With KartStars round one all wrapped up, the stage is set for the first round of the Ontario Inter-Club Challenge held at Goodwood Kartways. In its debut, it instantly became one of the most popular Briggs championships last season, boasting 211 entries in the opening round. This year proves to continue the success, attracting many of Ontario’s best Briggs drivers.
Of the numerous classes, none will be closer than the ruthlessly competitive Briggs Senior category, with talent brimming up and down the field. While predicting the outcome for the class is an impossible task, last weekend’s Kartstars race might have given us a sneak peek of drivers to keep an eye on this weekend.
Among the countless talented drivers, these Seniors will likely be in the heart of the action this weekend and might even come away with a podium.
Logan Pacza (Prime Powerteam)
Leading the way for Prime Powerteam last weekend at Goodwood Kartstars, Logan Pacza is no stranger to fighting at the front. Always a force to be reckoned with in past seasons, Pacza got straight to work establishing himself as a title contender this season, taking pole position and finishing third place in a tough Briggs Senior field last Saturday.
Pacza boasts a diverse motorsports background, having found success in both Briggs and ROK categories in karting, along with experience in F1600 and high-level Sim Racing.
Overall, Pacza is one to watch from Prime Powerteam, but he’ll also have to contend with his hard-charging teammates David Barnes, Owen McCarthy and Mitchell Morrow, the 2024 National Champion.
Chad Webster (VRS)
Chad Webster is another familiar face taking part in this weekend’s festivities. The karting journeyman and race announcer doesn’t let anything slide at his home track of Goodwood Kartways. Last year’s Goodwood Ontario Inter-Club race winner, Webster, will be looking to replicate his success, doubling down on his winning ways.
This is already looking like a possibility, as if last weekend’s Kartstars event was any indication, coming away with a heat win and a consistent top ten runner, Webster looks to be in full form entering this weekend’s Interclub Challenge.
Webster should aim to work with VRS teammate and karting veteran Jonathan Treadwell to lock out a front row result and safely fight for the win.
Major Makovskis (Racing Edge Motorsports)
The young gun of this group, Major Makovskis, is already making waves in his Briggs Senior debut. Known mainly for his two-stroke karting background, competing in Junior ROK and Rotax categories, Makovskis’s Briggs history dates way back to his roots in Briggs Cadet, where he was quite successful. Since then, he has been competing in select Briggs races, most recently Kartstars last weekend.
Makovskis came into last weekend as a relative dark horse compared to his established competitors. This didn’t last long as he set the tone on Sunday, grabbing pole position and the race win, all while never slipping outside the top three.
Makovskis will be looking to use his Kartstars success as a springboard into this weekend’s Interclub race. He’ll use what he’s learned so far in Briggs Senior combined with his two-stroke experience to manufacture another dominant weekend.
Logan Ploder (Pfaff Kartsport)
Pfaff Kartsport will be putting their faith behind Logan Ploder as he’ll be leading the charge for the team at Inter-Club this weekend. The 2021 Briggs Senior National Champion has been a crucial pillar for the team so far this season, putting his plaid kart in the top five all throughout Kartstars on Saturday.
Ploder has been the model of consistency, a mainstay front-runner and consistent title contender in Briggs Senior. After being on a Birel chassis for most of his career, the switch to Gillard OTK will be the hardest thing he’ll have to contend with this weekend.
Otherwise, look out for him hanging out at the front as he’ll have a good chance of standing on the podium at his home track this Sunday.
Eric Moore (Goodwood Kartways)
A newcomer to the front, Eric Moore was a bright spot at last weekend’s Kartstars event. The Goodwood Kartways native has been quietly improving over the past year, grabbing his first TRAK race win in June of last year and has been on the rise since.
With the first Ontario Inter-Club race being at Goodwood, it will play directly into his hands, allowing Moore to put himself at the top of the table before the championship heads elsewhere.
Judging by Moore’s second-place finish last Saturday at Kartstars, his pace can’t be ignored, and the other top drivers will clearly have their hands full. The key to success for him this weekend will be his ability to match the aggressiveness of his rivals. If he manages to do so, the sky is the limit for this ascending talent.
At last count, Briggs Senior was well into the 60s for entries. We know more will arrive on race day, and eclipsing last year’s 81 entries will be the bar. Could this be the biggest ever Briggs Senior field for the second year in a row? Find out this Sunday at Goodwood Kartways.
