The 2021 Motomaster Canadian Karting Championships saved the best for last when planning out the schedule and Briggs Senior did not disappoint as the headliner to close out a very successful event.
All weekend long there were so many drivers in contention to lead and win races that it was impossible to even predict who might come out on top come Sunday afternoon.
It was the close-quarters racing everyone has come to love from the Briggs 206 platform and the Final was anything but a runaway.
The opening lap of the Final saw David Barnes (BirelART) a victim in corner seven, making hard contact with the barrier and ending his weekend after running up front for most of it. The opening lap also saw Avery Miller (CL Kart) go for a wild ride in corner twelve and on lap two, Mackenzie Milwain (Kosmic) had his race end with contact with the corner twelve barriers. There was so much tire rubbing and wheel-to-wheel action it was hard to keep up.
With the opening lap dust settling, Logan Ploder (CL Kart) found himself in the lead ahead of Maddox Heacock (Awesome Kart), Jordan Prior (BirelART) and Adam Ali (Kosmic) while pole-sitter Jon Treadwell (BirelART) fell back to eighth on the opening lap.
Heacock moved to the lead on lap two as the lead group of four held a small gap to Khloe Drummond (TonyKart), Steven Navratil (Awesome Kart), Treadwell and Ari Korkodilo (Kosmic).
On lap five, Drummond was forced wide exiting corner five and ran through the dirt with Korkodilos and Navratil also involved and slowing up while Treadwell and Alex Murphy (BirelART) navigated through the chaos.
Ploder returned to the lead on lap eight, but Heacock came right back at him in corner one and left him on the outside, allowing Prior to slide by into second. Working together, Treadwell and Murphy were closing in on the leaders hoping to make in a six-kart race for the lead.
Lap eleven saw Prior jump to the lead for the first time in the race and he held the spot until the final lap as Heacock and Ploder exchange the second spot behind him and Ali was doing everything he could to hold on to the lead draft.
On lap thirteen Ploder made his move for second on Heacock and Ali tried to follow him through in corner six, but Heacock slammed the door closed and that allowed both Murphy and Treadwell to get by Ali.
The final five laps featured three sets of tandem drivers with Prior leading Ploder, Murphy linked up with Heacock and Treadwell with Ali, none of which were working with a teammate and desperate to close back in on the leaders.
With the last lap board out, Ploder was looking for a way around Prior. No luck in corner one or three. Prior took the preferred line into the corner five hairpin and like the rest of this Briggs on the weekend, Ploder swung wide for a better entry.
The crossover worked and Ploder had the momentum to pass Prior going back up the hill to corner six.
Every inch of the fences at Mosport was still full and the crowd went wild.
Corner six to twelve might have felt like forever for Ploder, but he didn’t fizzle and left no chance for Prior to sneak by and from the moment he exited the final corner with the finish line in sight, Ploder knew the race was his. He finally scored a major race win and it came on the biggest stage of the season, the Canadian Nationals.
Prior was left to finish second with Heacock staying ahead of Murphy, who had a pushback bumper penalty, for the final step of the podium. Treadwell was fifth at the line.
Ploder was also awarded the Chevy Team Spirit Award at the podium.
Motomaster Canadian Karting Championships – Briggs Senior Final Results
