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Lazare honoured with Inside Track Motorsport News Karter of the Year nomination

December 23, 2010

MONTREAL, QUEBEC - Quebec karter, Jesse Lazare has been honoured with a Karter of the Year nomination from Inside Track Motorsport News. The popular racing magazine asks its readers each year who are the 'best' Canadian racers.

"I am very happy to be nominated in the karting category," Lazare said by phone as he prepares for the upcoming Florida Winter Tour. "Inside Track is a cool magazine, they cover all of Canadian motorsports, and there are a lot of good Canadian karters to choose from - I am glad I made the list of nominees."

Lazare would also like you to vote. "I think it is a great way for the fans of racing to show who they are fans of, and I hope I do well in the voting," Lazare added.

Lazare drives forward in final to top 10

November 26, 2010

LAS VEGAS, NV - Quebec's Jesse Lazare was back in action last weekend at the SuperNationals XIV held at the Rio in Las Vegas. The talented Canadian Junior from PSL Karting.com would compete in TaG Junior.

"I was excited to get to Vegas after a good race in Spain a few weeks ago," Lazare said. "This is a little different from Rotax, but I think we will be competitive."

Practice proved to be a little difficult for the standout junior driver from Quebec. "We really struggled to get the carburation right," Lazare said. "The 'sweet' spot is so narrow, it was very hard to hit the perfect combination."

The carb problems followed Lazare into qualifying, and as a result, he ended up 24th. "Definitely not what we hoped for," Lazare said. "If we can just hit on the right carb setting, I think we will be fast in the heats."

Lazare was right about the jetting. In the first he, a demon start got him to fourth, but again the carb issues surfaced and he fell down the field. It wasn't until the final few laps when Lazare found the speed he was looking for. "Finally, I hit the jetting right...it made all the difference."

With the new found speed, Lazare blazed forward in the other heats to finish fifth and third. Sadly a technical infraction bounced Lazare's result from heat 2, putting him in the LCQ.

More problems arose, forcing Lazare to miss the morning warm-up and very nearly the LCQ. Lazare made it through the LCQ and would start 37th in the final.

"There are no pre-finals here, so that really hurts us in the final," Lazare said. "If there was a pre-final, we stand a good chance to get to the front in the final, but now, I have only one race to get there."

Lazare's performance in the final was simply amazing, putting on much the same performance as he did earlier in the year at the ASN Canada FIA Nationals. Lazare marched forward during the final to finish 9th - a remarkable achievement from 37th starting spot.

"To salvage a top ten after this weekend is about all we could have hoped for," Lazare said.

Now, Lazare will focus his attention on the upcoming Florida Winter Tour that starts in early 2011.

Lazare shows speed in Spain

November 7, 2010

ZUERA, SPAIN - Quebec based Jesse Lazare traveled to Zuera, Spain, to contest the first Rotax International Open. Lazare earned the trip from the Sofina Driver Development program for winning the ECKC Rotax Max Junior Championship.

Once in Spain, Lazare quickly got up to speed during practice. "It's always a little tough at a new track - and this being my first international experience - to see just how fast you are in practice," Lazare said.

In qualifying, Lazare's speed became apparent, as the PSL Karting.com teenager posted the fifth fastest time. "I was happy with the qualifying," Lazare said. "Starting at the front of the heats is always better."

Lazare made his way through the heats with two sixth place finishes and a fifth, which set him up to start the pre-final in fourth.

"The weekend was going good," Lazare said. "I had some confidence heading into the final because I knew I had good speed."

In the final, Lazare - in his own words - was aggressive. He quickly moved up and got in a battle for third. "I passed the guy in third, then he passed me back," Lazare said. As the two battled, the fifth place driver caught up to them.

It was then that Lazare's race came undone. As Lazare defended his position, the fourth place drive tried to pass, but then backed out. The fifth place driver hit the fourth, who hit Lazare. The resulting damage to Lazare's CRG ended his race.

"It was very disappointing to end the weekend this way," Lazare said. "I want to thank Sofina, the ECKC and of course my dad for all their support in getting me here to Spain. I also want to thank the team for giving me a great kart all weekend."

Next up for Lazare is the Super Nationals in Las Vegas where he will compete in TAG Leopard.

Lazare robbed at pen-point

September 28, 2010

MONTREAL, QC - A very dejected Jesse Lazare left the final race of the year at Circuit ICAR with more questions than he had answers for. For the second straight weekend, Lazare won on the track only to be handed a very questionable penalty after the race.

For Lazare, who is 13-years-old it is difficult to understand the current politics of Quebec karting, but it isn't lost on his father, Gordie Lazare, who was beside himself at the recent decisions.

"We clearly understand what is going on," Lazare said. "Not just me, but the participants in the Rotax Junior class in general. For the past two weekends, penalties to my son have directly benefitted one other driver."

Lazare talked about the penalties more specifically to prove his point. "At SH Karting, when Jesse was on the pole - he gets pushed forward from the drivers behind him at the start - and after the race, Jesse gets a penalty for 'jumping the start', even though he was pushed forward. The resulting penalty of six positions put him directly behind a particular driver," Lazare said.

"Now you look at this week's penalty, where Jesse started third, and this time he was penalized for pushing the leader forward at the start - even though the start was waved off. I really would like someone to point out the difference to me. Why this week the pushing driver - and it wasn’t just Jesse, the whole line was pushing forward - was penalized, yet at SH, it was the lead driver penalized. I would say I don't understand, but trust me, I understand what is going on simply by the final ruling yesterday," Lazare added.

Originally, Lazare was penalized one position and the official results were posted on the board. That notice was quickly removed by officials as Lazare pointed out. "Once they figured out the one position penalty wasn't enough to "adjust" the final point standings, the officials then posted a new 'official results' notice, this time with a two-position penalty to Jesse, and that was enough to cost Jesse the championship."

"In addition, the officials took our protest at SH before realizing that a) the official taking to protest wasn''t in a position to do that, and b) it turns out once the officials talked it's not even a protest-able decision...very convenient." Lazare said.

Lazare is now left with a decision to make, "We won't continue to compete or support Quebec Karting under these conditions. It's a tough decision, especially as Jesse likes to race here. Jesse and I, along with our team can compete with the others on the track, but what we can't compete with is being robbed at pen-point by the officials who clearly have their own agenda."

Finally, Lazare would like to thank all the members of the Quebec karting community - parents and drivers - for all the support that his family has received over the past few days. "My phone hasn't stopped ringing. I really want to thank everyone within the karting community who took the time to call and to post comments on social media sites supporting us after the events at SH Karting and most recently at ICAR."

A win for nationally ranked #1 Rotax Junior Driver

September 13, 2010

ST-HILAIRE, QC - Jesse Lazare was back in action this past weekend at the penultimate round of the Coupe de Montreal, and the newly nationally ranked #1 Rotax Junior driver was determined to show that he deserved that ranking.

After qualifying second, a bizarre set of circumstances led to Lazare ultimately winning the second to last round of the Coupe de Montreal championship.

"The pre-final took four tries to get started," Lazare said. "The starts were uneven, and they kept getting waved off." Once the pre-final did get underway, Lazare wasted no time taking the lead on lap one. From there he worked on his lead, taking the win.

"Before the final, the officials talked to us on the front row and warned us about penalties if we didn't line up properly for the start. They told us if it was more than two tries, they would put us to the back of the field, which is a common penalty for a bad lineup and repeated tries to get the race started," Lazare said.

In the final, the first start was waved off, but on the second start, the starter let them go. "I was disappointed at the start because I was on the pole, but wasn't the first to the start line," Lazare said.

Even with the start, Lazare was able to take command of the race and he took a dominating win. "I was happy with the win, especially after last weekend. But I was also concerned that when they did the podium there was no podium for our class."

Officials had decided that Lazare had 'jumped' the start, and he was handed a seven position penalty. Dominic Labreque of PSL Karting.com then disputed the call and finally the penalty was reversed, handing Lazare back his win.

"I couldn't believe the original call," Lazare said. "I wasn't even leading at the start line. I am really glad that the officials realized that the penalty was not right, and took the time to make the right decision in the end."

Lazare podiums at Grand Mere

September 12, 2010

GRAND MERE, QC - Quebec based Jesse Lazare had a solid outing at the recent Coupe du Quebec outing at Grand Mere, finishing on the podium in second place, but the top ranked Rotax Junior racer wasn't thrilled with his performance.

"I am not sure why we weren't faster," Lazare said after the podium run. "I had a great CRG. My team did a fantastic job, but for some reason I just wasn't as fast as I expected to be. I just have to chock it up to it being an off weekend for me, and we will move on to the next one.

Lazare, who realistically expects to win every time out, vowed to work even harder at the next event to move up one step on the podium. "It's a little frustrating when you think as a driver after a race that you could have gone faster. Everyone on this team works hard, and I think I will learn from this and be better at the next event."

Lazare did get some welcome news this week as he was ranked the top Rotax Junior driver by Ekartingnews.ca, who said this about the PSLKarting.com driver. "Quebec driver Jesse Lazare (CRG) goes to the top of the national standings as he rockets up eight spots to take over number one position. Lazare has had a stellar 2010 and his fantastic efforts are now reflected in the National Rankings."

Lazare sixth at Nationals; Spirited drive from 34th for Lazare

August 26, 2010

MT-TREMBLANT, QUEBEC - Jesse Lazare put in a brilliant drive in wet conditions from 34th on the grid in the Rotax Max Junior National Championship final to claim sixth spot in the overall standings. The final was shortened in race length due to the rain, and that ultimately led to Lazare's final position.

"With the final being shortened from 20 to 16 laps, it would have been near impossible to move any further up," Lazare said after his performance in the final. "My team gave me the best possible CRG for the final, the setup was perfect, all I had to do was get it to the front. Time just ran out before I could get there."

Lazare's weekend started off well, he qualified fourth, and after the heat races he started the pre-final in fifth. Lazare quickly moved to second and looked to be set for a front row start in the final when the chain broke into two pieces ending his race.

"When it broke - the chain - I just couldn't believe it," Lazare said. "I knew my chance to race at the World Finals had just been broken as well. I do want to thank everyone that came by after that race to offer their support, and by the time the final started, I was prepared to do the best I could."

Lazare's best was a brilliant, clean drive up the order, passing karts seemingly at will. He finished seventh on the track. The sixth place driver was given a penalty for blocking Lazare on the last lap, which moved him to sixth.

"It definitely wasn't the result I wanted, but that's racing sometimes. Thanks to my team, my tuners and to PSLkarting.com for all their support."

Lazare claims championship in Rotax Junior

August 9, 2010

MT-TREMBLANT, QC - Quebec PSLkarting.com Junior Rotax driver Jesse Lazare needed a near perfect weekend at the Circuit Mt-Tremblant, site of the final round of the Eastern Canadian Karting Championship. Lazare didn't disappoint as he took the win, and with it, he was crowned the Rotax Max Junior Champion.

"After the way the series started for me, it was an uphill battle," the 13-year-old from Dollard de Ormeaux said after winning three of the six races in the series. "I had to win today and hope that it was enough to get us the championship."

After qualifying second, and finishing the pre-final in third, Lazare was able to find some extra speed to take the win in the final. "The CRG was perfect - we had worked hard all weekend to get the right setup, and it came at the perfect time," Lazare added.

With the win, Lazare claims the prize of competing in the Rotax Open in Spain this October. "This is a great prize to win, and I am really looking forward to racing in Spain."

Saturday at Circuit Mt-Tremblant the Coupe de Montreal event was held and Lazare had a decent run, finishing second in Rotax Junior to add to his point total in that series.

"We were just testing a bunch of different things this weekend," Lazare said. "The big event for us is the Nationals in two weeks at Mt-Tremblant, and we wanted to make sure we would be well prepared for that event."

Lazare has had the ASN Canada FIA National Karting Championship dates circled on his calendar since last year when he was unable to compete because of his age. While he watched last year's Nationals at Goodwood, this year he more than ready to compete for a National Championship in Rotax Junior. "This is the race we have waited all year for, and I know we will be on top form. The testing we have done at Circuit Mt-Tremblant has gone very well, and I am excited about competing for a National title."

Lazare wins Rotax Junior at Trois-Rivières; 29th to a win in the final for Lazare

July 28, 2010

TROIS RIVIERES, QC - Jesse Lazare went through the full spectrum of emotions last weekend at the Monaco de Trois-Rivières. Lazare was happy with his second place run in the final from 29th on the grid. That second place became a win when the winner failed post-race technical inspection.

"I am really happy to get this podium," Lazare said. "My team worked very hard to give me a competitive CRG this weekend, and it was my mistake that cost us a good starting position in the final. I am glad I was able to recover from that mistake, and I am very, very happy with this win."

Practice started out slow for Lazare, who was the top 5, but still not happy with his kart. "We were close, but we were just missing something," Lazare said. In qualifying it was much the same story as Lazare qualified 5th - not something he was happy about. "We were going in the right direction with the setup, but we still weren't quite there," Lazare said of his qualifying effort.

As Lazare left the grid for the pre-final, he is known to like fast warm up laps. This caught out the PSL Karting.com driver as he got on the marbles and hit a barrier on the side of the tight Monaco de Trois-Rivières street course. "It was embarrassing - period," Lazare said. "I just got a little too wide on cold tires and hit the barrier and bent the axle - that was it..."

Lazare lined up 29th for the final, and on the warm up lap he could tell his team had given him the best CRG possible for the final. "I knew right away that the kart was perfect, and I would be able to move forward quickly," Lazare said. Lazare made his way forward in an action packed and crash filled final to cross the line in second place. "It was great with all the fans there," Lazare said. "I didn't really know where I finished - I thought I was fourth or fifth. But when my team told me second, I was happy with that. I found out about 20 minutes later that the winner had failed tech, so I was moved up to the top step of the podium."

Lazare victorious in Quebec Championship; Brilliant drive in final leads to top step on podium

July 5, 2010

THETFORD MINES, QC - At the third round of the 2010 Quebec Championship, PSL Karting.com Rotax Max Junior driver, Jesse Lazare proved yet again why he is one of North Americas best young karters.

Lazare, who admitted they were put a little behind by changing weather conditions on Friday, then just missed the pole by 8/100ths of a second was still confident of a good run on Sunday. "Yeah, we missed it just a touch in qualifying," Lazare said of his second place slot for the prefinal. "My team works very hard to get me the best possible kart for qualifying, and we just missed out on the pole which was a little disappointing."

In the pre-final, Lazare immediately jumped to the lead in the second corner. As he drove into the third corner on the opening lap, he was hit by another driver and they both left the track. "We were both way off in the grass, but I got back going," Lazare said.

For the remainder of the pre-final, Lazare concentrated on making up as much ground as possible so he could secure a good starting spot in the final. "My CRG was great. I was actually able to go faster in the pre-final than I could in qualifying. With a sixth place finish I knew I had the speed to get to the front in the final."

In the final, it took only four laps for Lazare to make it to the front, then he controlled the race from the front. "I backed off to save my tires," Lazare said. "I knew I had used a lot of tire up in the pre-final, so I just managed the lead so I could make it to the end."

Lazare won the final, and with it ended a great come from behind win. "It was a hard day for sure, but in the end we got the result we were looking for. I am happy for the team, who put a great kart under me."

Lazare strong at Coupe de Montreal

June 22, 2010

ST ROCH L’ACHIGAN, QC - Quebec's Jesse Lazare took to the track at SRA Karting this past weekend to contest the Coupe de Montreal series race. After a hard fought battle, Lazare came home with a podium finish in second place, and added to his point's total.

"It's funny, but I am really happy," Lazare said after the event. "I had to fight hard the entire day with Lance (Stroll), but the competition was awesome, so I guess that I am happy because the racing was so fierce."

Lazare had high hopes on the day after the practice sessions where he said that his PSL Karting.com team and tuner Alex Louet gave him a 'perfect' CRG kart. "We were really good in practice, and I could tell we were in for a good day," Lazare said.

At the start of the pre-final, Lazare rocketed into the lead and he slowly pulled away. "I knew once the tires overheated that I was in trouble, and I started to lose time,"" Lazare said. Lazare finished second in the prefinal, but he was confident of the changes he needed to make going into the final.

In the final, it was a two-driver show in Rotax Max Junior, as Lazare fought hard to take the win, but it was not to be and he had to settle for second. "Like I said earlier, I am happy with today, but I am really happy that Alex and the team gave me the best kart they could so I could fight my hardest for the win."

Lazare is now off for two weeks before heading to Thedford Mines for his next race.

Lazare dominant at Mosport; Sunday showdown goes Lazare's way

May 30, 2010

MOSPORT, ONTARIO - Jesse Lazare spent his birthday on Friday getting more familiar with the Mosport International Karting Complex, site of the second weekend of the Eastern Canadian Karting Championship, then put in a dominant performance on Sunday afternoon in both the pre-final and final to give himself a well earned birthday present.

"This was the first time we had been here," Lazare said. "I really have to thank my tuner and mechanic for working extra hard for four solid days - it paid off in the end. We kept getting quicker each session and the Sunday morning changes really paid off."

Lazare struggled a bit on Thursday and Friday practice coming to grips with the tough Mosport track. By Sunday morning his PSL Karting.com team had the right combination, and Lazare took it from there. Lazare took the lead early in the pre-final and slowly built a lead. He took the win, but thought there was still more to come in the final.

"Once I got to the front, I was able to manage the race," Lazare said. "The CRG came in well and I was able to have a solid race pace."

In the final, Lazare took the lead from the drop of the green, and he knew he had a winning ride. "It felt good right from the start," Lazare said. "Once I found a good pace, I could manage the race."

Manage the race he did, taking a convincing win. "Our hard work paid off this weekend," Lazare added.

Clean sweep for Lazare in Quebec Championship opener

May 17, 2010

TROIS RIVIERES, QC - Jesse Lazare put in a dominant performance in the opening round of the Quebec Championship held at Trois-Rivieres, Quebec this past Sunday. The top ranked Rotax Junior driver took the pole, and then went on to win the pre-final and final on his way to a clean sweep of the Rotax Max Junior class.

"It was a good effort by the whole team," Lazare said of the weekend. "I felt comfortable in my PSL Karting CRG mount the whole weekend. We had good speed and it was great to win the first round of the championship."

Lazare's pole position put the junior in a position to control the racing from the front of the grid. "I was able to quickly get in a good race pace, and take the win," Lazare said.

"In the final, I was challenged early on, but was able to defend my position and take the win," Lazare added.

Lazare will now focus on the second round of the ECKC at Mosport in a couple of weeks, where he will be looking to rebound from a difficult first weekend at Goodwood. "I haven't raced at Mosport, but I hear it is a fun track, so I am looking forward to that event next."

No reward for hard work for Lazare; Quebec junior struggles at Goodwood

May 12, 2010

GOODWOOD, ONTARIO - Quebec based PSL Karting.com driver Jesse Lazare was looking forward to the inaugural ECKC (Eastern Canadian Karting Championship) race weekend at the historic Goodwood Kartways last weekend. Rain, snow, driving wind and penalties led to an eventful weekend for the 12-year-old.

"I had high hopes for the weekend," Lazare said. "But it all came undone pretty quickly. Saturday qualifying was a disaster, as the weather put me further back on the grid than I would have liked."

Undeterred, Lazare moved forward in the Saturday pre-final to earn a top five spot for the final. "I knew I had the pace to run at the front, it just took me some time to get there in the tough conditions," Lazare added.

In the final, Lazare took the lead early on and looked to be settling in for a win when the rain picked up and he uncharacteristically spun while leading - losing the lead. He finished fourth. "My hands were frozen, the weather was awful, it was just a bad day all round."

Sunday brought snow and bitter cold temperatures, but Lazare was determined to make up for Saturday's disaster. "We didn't have the speed we needed in qualifying," Lazare said. "I still knew we could race well, so I was still looking for a win."

Sunday's final was tough on Lazare, as he had the pace to finish on the podium with ease, but he wanted the win. "I worked hard to get to the lead, but I just didn't have the speed to break away," Lazare added.

Lazare led for a while before being passed and it looked like he would have to settle for second. The leader made a mistake on the last lap, and Lazare saw his chance to go for the win. "I saw the opportunity to get the lead back - and I went for it," Lazare said. There was contact between the top two and after the race, officials penalized Lazare, capping off a disastrous weekend for the top ranked Rotax Max Jr. driver.

Podium for Lazare in season opener

May 5, 2010

MONTREAL, QUEBEC - Jesse Lazare had a strong opening weekend to his 'summer' season this past weekend with a second place finish in Rotax Max Junior at the opening round of the Coupe de Montreal Championship held at SRA Karting in St-Roch-L'Achigan, Quebec.

"Overall, it was a pretty good weekend for us," Lazare said after his second place run. "The rain in the final didn't help, but the whole PSL Karting CRG team did a good job."

Lazare started out with a small mechanical issue that limited his practice time, but that didn't slow him down in qualifying. "I put in a pretty good lap - good enough for pole I thought," Lazare said. "Then I looked at the board and saw I needed another 2-tenths."

Starting from second on the grid, it took several tries to get the pre-final underway. When they did get going, Lazare was untouchable as he took the lead and never looked back. "I was able to get a lead and build up a bit of a cushion," Lazare said. "It was good to have that kind of speed here.”

The rain came for the final, and Lazare was frustrated to finish second after a dominant performance in the pre-final. "It was just one corner...that’s all," Lazare said of his problems in the final. "I was slow there - and I don't know why. It is disappointing after all the work that our team did to get us to the front. Still, second is a good start, but we wanted that win."

It is a short week for Lazare as he heads to Goodwood Kartways for the opening round of the Eastern Canadian Rotax Championship this weekend.

Top five for Jesse Lazare in Florida

March 1, 2010

PALM BEACH, FL - Quebec karter, Jesse Lazare was back in action last weekend at the second round of the Florida Winter Tour. This time the event was held in Palm Beach International Raceway, and Lazare was looking forward to a strong run as the Florida Winter Tour reaches the halfway point.

"I just want to be consistent this weekend,"" the PSL Karting.com driver said before departing for the sunshine state. "I need some good results this weekend."

While Saturday's round was unkind to the Quebec driver, Lazare found some speed on Sunday and qualified a strong fifth. "Saturday was just one of those days, but today we are right back up to speed and looking for a strong result."

In the pre-final, Lazare showed his true speed and went for a dramatic pass late in the race that didn’t pay off and he ended up sixth in the pre-final. In the final, Lazare had a strong run after getting caught up in the starting mess, and being dropped back to 11th. Lazare was able to drive his way forward and come home with a solid fifth place finish.

"Well, it wasn't a great weekend, but it could have been a lot worse," Lazare said. "Now we have to focus on the remaining races and the title, which is within our grasp."

There is no down time for Lazare as he will compete in the CKI race this weekend.

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