Brian Stewart Racing Karting Championship - Kawartha
press release
The second weekend of the 2010 Brian Stewart Racing Karting Championship is now in the books after a unique Sunday-Monday event held at Kawartha Downs and Speedway opened the year for the 2-stroke classes as well as Honda Jr. Medium. Beautiful blue skies, and temperatures hovering at 30 degrees matched the hot action on the semi-temporary Kawartha track.
The weekend featured many drivers take the first regional victory of their careers as well as some drivers who kicked off a great start in defending their 2009 BSRKC Class championships.
F125 Shifter
Highlighting the weekend’s events was the impressive turnout of shifter karts. Returning to once again campaign for the championship were last year’s top-three of Zack Meyer, Ryan Horses and Addison Rayner. The three were joined by newcomer Jamie Riberdy, as well as Kristian and Stefan Jeffrey, from Guyana, who call Canada their home during the summer months. Race number one repeated last year’s championship podium with Meyer on top, followed by Horses and Rayner. The three kicked off the race in an intense battle early on, before Meyer was able to break away and cruise to victory.
Meyer looked to be in control of race two until his chain broke on lap three. From there, Max Gamble led for a lap before spinning in turn eight, handing the lead to Riberdy. However a flat tire on lap five for Riberdy passed the lead onto Tony De Marco. With fatigue kicking in for De Marco, Horses, who was nursing a sizable blister on his palm and started last, took pursuit. In a drag race to the finish, De Marco was scored the winner. The race was exciting from start to finish for all to watch. Also in the hunt for victory in the closing laps, Addison Rayner broke his shifter lever on the final lap, but was still able to limp home in third place with some impressive handwork.
Above: Zack Meyer won Sundays race in F125 Shifter
pic - Cody Schindel, Autosports Media Group
Rotax Junior
Greenspeed Karting’s Austin Milwain dominated the Rotax Junior class in Kawartha, sweeping the day on Sunday with the pole-position, pre-final and final victories. He was joined on the podium by his teammate Cameron Morrison and Michael Adams. Seeking the double victory, Milwain missed the pole-position on Monday by three-hundredths of a second to Nick Ledson and Adams. Leading the first lap, Adams controlled the field early, with Milwain, Morrison and Michael Taibi in tow. The front four battled hard and swapped positions often, before Milwain grabbed the lead on lap eight with a pass in corner eight. Taibi then completed the same move on the final lap, and brought Morrison with him, sending Adams down to fourth at the finish, setting up an exciting final.
The four resumed their hard-fought battle in the final, with Milwain leading early. Then it was Taibi’s turn up front, however it was short lived as he made hard contact with an outside wall on lap four, bending a rim among other pieces and ending his race. After getting by Adams, Morrison went into pursuit of Milwain before contact in the same spot as Taibi sent him for a wild ride down the back stretch and ending his race with a bent axle. Milwain then cruised to victory, with Adams and Ledson completing the podium.
Above: Austin Milwain dominated the Rotax Junior class taking two victories
pic - Cody Schindel, Autosports Media Group
Rotax Senior
Making a successful return to karting after a five-year hiatus, Andy Jaffray left Kawartha with the points lead and with a little luck, a pair of victories in the Rotax Senior class. Running aboard a Greenspeed TonyKart, Jaffray fought hard on Sunday, racing to an impressive second place finish, but was elevated to the top of the podium when the winner was disqualified in post-race tech. Matthew Radaelli and Josh Mauceri rounded out the day’s top-three. On Monday, Jaffray was once again involved in the race for the win. Cruising in third place behind Michael Glaze and Adriano Bilotta, the three ran nose to tail from start to lap nineteen. On the final lap, Glaze protected the inside line in corner eight, only to receive a push and a shove from Bilotta, another GP driver. Locking up the tires, Glaze spun, and Bilotta got through, with Jaffray making an impressive move to avoid the spinning Glaze and cross in second. Bilotta was moved to third place for his actions, giving Jaffray his second victory of the weekend. Glaze eventually finished second.
Above: Andy Jaffray has made a successful return to karting with two victories in Rotax Senior
pic - Cody Schindel, Autosports Media Group
Rotax DD2
Although the field in Rotax DD2 was smaller than expected, it provided Sunday’s most exciting race. The duo of Derek Woodbridge and Corey Walsh battled from the drop of the green. The two swapped the lead officially eight times at the start-finish line, but each lap featured both of them out front in way or another. Leading coming to the final lap sign, Woodbridge missed his braking point for turn one, and shot through the dirt. Walsh was then able to hold onto the lead for the remainder of the final lap and take the victory. Michael Glaze, who only raced the DD2 class on Monday, dominated aboard an Innisfil Indy powered GP Kart to take the win. Joining him on the podium was Woodbridge and Walsh in second and third place respectively.
Above: Corey Walsh won a very exciting Rotax DD2 race on Sunday
pic - Cody Schindel, Autosports Media Group
Rotax Mini-Max
Sunday’s events were controlled by the Rosso Corsa kart of Ryan Mohan. After qualifying on the pole-position, he cruised to victory in both the pre-final and final. The battle for second was very intense in the final, as Braydon Strik and Tyler Brady tried everything to get by the kart of Zachary Shearer. The three waged a great battle, but in the end Strik and Brady joined Mohan on the podium. Mohan got a great start in the final on Monday and lead the way in the early stages. After disposing of J.P. Hutchinson on the opening lap, Strik went into pursuit of the leading Mohan. With a nice move on lap seven, he took the lead, and held on for the victory.
Honda Jr. Medium
The trio of Jaret Stewart, Nick and Cole Ledson put on a great showing all weekend in Honda Jr. Medium. The three raced hard and clean with Stewart taking the win on Sunday with Nick and Cole in tow. On Monday Nick stole the show, with Cole in second and Stewart in third.
This weekend’s winners of the “Autosports Media BSRKC Drivers of the weekend” awards were Austin Milwain in Junior and Ryan Horses in Senior. The two displayed impressive drives on-track, and true sportsmanship off track.
The BSRKC resumes in three weeks time when the Two-Cycle classes along with Honda Jr. Medium will invade the freshly paved Innisfil Indy circuit on June 11-13.
