East vs West: Who Will Win the MKG Canada Final?

This weekend, the Max Karting Group Canada Final is set to ignite Stratotech Racing Park with what may be the most true-to-form national showdown Canadian karting will see all season. With entries representing every major karting province, Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec, the best from coast to coast will battle it out just outside of Edmonton, Alberta.

Up for grabs? Six prestigious tickets to represent Canada at the 2025 Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in Bahrain, and national bragging rights, of course.

The Canada Final features a unique format, with three full race days, Friday, Saturday, and Championship Sunday, where drivers will accumulate points across the weekend. But there’s a catch: competitors only have two sets of MOJO tires to last them all three days, and with a forecast that could bring rain into play, strategy and adaptability will be just as critical as outright speed.

Let’s take a look at the classes:

Micro Max – East vs West

Six names have emerged as potential champions in Micro Max, with the battle lines drawn between eastern and western Canada. Can Heston Jeffrey, Jack Klym or Joshua Wheeler defend the home turf? Or will Lincoln Lima, Yousef Adi or Max Koutsoukis take the title back to Ontario or Quebec? Wheeler’s experience racing out east could be a key advantage, and watch out for Lima and Heston pulling double duty in Mini Max, valuable seat time that could be a game-changer.

Mini Max – Anyone’s Game

With ten capable contenders, Mini Max is wide open. With last year’s champion having graduated to Juniors, the crown is there for the taking. The Lorusso and Heston brothers bring double trouble to the field. Lennox Campbell was a title contender last year and will be eager to finish the job this time. Mateo Pai enters as a race winner in RMC Ontario, while Lincoln Lima’s Winter Trophy podium proves he can go the distance. Add in a comeback story from William Rossetti and the consistent pace of Charles Teo, and this could be the category to watch.

Rotax Junior – A Talented Field of 18

There’s no shortage of talent in Junior Max. The eastern trio of Cole Medeiros, Nathan Dupuis and Alexis Baillargeon have been in peak form this season, and they’ll look to make their presence felt in the west. Grayson Talaba and Mini Max graduate Christian Sanguinetti could play spoilers, and don’t count out local standout Everleigh Kozakowski. With three races to decide the champion, it’s anyone’s guess who will come out on top.

Rotax Senior – 38 Entries, Countless Storylines

Senior Max is bursting with talent. Defending champion Mark Newson wants a repeat, but he’ll have to fend off a deep field, including nine drivers with Rotax Grand Finals experience. Griffin Dowler remains a Western favourite, but Ontario’s Racing Edge Motorsports brings heavy hitters like Antoine Lemieux, William Bouthillier, Joshua Soumvalis and Oliver Mrak. BC’s top talents, Josh Finer, Ian Qiu, and Marco Kacic, will also be looking to shake things up.

This is going to be a war.

Rotax DD2 – No Room for Error

A dozen drivers. One ticket. The DD2 class is small in numbers but massive in intensity. Can Lucas Pernod go back-to-back? Will Griffin Dowler finally grab the elusive DD2 ticket? Can dark horses like Nolan Bower, Macy Williams, Branco Juverdianu or Ludovic Sabourin rise to the challenge? And with his ticket already booked, will Matthew Taskinen be the spoiler with nothing to lose?

Rotax Masters – Veteran Vibes

Only seven drivers, but plenty of firepower in the Masters category. Noel Dowler and Andy Jaffray are early favourites, but don’t sleep on Quebec’s Simon Proteau or American veteran Billy Cleavelin. Brendon Sanguinetti enters as a wildcard in his first major karting event; can he shake up the status quo?

The action begins Thursday with practice before three straight days of racing. Points, pressure, and pride will be on the line all weekend long. When the dust settles on Sunday afternoon, Canada’s next group of Rotax Grand Finals ticket holders will be crowned—and the title of Canada Final Champion will be earned the hard way.

Follow all the action on CanadianKartingNews.com throughout the weekend.