Balog Takes the Mini Max Win but Lemieux Secures the Canada Final Title

Gabriel Balog did everything he could in round two of the Max Karting Group Canada Final to close the gap in the championship but came up just short in the race for the title as Antoine Lemieux drove a smart weekend to maintain the lead and take home the ticket to the Rotax Grand Finals as well as the Rotax Mini Max Championship.

Balog set the pace in Qualifying but the first heat race saw a great battle for the lead in the opening laps. It lasted until halfway when the pair came together and knocked them down the running order and allowed Matthew Meyers (CompKart) to score the heat win.

From there, the weekend was all Balog (RaceLab/JV Kart), winning the remaining two heat races, the PreFinal and the Final in convincing fashion.

Running second to the end was Lemieux (SCR/BirelART), who knew that finishing runner-up was just enough to secure the title and his first invitation to join Team Canada at the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals. Third place in the race and the championship went to Bowen Gilbert (TB Kart) while Teryk Bodenstab (SCR/CL Kart) and Samuel Meyers (CompKart) completed the top five in the race.

This will be Lemieux’s first invitation to join Team Canada at the Rotax Grand Finals and interestingly enough, the first invite for a member of Scott Campbell Racing. Campbell, the 2010 Rotax Grand Finals DD2 Masters Champion has been to the Grand Finals many times as a competitor, but Lemieux is the first driver from his race team to Qualify and compete.

His excitement shows in his response to CKN about winning a ticket.

“For me, that’s like a dream because last year was the first time I saw the ticket and I thought it might be unreachable. But now I’m going to be on Team Canada in Portimao and I feel really excited to be with everybody there.”

Max Karting Group Canada Final at Warburg Mini Max Final Results