For young Canadian karting champion Zachary Shearer, there is but one goal each and every weekend at the track—bring home the trophies and the glory. This past weekend, though, Shearer brought home more than trophies and glory. With a victory at the prestigious Le Monaco de Trois-Rivieres kart event, Shearer won a scholarship that will allow him to enter the biggest kart race in all of North America: the Superkarts! USA SuperNationals at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 19-23, 2014.
The 15-year-old up-and-coming racer from Burlington, Ont., came into the Le Monaco de Trois-Rivieres hot off a dominating win at Shannonville Motorsport Park, Rounds 5-6 of the Canadian Karting Challenge. Shearer qualified his #280 Exact Track/Claybar Contracting/Primus Business Solutions/Black Iron Data/Edge Imaging/Innisfil Indy GP Racing Kart on pole, took the win in the Pre-Final, and then claimed a comfortable victory in the Final on Saturday. For Sunday’s Round 6, it was more of the same for Shearer despite changeable weather conditions. With rain affecting both qualifying and the Pre-Final, the youngster still mastered the conditions to claim yet another pole and victory. For the Final, however, the track was dry and Shearer won another start-to-finish affair, pulling off a clean sweep of the weekend. With the two wins in Shannonville, that gives Shearer four wins in six races thus far in the Canadian Karting Challenge.
With the Shearer’s confidence overflowing following his domination of Shannonville, he returned to Trois-Rivieres for the second consecutive year in the Pro Shifter class. Following his debut in the event in 2013, which saw him claim a spot on the podium with a run to third, Shearer was determined to take a win against some of the best kart racers in the Eastern Canadian Karting Championship. It wasn’t an easy weekend, though, with stiff competition awaiting him.
The weekend started out with Shearer battling SRA/Birel driver Jean-Francois Lafontaine for top honors in practice, as the two were consistent fixtures at the head of the field. In qualifying, though, Lafontaine held the advantage by posting a fastest lap some four tenths of a second faster than Shearer could muster. At the start of the Pre-Final, Shearer exacted his revenge, making a tremendous start and sweeping by Lafontaine for the lead. A small mistake allowed third place driver Dominic Legrand to get by both and into the lead, but Shearer reclaimed the top spot two laps later. It wasn’t to be, though, as Lafontaine stalked Shearer and made the pass for the lead, giving Lafontaine the Pre-Final victory.
In the Final, Shearer didn’t make as good of a start as he had in the Pre-Final. However, that simple miscalculation may have spurred him to victory at the end of the day. Shearer piled the pressure on Lafontaine, forcing the leader into an error and allowing Shearer to lay claim to the lead of the race on Lap 8. From there, Shearer was able thwart Legrand’s last-ditch attempt to overtake him for the lead on the last lap, using a dramatic late-braking maneuver to hold the man in second at bay. With that, Shearer held on for the win and then graced the top step of the podium, claiming his spot in the SKUSA SuperNationals.
“Winning the races in Shannonville gave me a lot of confidence heading into Le Monaco de Trois-Rivieres,” offered Shearer. “No doubt, though, that the Trois-Rivieres race was the highlight of my summer. To be able to go out and beat some of the best Pro Shifter drivers in Canada meant a lot. Winning an entry to the SuperNationals in Las Vegas, though, was amazing and like nothing I have ever experienced before.”
“I’ve learned a lot racing this year,” reflected the young Shearer. “I’ve definitely learned how to hold and defend a lead while saving my tires. This has helped me grow as a driver because it means I don’t have to overheat the tires always fighting with whoever is out on track near me. Before I was always fighting to stay ahead; now, though, it’s more about controlled defending. That’s going to help me meet my goals in racing this year: win the Canadian Karting Championship and place in the top ten in the SKUSA SuperNationals.”
Shearer returns to action this weekend with Rounds 7-8 of the Canadian Karting Challenge set to take place at Innisfil Indy Karting. Shearer continues his development and upward rise in the Canadian karting scene with the aim of making a big splash at the SKUSA SuperNationals in November.
You can follow the promising young karter on Instagram @ZachShearer08. If you are interested in supporting an up-and-coming Canadian racer as he embarks on a successful career in motorsports, you may contact Zachary Shearer to discuss sponsorship opportunities.
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About Zachary Shearer:
A promising young racer from Burlington, Ont., Zachary Shearer began karting at the tender young age of five. Shearer began racing competitively at Innisfil Indy Karting, where he quickly began racking up championships. In 2011, Shearer claimed the Rotax Mini Max championships at both the Innisfil Kart Club and in the Northern Ontario Karting Championship. In 2012, Shearer moved up a class to Rotax Junior, where he again claimed championships at Innisfil Kart Club, in the Northern Ontario Karting Championship, and in the Brian Stewart Racing Karting Championship. 2013 saw Shearer again progress up the class ranks, racing in the KZ2 Shifter/ICC class and winning the championship at the Innisfil Kart Club and in the Canadian Karting Challenge, in addition to claiming third place in his class in his first appearance at the prestigious Le Monaco de Trois-Rivieres race. For 2014, Shearer again returns to the KZ2 Shifter/ICC class, racing in the Canadian Karting Challenge for the GP Racing Karts team under the tutelage of driver coach Joe Launi. Off the track, Shearer takes part in numerous sports, including playing quarterback for his high school football team and playing REP Hockey for the Burlington Eagles.
