Jesse Lazare : 2011 Rotax Junior Canadian National Champion, 2010 ECKC Rotax Jr. Champion | Website Powered by Autosports Media Group

DRIVER PROFILE:

Driver Name: Jesse Lazare
Residence: Dollard des Ormeaux, Quebec
Date of Birth: May 28, 1997
Class: Rotax Max Junior
Favorite Track: SRA Karting International
Favorite Driver: Fernando Alonso
Racing Goal: Formula 1
First Year of Karting: 2005
Hobbies: Skiing, Hockey
Favorite Food: pasta

Passion to Drive:

Jesse Lazare's passion for driving started almost since the day he could walk.

"We knew there was something special when we got him a battery-powered car at one year old," Lazare's father Gordie said, "And he would go around the basement, not touching any of the furniture."

Lazare received a 50-cc ATV, a year later, and has been driving ever since.

In 2005, Lazare started in the karting world and with only a half season behind him he finished fifth in the Quebec Championship. This ignited his passion for competing and racing, He didn't want to stop so he headed to the Florida Winter Tour (FWT) in 2006, where he finished sixteenth position overall.

He rejoined Quebec Karting in 2006, and, as a Cadet, for his first full season he finished second in Coupe Vega, and fourth in Coupe de Montreal.

"He practiced every chance he could get, even not winning he didn't want to stop," explains his Dad of Jesse's passion.

2007 proved to be the year his hard work would finally pay off, as he finished eighth in the Rotax Mini-Max category in the Florida Winter Tour.Summer of 2007 was his breakout year, as the youngest driver in Mini-Max, he finished at the top in the Quebec competitions and he dominated in all categories, Coupe Vega, Coupe de Montreal, finishing first place in all. Jesse explains he owed a lot to his then SH Karting team and his mechanic Hugo, who taught him driving skills and believed in him, creating the confidence needed to be at the top of his game.

Jesse returned to the Florida Winter Tour in 2008 to compete in Mini-Max and won the Vice-Championship. He was very proud to come in second place out of fifty international drivers in Florida's biggest competition.

In the 2008 Quebec competitions, Lazare was registered in both the Mini-Max and Honda Junior category. Lazare explains how much more concentration it took, with the different speeds and styles of the two categories, but with a lot of determination and focus, he took over first place in Coupe Vega and Coupe de Montreal, and Quebec Championship, for both categories, and even took over top spot at the Canadian Championship, earning the title of Rotax Mini-Max Canadian National Champion.

2009 saw Lazare compete again at the FWT, his last year in Mini-Max, winning the Vice Championship for the second year in a row. He did not expect to finish as well as he did, since he had out grown the Cadet chassis.

Moving up to the Junior ranks in 2010 and to a new team, Jesse had a breakout debut in this higher-powered class. Earning titles in the Coupe de Montreal, Coupe du Quebec and Eastern Canadian Karting Championships solidified all his hard work throughout the years.

In his second year in the Junior class, Jesse took third place honors in the competitive Rotax Max Junior championship at the 2011 Florida Winter Tour. Working with his Goodwood Kartways / Intrepid Canada team, Jesse will contest the 2011 Eastern Canadian Karting Championship and Coupe du Quebec looking to retain his titles, and will also see competition in the Canadian National Championships with hopes to secure a spot on Team Canada for the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals.