekend.
Rotax Senior Heat One
Rotax Senior was the first group to take the the track this morning. SuperPole winner Olivier Bedard (PSL Karting/CRG) set the pace along side reigning National Champion Zachary Claman DeMelo (ZCD/Goodwood/Intrepid). DeMelo jumped into the lead exiting the first corner after the green flag but was passed almost immediately going into the turn three hairpin. From there they remained stationary for the rest of the race with Marco Signoretti (Energy Canada/Energy) following in third.
The battle for fourth was heated as Christophe Paquet (PSL Karting/CRG), Zacharie Scalzo (KGK/TonyKart), and Marco Di Leo (Goodwood/Intrepid) were battling for the position for multiple laps. This allowed Kevin Monteith (REM/Birel) to close the gap after contact sent him falling out of the top ten early in the race. Paquet would take fourth ahead of Monteith but a head ducking penalty would put him behind Monteith in the final tally.
Rotax Senior Heat Two
In heat two Bedard and DeMelo once again made up the front row. This time however DeMelo had a great push from Monteith at the start and both drivers cleared Bedard in corner one. Monteith went to the point at the end of the back straight as the positions shuffled mightily.
Coltin McCaughan (CKN-SH Racing/FA Kart) had a great start and after working his way by Marco DiLeo, he was up to third behind Monteith and DeMelo, while Bedard had fallen to sixth.
But DeMelo eventually got back out front and he checked out from there. Monteith managed to hold on to second and McCaughan third, while Bedard rebounded to finish fourth ahead of Signoretti and Lemaire.
With one heat remaining, Bedard and DeMelo are tied for the points lead, with Monteith and Signoretti within striking distance.
**Our points standings do not factor in the qualifying points.
