The 2013 ASN Canadian National Karting Championships presented by Canadian Tire continued at Goodwood Kartways on Saturday as drivers completed their second and third heat races, setting the grids for Sunday Prefinals. Briggs & Stratton division drivers completed their Prefinals on Saturday evening, and now have just National Finals remaining. Once again there was beautiful weather at the facility just north of Toronto, and the action on track was just as hot as drivers tried to advance up the grid as much as possible.
There has been some seriously incredible racing in Rotax Senior this week. So many drivers have been in the hunt in every heat thus far and entering Sunday’s Championship day, all predictions are up in the air.
Leading the way after the three rounds of heats, Zachary Claman DeMelo (ZCD/Praga) managed to take two heat wins and a second. Heat two on Saturday was eventful as Pier-Luc Ouellette (PSL Karting/CRG) led early with DeMelo second and polesitter Tyler Kashak (IPK/OK1) third. The front three were able to break away, but just past halfway contact between DeMelo and Ouellette allowed Kashak to sneak by and get away. The contact would hamper Ouellette as he would struggle to turn right. This allowed Kevin Monteith (REM/Birel), Steven Szigeti (SH Karting/Zanardi) and Olivier Bedard (KMS/Birel) to catch as Ouellette struggled to hang on. Szigeti managed to get by and into third, but Ouellette would fight back to take the spot back. Then Monteith moved to third but this time Ouellette wasn’t able to get back by. Kashak took the heat, DeMelo second, Monteith third, Ouellette fourth and Szigeti fifth.
The third and final heat was a little less eventful as Kashak led the way to one. Settling until lap three, Ouellette moved to the lead with ZCD following him by Kashak. Behind, contact between Szigeti and Bedard put Szigeti hard into the barriers and his race over, really hurting his point total. ZCD was then able to get by Ouellette en route to taking the heat win. Kashak kept himself in the top-three while Monteith moved to fourth and Bedard fifth.
With two wins, Demelo will lead the way on Sunday with Kashak beside him. Ouellette and Monteith fill up row two with Bedard and Maxime Couturier (SH Karting/Zanardi) in row three. There are plenty of fast drivers starting the prefinal towards the rear and that should make things very interesting all over the track on Sunday in both the prefinal and Final.
