Article by Canadian Karting News, originally posted at – https://www.canadiankartingnews.com/medeiros-strikes-back-with-commanding-rotax-junior-victory/
The battle for Rotax Junior supremacy exploded back into action this past weekend as the Rotax Max Challenge Ontario championship resumed at the Hamilton Karting Complex. Racing on the fast and unforgiving National layout, and under relentless heat and humidity, Canada’s rising stars were pushed to the brink in a gruelling test of pace, patience, and mental toughness.
With rivalries tightening and a ticket to the Rotax Grand Finals looming ever larger, Cole Medeiros delivered a ruthless response to adversity, overcoming mid-weekend setbacks to dominate the Final and reignite his championship charge.
Dominant Start, Then a Shake-Up
Medeiros (REM/Kosmic) came out swinging in Qualifying, laying down a blistering 44.4-second lap to secure pole position, the only driver to crack into that bracket. From there, he looked untouchable, crushing the competition in all three heat races with clinical drives from the front.
But the Super Heat turned the tables. Jeremy St-Cyr (PSL/BirelART) wasn’t about to let Medeiros run away with the weekend. Making a decisive move midway through the Super Heat, St-Cyr seized the lead and never looked back. The action behind was pure chaos, and Medeiros, caught in the swarm, was shuffled back to fifth as Christian Papp (Pfaff/Gillard), Leonardo Serravalle (REM/Kosmic), and Alexis Baillargeon (HM Propela/Kart Republic) muscled past in the closing laps.
That left the Final grid stacked and unpredictable, with St-Cyr and Medeiros sharing the front row and a group of hungry challengers right behind them.
Cole Medeiros (207) and Roman Doria (218) get ready for the green flag (Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN)
A No-Holds-Barred Final
The opening laps were frantic, but St-Cyr and Medeiros immediately asserted themselves up front. St-Cyr held the early advantage, but Medeiros struck back with force on lap three, powering into the lead and signalling he was far from finished.
Behind them, chaos erupted. Baillargeon and Serravalle went to war for third in a relentless exchange of position that eventually boiled over. The two made contact in corner four, sending Serravalle wide and tumbling down the order to P10. Baillargeon held the position, but not for long. Officials handed him a five-second penalty for the contact, effectively erasing his podium hopes.
Up front, the duel raged on. At the halfway point, St-Cyr launched a bold attack to retake the lead, but Medeiros immediately answered, muscling back ahead just two laps later. From there, the REM/Kosmic driver slammed the door shut and began to pull away, lap after lap, while the pressure intensified behind him.
Into that firestorm came Jackson Morley (Prime/BirelART). The Round 1 winner had struggled for pace throughout the weekend, but when it mattered most, he delivered. Charging from deep in the field, Morley picked off rivals one by one and launched himself into third in the closing laps, a brilliant recovery drive that kept his title hopes very much alive.
Medeiros crossed the line in control after 25 gruelling laps, celebrating a hard-fought and emotional victory. St-Cyr followed in second, his early-race aggression earning him valuable championship points. Morley’s late surge earned him the final podium step, while Aristeides Theodoropoulos (Prime/BirelART) and Jackson Lachapelle (HM Propela/Kart Republic) were promoted into the top five following Baillargeon’s penalty.
Medeiros celebrates his victory (Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN)
The Battle Is Far From Over
Two rounds in. Two different winners. One goal.
With Medeiros and St-Cyr nearly locked in a dead heat at the halfway point of the season, the championship now heads into its most intense phase.
Up next: Canada’s two biggest events. The Canadian Karting Championships at Mosport and the Canadian Open at SH Karting. Both events will merge RMC Ontario and RMC Quebec into one all-out battle for Rotax glory, with the nation’s best juniors fighting for a coveted ticket to the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals.
If Hamilton was any indication, no one’s backing down. And the next chapter promises even more fireworks.
Rotax Junior podium: Jeremy St-Cyr, Cole Medeiros and Jackson Morley (Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN)
