Cup Karts North America Canada Division Releases 2023 Schedule
The Cup Karts North America Canada Division is expanding its program for 2023, adding a third weekend to the calendar. The inaugural season in 2022 had 268 entries over the four rounds of racing with the program set for more its sophomore season. The series stays in the same two providences it visited last season with Quebec and now visiting Ontario twice in 2023.
The series experienced an exceptional amount of growth in 2022, and series organizer Gerald Caseley said how there’s been traction from day one. Caseley talked about how after this season, there was always the intention of expanding the calendar for 2023 to involve that third race date. Next season, they hope to continue the paddock culture of a large club race and will be going to a 100% Cup Karts rule package, with the hopes of American drivers making the trip across the border to compete in 2023.
The first event of the 2023 championship sees the CKNA Canada program return to where it all started in 2022, going back to Karting Trois-Rivières in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. The 1.2km, 19-corner circuit has a great mix of tight technical sections, with long straightaways that make for exciting racing. The opening round of the CKNA Canada season is set to take place on the second weekend of June, on the dates of 10-11.
The second stop on the calendar is the new addition for 2023, with the championship making its first of two stops to Ontario at the Lombardy Raceway Karting Club. The race will follow Canada Day weekend, on July 8-9. The 10-turn clockwise circuit will be sure to test the Vega tires on the left side throughout the weekend, with seven of the ten corners going to the right, and with the high-speed nature of the track, racing should be close and unpredictable.
Finishing out the season, the series will make its final stop, again in Ontario, this time to Goodwood Kartways in Stouffville, Ontario. The final race at Goodwood last season pulled in 141 entries, making it a very high possibility to see 150+ entries for the 2023 season finale. The layout of Goodwood Kartways may also be familiar to many Midwest karters in the United States, with the track being a near corner for a corner carbon copy of the Mill-Rite Raceway in Wisconsin and that of Michiana Raceway Park in South Bend, Indiana. CKNA Canada is set to visit the final stop on the calendar August 5-6.
2022 saw an incredible year of racing for the series’ first attempt, with seven different champions in the seven classes. Only one driver was able to win all four days of competition in the 2022 season however, being Jordan Di Leo in Junior Light. Jonathon Treadwell came only one day away from a perfect season in Senior Medium, taking both wins at Goodwood Karting and the top spot Sunday at Karting Trois-Rivières. Senior Heavy champion Logan Ferguson took the opening two race wins of the season, and followed up with podiums at Goodwood, taking the title by over 200 points to his nearest rival. Both Cadet champion, David Zhao, and Masters champion Mathieu Demers finished on the podium every race, both taking one win over the course of the season. Branco Juverdianu took the Junior title for 2022 by 110 points with one victory over the four rounds. Marco Di Leo in Senior Light was the only champion not to score a win throughout the season, however, did score two podiums to earn the championship.
For more information on Cup Karts Canada and Cup Karts North America, go to www.cupkarts.com for more information on the series, and the 2023 calendar.
