PSL Karting earns 4 Canadian National Championship

2008 August 18th

 PSL KARTING DRIVERS EARN FOUR CANADIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Trio of PSL CRG drivers earn nation’s best, another three heading to Rotax Worlds as part of Team Canada 

TROIS-RIVIERES, QUEBEC (August 20, 2008) – It was a sea of black and yellow at the 2008 edition of the ASN Canadian National Championships, held at the Karting Grand-Mère facility in Grand-Mère, Quebec over the August 8-10 weekend.

Thirty-six drivers represented the Canadian powerhouse PSL Karting/CRG team with the core PSL Karting hauler on-site to help support their satellite dealer teams - PSL Quebec and PSL Atlantic.

With PSL/CRG represented in seven classes, the squad was able to bring home three national titles with two vice-champion awards as well, also putting three drivers on Team Canada for the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals. Rotax Max Senior was considered by many as the elite class of the event with nearly 50 drivers competing on the weekend. PSL/CRG put seven drivers in the top-10 during qualifying, led by Olivier Sirois and Massimo Scotti, who were second in their respective groups. Once the green flag racing commenced with the Prefinal, Sirois charged to the front for the win to edge the competition by under two-tenths of a second. Jean-Francois Valour was third with Scotti fourth, as Alexandre Laboissonniere made it four PSL/CRG drivers in the top-five. Christopher Ernst was ninth while Benoit-Phillipe Rondeau and Etienne La Salle - who finished first and second in the Last Chance Qualifier to transfer into the Prefinal – also ran very well with Rondeau advancing to 12th as La Salle finished 23rd. After some brief exchanges for the top spot to begin the 22-lap Final, Sirois paced the field with Laboissonniere crossing the line behind him for a PSL/CRG 1-2 finish, putting both drivers on Team Canada. Valour would finish fifth with Scotti running to eighth. Ernst and Rondeau ended the race in ninth and tenth to put six PSL/CRG drivers in the top-ten. Considering the fact that they needed to come through the LCQ, these were very impressive performances.

 Joining Sirois and Laboissonniere on Team Canada will be Kevin King. After qualifying ninth in his Rotax Max Junior group, King charged to third in the Prefinal. King would go on to lead 21 of the 22 laps in the Final to earn the national crown and the spot on Team Canada. Fellow PSL/CRG pilot Tommy Beshro could have possibly joined King on the podium, however, a crash in the Prefinal put him back to 28th on the main event starting grid. Running times that matched the leader, Beshro was able to climb up to fifth after 22 laps. Joining them in the top-10 was Nicholas Martin, who finished seventh.

 The third national title earned by PSL/CRG came via an American visitor, ICC driver Fritz Leesmann. After qualifying second in Formula Senior, the defending Florida Winter Tour champion went on to win the Prefinal and Final with little challenge. This is the second year in a row that an American with PSL Karting has won the title as transplanted Brit Jake Rosenzweig earning the title in ‘07. PSL teammate Tom Cadieux was also quick on the weekend, coming just one spot short of the podium in fourth. 

Therry Parpale Won the ICC Master and Michel Legrand get 3rd on their CRG Road Rebel

Another American under the PSL/CRG tent during the weekend was Micro Max driver Santino Ferrucci. From the opening sessions on, the New York resident was at the front of the field. After qualifying second, Ferrucci edged the competition after 10 laps for the Prefinal win by just 0.048-seconds. Continuing on with a close fight in the Final, Ferrucci came up just short of the victory and settled for second. It was a strong Canadian debut for the young pilot, who many expect to be a major player in Senior karting in a few years.

 Kyle Stevens was the lone driver to fly the PSL/CRG colors in the Rotax DD2 divisions. Utilizing the two-speed Rotax engine aboard a CRG chassis, Stevens ran in the top-10 all weekend long. Qualifying sixth, Stevens fell back two positions in the Prefinal, but was able to make up one of those spots to finish seventh in the 22-lap feature event. 

PSL Karting would like to thank all of the drivers, crews, friends and families for a successful 2008 Canadian National Championships event. Up next for the PSL squad will be the attack on the United States title as Fritz Leesmann and Jess Peterson will battle at the upcoming Stars of Karting Western Division Finale in Seattle, Washington on August 22-24, with support from the PSL Karting’s engine and chassis specialists.

 For more information on PSL Karting, please contact Team Director Stephan St. Charles at 819.377.5566. You can also e-mail Stephan via Stephan@pslkarting.com   PSL Karting can be found on the Internet @ www.pslkarting.com ###  About PSL Karting:PSL Karting is one of the most respected shops and teams in the sport.  Located in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, they are a Canadian importer of CRG karts and Maxter engines, as well as a long list of the best products in the sport such as Rotax, Arai, MG Tires, Vega, MIR Racewear and Tillett Seats.  PSL is a full service operation, offering karts and parts, full arrive-and-drive programs on the Stars of Karting, Florida Winter Tour and Coupe de Quebec series, engine building and tuning and an intensive driving school that features dynamic and experienced instructors.