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| EKN Championship Spotlight: Michael Vincec |
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 | Michael Vincec - the 2008 Stars of Karting ICC National Champion
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
As we head into the upcoming 2009 Stars of Karting season, eKartingNews.com looks at the final champion from the 2008 season, Michael Vincec. You always hear the saying in racing, “In order to win a championship you must be fast but consistent.” That basically summed up the 2008 season for the Canadian as a string of top-five finishes for the Cameron Motorsports/CRG driver helped him earn the Stars of Karting ICC National Championship. Beating out names like Carlton, Speed, Vorrath, Jurca, they and Vincec will be forever known when speaking of karting in the current decade.
Vincec’s karting journey began at the age of seven when he first got a taste behind the wheel. His family’s cottage at Lake Musselman was just ten minutes from Goodwood Kartways. The family, including two of Michael’s siblings (Danica and Kristin), would play around at the track during the summers on the rental karts. Michael however took it one step further when they purchased a one-off ‘MarioKart’. He spent a full season practicing and honing his skills before he got into wheel to wheel action. The following year was his debut into the karting world, finishing eighth in his first championship season at Goodwood with the Toronto Kart Club in the Novice class on a Honda 5.5hp restricted. Michael continued to compete in the 4-stroke class the next couple of years earning wins at the OKRA Grand National Championships and the Toronto Kart Club’s most improved Junior driver award in 2002.
With the success of the previous years, Vincec would charge toward the national level in North America by moving up to the 80cc Junior shifter category and joining the First Kart program. At that time, there were a number of rising stars making their way through the class as participation numbers were at the highest level. Competing in both the Sunoco Ron Fellows Karting Championship (SRFKC) and Superkarts! USA ProMoto Tour brought Michael to the forefront of the best on the continent. Vincec ended the year sixth in the 80 Junior shifter standings and fifth in the Junior Heavy division for the SRFKC and 27th in the final SKUSA national standings.
 | Vincec began his karting career in the 4-stroke classes in the Ontario region
(Photo: mikev.ca) |
The following year Vince picked up the pace and the number of events he would compete in, including the Stars of Karting program, WKA Manufacturer’s Cup Series and the SRFKC. Michael finished tenth in both the Stars East division and the WKA championships, adding a seventh place run at the Stars finale in Orlando, Florida. Vincec came up just short of a title in the SRFKC, ending the season second in both the 80cc Junior and Rotax Max Junior with a fourth in the Canada Junior (4-stroke) division. His achievements earned him the GM Racing Winner’s Circle Award, presented to the driver judged to have displayed outstanding competition skills and sportsmanship.
His final season as a Junior driver in 2005 put him at the top echelon of young rising talent. After starting the year with First Kart, Michael moved over to the Cameron Motorsports team in May to race aboard the CRG chassis line. The transition did not slow him down, winning his debut at the WKA Manufacturer’s Cup Series event at BeaveRun in Pennsylvania. Michael would go on to earn two Grand National wins and finish second in the standings. Nationally, Vincec would end up second in the Eastern division standings, fourth overall. Back home, he would add another OKRA Grand National title and SRFKC title in Rotax Max Junior and become the only driver to receive the GM Racing Winner’s Circle Award in consecutive years. The year ended with Vincec making his Senior debut at the SuperNationals in Vegas, competing in the Semi-Pro category. Michael would adapt to the extra horsepower of the 125cc shifter kart quickly, placing second behind current Indy Firestone Lights driver Logan Gomez.
For his first full season as a Senior driver, Vincec concentrated on the ICC program in the Florida Winter Tour, Stars of Karting series and three classes in the SRFKC championship. After finishing fifth at the FWT, Vincec earned his first victory at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway event in dramatic fashion with a last lap pass. Add in two more top-five finishes and he went on to finish the year 13th in the standings, earning the series Rookie of the Year award. Michael also added big wins at the Barrie Grand Prix, the WKA Manufacturer’s Cup Series event at Lowe’s and the ASN Canadian National Championships. Two championships and a runner-up in the SRFKC gave him the GM Winner’s Circle Award for a third straight year.
 | In 80cc Junior, Vincec honed his shifter kart skills at a young age
(Photo: mikev.ca) |
That same year, Vincec was awarded a full trip to the Formula BMW USA licensing course in Valencia, Spain where he earned his international license and was selected to the scholarship shoot-out invitee. The year was capped off with Michael earning the honor of the eKartingNews.com Rising Star award.
2007 would see Vincec branch out even more, adding international flavor and more open wheel experience to his CV. A runner-up in the Florida Winter Tour championship led to a strong season on the Stars schedule that included another victory and a fourth in the overall championship. At home, he added three more SRFKC championships, adding a fourth year to the GM Winner’s Circle Award and earned a spot on Team Canada to compete at the Rotax Grand Finals in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. In a field of 70 international drivers, Vincec came from the LCQ to start 32nd in the main event, going on to finish 15th, an impressive run for his first international start.
With his success at the SRFKC, he was awarded the Sunoco Team Ultra 94 Scholarship which put him in competition at the Skip Barber Regional Southern Championship Series. During the 2007-2008 winter months, Vincec earned two victories (Las Vegas and Sebring), earning new track records at both facilities to go on and finish the season second in the standings and earn the series Rookie of the Year honors.
Working around his Skip Barber schedule, Vincec continued to keep karting going, running at the 2008 Florida Winter Tour. In fact, following a February double-header weekend at Sebring, Vincec jumped in a rental car and drove two hours to Jupiter, FL for day two action of the Tour. After missing practice and qualifying, Vincec got in and made the best of the situation, finishing the day 17th. Adding in three podiums earned on the other two weekends led to him fifth in the standings.
 | Vincec and his CRG-Maxter package was consistantly fast all year long
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
His attention then turned to campaign the full Stars of Karting schedule and traveling across the Atlantic to compete in the European Championships with the CRG factory. At his first European Championship start in the KZ2 division in Angerville, France, Vincec bounced back from mechanical issues to qualify for the main events. After a gearbox issue forced him to retire in the first main event, a 12th place finish in the second earned him his first four championship points. At round two in Mariembourg, Belgium, Michael would rebound from a tough qualifying run to earn a spot in the show again. After starting 23rd, he had a solid run up to 11th in the first feature and ran as high as fifth in the second, crossing the line ninth. The final event at the French Varennes sur Allier facility saw Michael retire early in the first final but finishing 13th in the second feature. Vincec would end the year tied for 12th in the standings.
Back home, it was an impressive season in the Stars of Karting program. After starting off the year with three top-five finishes in four races, Vincec earned his biggest win of his Stars career at the Mazda Race of the Americas. He followed it up with six podium finishes in seven races to earn the championship by just one point. The season was near perfect, with only one DNF due to contact not of his fault. Vincec and mechanic Trevor Wickens were on the same page each and every weekend with their CRG/Maxter machine in top condition each time on the track.
“Michael is a tremendous talent at a very young age,” commented his mechanic and Cameron Motorsports Team Manager Trevor Wickens. “In 2008, Mike stepped up to the plate in a huge way on and off the track. He transformed from a front runner to one of the power house drivers in the North American karting scene. Mike was a pleasure to work for all year and I couldn't be happier for him, his family and Cameron Motorsports. It was a true team effort.”
For the upcoming 2009 season, Vincec will return to defend his national championship crown in the newly-named KZ2 division of the Stars of Karting program. Vincec will be finishing up school at Cardinal Carter Catholic High School in Aurora, Ontario. Off the track, Michael is a typical 17-year old but keeps a strong focus on stay in shape. After high school, Vincec would like to pursue further education focus primarily in the automotive field. |
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