Racers get back on track at St Labre 200

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This article was published 10/07/2022 (1043 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dust flew as 20 teams raced homemade go-karts at the St Labre 200 racetrack last weekend.

After hosting an abbreviated version of the event in 2021 without an in-person audience, St Labre welcomed back roughly 2,000 spectators over the course of two days, equivalent to turnout from previous years.

Committee president and team captain of the Moonshadow Hogs, Joël Grenier said that this was a typical year for the event, enhanced further by the good weather. Hype for the races had been building up before the beginning of COVID, and now team enrolment and spectator numbers are back on track. Thirty percent of the registered teams were brand new to the racecourse this year.

With only 24 hours before race time, teams gathered on Canada Day to build their karts from provided kits.

Go-kart drivers caught some air on Saturday as they made their way around the quarter mile long track. Throughout the day, contestants completed 200 laps, racing for a total of 50 miles.

Grenier said splitting the races into heats of 10 teams each made it safer for participants, and reduced the number of accidents that occured on the track.

Thibaultville Thunder from Richer and Ste Anne sped into first place for the second year in a row, with Moonshadow Hogs from St Labre close behind in second place, followed by the St Labre Lap Dogs in third.

The St Labre 200 committee is already gearing up for next year’s event planned for July 7-8, 2023.