Driver News - Mike Vincec crowned 2006 Canadian National Champion in ICC
Three week road trip ends in triumph Vincec crowned 2006 Canadian National Champion in ICC! August 15, 2006 - Stouffville, Ontario - For most teenagers, summer is a time to kick back and relax, hit the beach or just hang out. Not so for 15 year old kart racer Mike Vincec. It has been hectic three weeks since he returned from the Formula BMW Licensing course in Valencia and the pace does not seem to be slowing down. Seems that jet lag was not an issue for Mike who celebrated his return putting in a fantastic effort during round four of the Sunoco Ron Fellows Karting Championship (SRFKC). Arriving home Wednesday evening with a new international racing license in his pocket, Mike would have one day to recover before heading out to the Mosport Karting Academy track in Bowmanville, Ontario where he would be contesting three classes in the regional karting series. Going into this event Mike was also leading or in contention for the overall championship points lead in every class. He was definitely up to the challenge and left the track on Sunday night with two poles, two wins and a third to bolster his championship run. The real boost came with an awesome performance in the featured Formula Senior (ICC) race. With almost no time to rest, Mike and the team were headed to Shawano, Wisconsin to compete in the ICC class of the Snap On Stars of Karting presented by Indy Racing League. Mike has been a strong front-runner so far this season in his SwedeTech powered Cameron Motorsports CRG and he was looking to improve his position in the east division standings. From the first timed sessions on, Mike, who is in his first year of senior competition, was always near the top of the timing charts. Mike would come away from Shawano with another strong showing, just missing the podium on Sunday. A close race on Saturday ended with just two laps to go when in a race-long battle for third, Mike drove the tires off the track. Despite the spin on Saturday, the young driver's skills and determination were evident to many at the track and he left Wisconsin with a feeling of accomplishment. From there it was off on the long drive to Edmonton, Alberta for the ASN Canada National Karting Championships. Mike and his tuner Brian would be attempting to capture a national title in Formula Senior. The Canadian National Championships are as much a test of endurance as skill with its format of qualifying, three qualification heats, pre final and final races spread over three days. Practice and qualifying would take under rain conditions on Friday and admittedly, driver and mechanic missed the setup which would have Mike starting P5 for each heat in Formula Senior. It did not go well in the first heat with Mike finishing 14th. But there were still two heats to go and starting position for the prefinal would be based on average positions of the three heats and qualifying time. It started to come together in heat two when Mike brought his SwedeTech-powered CRG across the line in third place. Mike would cap the day by winning heat number three. "The weather was better for us today" noted Mike," and Brian worked to get the kart setup just right for the track and the conditions. We are now looking forward to the prefinal and final on Sunday." It all unfolded beautifully on Sunday as Mike hit the track for the prefinal and pulled away right from the green. He extended his lead throughout the race to bring home the win and put himself on pole for the final that afternoon. In the final Mike would lead from pole and never look back. With the win, he would be crowned the 2006 Canadian National Champion in Formula Senior (ICC) which is considered the premiere class in North American karting circles. "It is just awesome to be the national champion," exclaimed Mike. "It has been an amazing year so far with the ICC win at Barrie, my run in the Sunoco Ron Fellows Karting Championship(SRFKC) , good results in Stars and of course, getting my international license at the Formula BMW school in Valencia.' Mike continued, " The focus now is to continue this success through the last two SRFKC rounds where I am in the hunt for three championships. I also have two more Stars of Karting events to contend including the finale which will be in Toronto in September." Mike would like to thank all his sponsors for their continued support including The Decal Zone, Cameron Motorsports/CRG, SwedeTech Racing Engines, Pilot Race Gear, Mosport Karting/F1-K, TXM Racing Engines and Level Ten Communications. For additional information on Mike Vincec and BIG Racing visit www.mikev.ca Photo credit: Ed Gatner Hi-res images available upon request Media Contact: Chris Jameson Level Ten Communications +1 416.730.1024 media@mikev.ca -- 30 --