The summer of winning for Nicky Palladino has continued as he scored the victory at the Canadian Open in the stacked Briggs Senior division.
Featuring 34 entrants, Briggs Senior filled up the Jim Russell Karting Academy circuit each time they took to the track over the weekend and the competition up front was as close as it’s ever been.
In Qualifying, it was Prime Powerteam duo David Barnes (Prime/BirelART) and Jordan Prior (Prime/BirelART) who led the way, but when they arrived in the first corner of the PreFinal, a huge push from behind sent both of them very wide and well down the running order.
After the chaotic Prefinal on Sunday morning, it was Adam Ali (REM/Kosmic) and Michael Valente (Premier/EOS Kart) that topped the session and earned the front row for the Final.
Ali had a great start when the green flag waved while Valente was hung out to dry on the outside before even getting to corner one. A crash claimed contenders including Daniel Ali (REM/Kosmic), Mike De La Plante (TNT/TNT Kart) and Charles Robin (SH Karting/SodiKart) as the mid-field went scrambling to avoid the carnage.
When the dust settled after the first lap, Ali was leading Isaac Teed (GCR/BirelART), Barnes, Valente and Palladino.
It was smooth sailing upfront until lap eight when Teed pulled out to pass a suddenly slowing Ali for the lead, with a hole in the block of his Briggs 206 engine the cause.
That set off a frenzy as Barnes then took his turn in the lead on laps nine and ten before Valente passed down the straight for his first time in the lead with Palladino helping him by and gaining second in the process.
Coming down to the final lap, Palladino slid up the very inside of corner one to get the lead from Valente, who thought he had defended deep enough, but instead was stuck on the outside.
Barnes followed through and set himself in a position to make a move for the lead.
Palladino left no options and even with a huge push down the back straight, a block by Palladino halted any chance of a pass in the penultimate corner. Making a last-ditch effort entering the final corner, Barnes tried to get up the inside, but he overshot his entry and ran wide. Palladino crossed him over and quickly regained the lead, while Valente and Mickael Aubin-Poirier (PSL/BirelART) both passed Barnes.
Palladino was the first to the finish line and he celebrated his third win in the past five weeks, while Valente ended up second, Aubin-Poirier third and Barnes fourth with all four crossing the finish line within two-tenths of a second.
Teed held off Mackenzie Milwain (REM/Kosmic) to close out the top five, while Kelsey Hann (GCR/BirelART) recovered from a last-place qualifying result to advance 27 positions between the PreFinal and Final to finish seventh.
