Article originally appeared on Canadian Karting News at – https://www.canadiankartingnews.com/junior-max-rivalries-heating-up-after-rmc-ontario-opener/
The race to represent Team Canada at the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in Bahrain has officially ignited, and if the opening round of RMC Ontario is any indication, we’re in for one of the fiercest Junior Max battles in recent memory.
This year’s roster of Junior contenders is bursting with talent and tenacity, and already, rivalries are taking shape, tempers are rising, and the stakes are getting real. Many of the same rising stars who kicked off their campaigns at RMC Quebec just two weeks ago returned to action at the Hamilton Karting Complex this weekend — and they were sharper, faster, and hungrier than ever.
At the front of the pack, two heavyweights quickly emerged: Jackson Morley (Prime/BirelART), still riding high from his triumph in Mont-Tremblant, and Cole Medeiros (REM/Kosmic), who’s been a winning machine across North America this year. The sparks between them lit up the weekend.
Morley came out swinging, throwing down a flying lap in Qualifying to lock up pole position and convert it into a dominant win in Heat 1. But things tightened up in Heat 2 when Alexis Baillargeon (HM Propela/Kart Republic) surged to the front and Medeiros backed up his speed with another second-place finish. With every session, the pressure mounted.
By Sunday morning, the tension was palpable. Morley again fended off Medeiros in Heat 3, but the real chaos came in the Super Heat – a ferocious battle where Morley, Medeiros, and Baillargeon took turns leading a snarling eight-kart pack. Contact, position changes, and high drama filled every lap, and when the dust settled and the penalties dropped, it was Jeremy St-Cyr (PSL/BirelART) who was shockingly handed the win, edging out Medeiros and Ari Theodoropoulos (Prime/BirelART).
Jackson Morley (Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN)
That set the stage for a Final that would be nothing short of explosive.
The start was pure mayhem. In the scramble for Turn 1, Baillargeon launched over the rear of St-Cyr’s kart, triggering a domino effect of carnage that wiped out several contenders before a single lap was completed. Among the casualties were Baillargeon, Leo Da Silva (REM/Kosmic), Jackson Lachapelle (HM Propela/Kart Republic), and Decklan Deonarine (Journie-REM/OTK). Theodoropoulos was forced into the grass to escape the chaos, but made it through.
But the race stayed green.
Medeiros charged ahead with Morley and St-Cyr in pursuit. Morley tried to stay close, but Medeiros was in a league of his own. By Lap 5, he was flying. Carving out a gap and dropping the hammer with blistering pace.
It looked like a statement win was in the making – until disaster struck.
While lapping traffic on the main straight, Medeiros collided slightly entering Turn 1, triggering his pushback bumper and earning a crushing five-second penalty. Though he crossed the line 3.367 seconds ahead of Morley, the penalty flipped the script. Victory slipped through his fingers. Morley, stunned but honest, took the win and admitted afterward: “I didn’t deserve that one. Cole was faster.” But a win is a win, and with championship points on the line, he won’t be apologizing.
Behind them, the drama continued. Leonardo Serravalle crossed the line in third but was hit with a five-second penalty for passing under yellow, dropping him to sixth. That handed the final podium spot back to St-Cyr, while Ryker Magro claimed fourth and Olivier Chasse, charging from dead last on the grid, stormed through to an impressive fifth-place finish.
With rivalries boiling over and championship pressure already sky-high, the RMC Ontario title chase is officially on fire.
The paddock won’t have to wait long for the next round — Hamilton Karting Complex hosts Round 2 on July 12-13, before the intensity peaks at the Canadian Karting Championship at Mosport in August. The grand finale will be fought alongside the Canadian Open at SH Karting, where Bahrain dreams will either be realized… or shattered.
Buckle up. The Junior Max battle has just begun.
