447 Entries At Brian Stewart Championship 'Bear Hunt'
press release
The Brian Stewart Racing Karting Championship continued its 2010 season with their ‘Bear Hunt’ races held annually at Shannonville Motorsport Park on the Civic Holiday long weekend. Hundreds of karters packed into the grounds at SMP for the five-day event, with 447 total entries spread over 21 classes. Mother Nature delivered great weather for racing, providing plenty of sunshine for the racers and their families.
Photo by Cody Schindel, Autosports Media Group
Headlining the events of the weekend, a number of drivers displayed very dominant performances. Michael Glaze scored three victories on the weekend, controlling the Rotax Sr, TaG Sr, and Rotax DD2 classes. Greg Rempel lead the way in Honda Senior capturing Bears in the Sr. Heavy and Sr. Medium classes, while Michael Taibi , Zack Meyer and Jake Collison also scored two Bears in the Rotax Junior, F125 Shifter and Masters classes respectively.
For his trio of victories, Michael Glaze earned the ‘Autosports Media BSRKC Senior Driver of the Weekend’ award, while Cadet Racer Ryley Hulme earned the ‘Autosports Media BSRKC Junior Driver of the Weekend’ award. Hulme took to the track this weekend, less than two weeks after his mother passed away. Racing with her looking over his shoulder, he drove a great race en route to victory, dedicating it to his mother. Finally, GP Karts/Innisfil Indy took the honour of the ‘Autosports Media BSRKC Team of the Weekend’ as they took home a total of 7 prestigious Bears.
Above: Taking home the Autosports Media Team of the Weekend award, GP Karts/Innisfil Indy earned a total of seven Grand National Bears
Photo by Cody Schindel, Autosports Media Group
Friday Report
With 35 karts lining up for the Sr. Medium class, the grandstands filled up for Friday’s headline class. Leading the way to the green flag, Leamington drivers Greg Rempel and Cory Cacciavillani powered to the early lead, but were chased closely by TJ. Marshall and Jeremy Brutzki. The foursome broke away and waited until the closing laps to battle for position. Further behind, Jonathon Treadwell, Dimitra Tassos and David Patrick all took turns holding the fifth position, while leading a large train of karts. Holding the inside line coming to the last lap sign, Cacciavillani lead into turn one, while Rempel held off both Marshall and Brutzki. Pulling a great draft through the final sweeping corner onto the straightaway, Rempel pulled up beside Cacciavillani in a drag race to the finish line. Jumping his kart perfectly, Rempel scored the victory by a mere four-thousandths of a second ahead of Cacciavillani and Marshall.
The Jr. Pro class also featured some exciting racing as, once a year, Junior Honda drivers get the opportunity to bolt on a Honda GX 200 6.5HP engine. Tristan Gill started on the pole position for this one, but early on it was Trevor Rancier heading the group as they rounded lap one. By the midway point, Austin Milwain, who started tenth, had made his way to the front, followed closely by Gill. The two muscled up enough to pull away from the remaining group, setting up a great finish. Gill snuck under Milwain for the lead as the two passed the last lap board, but a great over-under move by Milwain returned him to the lead as they headed for the back straight. Trying everything he could, Gill looked inside and out in the final corners, but coming to the finish, it was Milwain earning the victory. Gill would finish second and Maxime Couturier, all the way from Quebec, completed the podium.
Photo by Cody Schindel, Autosports Media Group
In other race day action, Clay Van Eerd took the top honours in the Honda Jr. Lite class, while Ryley Hulme won an emotional race in Cadet. Austin Bisschop continued his dominance of the Novice class taking yet another victory in 2010, and Michael Taibi earned his first victory of the season in the Rotax/TaG Junior class. Finally, Michael Glaze won an eventful ‘race of survival’ in Rotax/TaG Senior.
Saturday Report
The Novice class provided plenty of action on Saturday as 14 karts took the green flag lead by Ty Lucio and Roman DeAngelis. The two led the way for the opening two laps, but by lap three, it was Jordan Howse’ turn out front, with Friday’s winner Austin Bisschop close behind. Also in the mix, Joshua Conquer placed himself in the middle of the five-kart train for the lead. Continually swapping positions up front made it anybody’s race. As the group received the last lap board, they scattered into turn one. Howse climbed the back of DeAngelis, and lost his momentum from the leaders. Through the final sweepers and onto the straightaway, Lucio took the inside line, while DeAnglis and Bisschop chose the outside. Drag racing to the finish, Lucio was scored with the victory, eight-hundredths of a second ahead of DeAngelis and Bisschop. However, a post-tech inspection found Lucio’s kart just a little too wide, handing the victory to DeAngelis, bumping Bisschop to second, and Conquer to third.
Photo by Cody Schindel, Autosports Media Group
The F125 Shifter class once again delivered great action on track as twelve shifter karts lined up for the final. Grabbing the holeshot from the outside row, Lorenzo Mandarino lead the way into turn one. However, his lead was short lived, and Zack Meyer powered passed as the two rounded lap one. Tucking into third place, Curtis Fox, making his first shifter start in nearly two years, looked to have something for the leaders in opening laps. However, he was passed on lap three by Addison Rayner and lap four by Jamie Riberdy, before pulling off on lap eight with mechanical issues. Back up front, Meyer checked out on the field, while Mandarino pulled off on lap six with an engine problem, leaving Rayner in second and Riberdy in third with hopes of chasing down Meyer. But as the checkered flag flew on lap twenty, Meyer took the victory, with Rayner and Riberdy not far behind.
Rounding out the day’s winners were: Michael Taibi winning his second Bear in Rotax Jr., Sean McPhee in Honda Jr. Medium, Jake Collison in Honda Masters, Michael Glaze in Rotax DD2, and Greg Rempel in Honda Sr. Heavy.
Photo by Cody Schindel, Autosports Media Group
Sunday Report
The usually clean and respectful Honda Masters class, were the talk of Sunday afternoon in Shannonville. Plenty of action on track, both good and bad, resulted in multiple penalties. Jake Collison started on the pole position for Sunday’s final, seeking his second Bear in as many days. In an almost duplication of Saturday’s race, Collison broke away from the field with Paul Draganac and Randy Packham in tow. The trio traded the top spot throughout the twenty-lap final. A drag race for the lead as the three received the last lap sign, saw Packham hold the inside line, with Collison powering passed on the outside before Packham received a push before corner one by Draganac, and Packham and Collison entering the corner side-by-side. However, contact between the two, sent Packham over the top of Collison, and ending the race one lap short. The win was given to Collison, with Draganac and Packham excluded from the results. Ron Henrie and Phil Taus would be classified in second and third position.
Photo by Cody Schindel, Autosports Media Group
Continuing their battle for BSRKC Rotax Sr. supremacy, Andy Jaffray and Michael Glaze went head-to-head once again. The two have battled all year long, with Jaffray currently holding a slight edge in the overall standings. However, it was Cory Luciano taking the early lead in the race, with Glaze and Jaffray in tow. Luciano’s lead did not last long though, as contact between himself and Glaze, held the two up in the back section of the track, and handed the lead to Jaffray. Regaining in ninth place, Glaze was on a mission to return to the front and was back in the top five in only two laps. He then worked his way to second on lap eight, and set his sights on Jaffray, who had pulled a sizeable lead. Lapping nearly three-tenths of a second quicker, Glaze caught Jaffray by lap thirteen, and with a draft down the front straight took the top spot. Jaffray tried everything to return to the front, but would have to settle for second at the checkered flag. A great drive by Dalton Kellett resulted in a third place finish.
Sunday’s other winners included: Zack Meyer winning his second Bear in F125 Shifter, Andrew Prescott in Honda Jr. Heavy, Ryan Mohan in Honda Jr. Lite, and Marco DiLeo winning a very eventful Honda Sr. Lite race. The results of the Rotax Mini-Max class are currently on hold until a rule is clarified. Their results will be announced shortly, with the Bear and second and third place trophies, and cash prizes presented at the final BSRKC race.
All in all, the BSRKC Principles and Organizers, Steering Committee, sponsors and volunteers were extremely happy with the attendance and the quality of racing from beginning to end. The complimentary Friday night pig roast, sponsored by Eric Van Eerd was a huge success. The $3600 in cash prizes, the four Position 1 Fitness video prizes, the generous draw prizes sponsored by 401 Dixie Nissan/Infiniti and Peter Geer, and the 21 coveted Bears were the talk throughout the paddock.
The BSRKC will resume in three weeks time on August 28 and 29 with the final weekend for the six official Honda classes, Novice, Jr. Lite, Jr. Heavy, Sr. Lite, Sr. Heavy and Masters being held at the Innisfil Indy. For the remaining two-stroke classes and Honda Jr. Medium class, they will return to action on September 17 and 18 at 3-S GoKarts in Sutton for their final double-header event of the year.
