The fun has just begun for 13-year-old Nathan Blok.

Earlier this month, Blok finished ninth in his first race of the season in the Coupe de Montreal’s Rotax class at Monte St. Hilaire.

And now, armed with a new go-kart with a two-stroke Rotax engine capable of 165 km/h, Blok has his sights set on the Rotax Junior World Finals which take place in the United Arab Emirates.

“I have been looking forward to running Rotax for several years now,” said Blok. “We have been very busy over the winter, preparing to move from the four-stroke to the two-stroke class which involves a lot of changes and expenses.”

But it paid off.

Of the 16 competitors in Blok’s new class, seven are rookies, six are in their third year of Rotax racing, three are racing Rotax for a second year and three of the top karters have spent the winter racing in Florida.

Competing in his first race in a class for ages 13 to 16, Blok qualified eleventh out of 16, just .7 seconds off the pole sitter despite suffering a leaking valve stem which flattened one of his tires by the end of the session.

In the pre-final he was able to gain several positions in the first couple of laps then, taking advantage of a lap five accident he moved up to fifth place.

Just .26 seconds off the leader’s fastest lap Blok went on to finish in fourth following the disqualification of the kart ahead.

In the final, Blok was tagged going into the first corner but held his position until a spin on lap two cost him seven positions, putting him back on the track in 11th.

While he was able to regain some spots over the next several laps he was a full second behind eighth and ninth place.

Just before the start/finish line on lap seven, Blok passed Tommy Beshro for ninth position from which he tried to play catch up but with little time left to gain on the next position, he remained in ninth at the drop of the chequered flag.

“This was a great first run. We are still learning the technique for the proper setting of the kart and feel there is still lots of room for improvement yet in tuning,” Blok said.

In the meantime, he’s still celebrating the addition of his latest sponsor – NAPA Pembroke Auto Parts.

No stranger to motorsports sponsorship opportunities, NAPA joins a growing list of area businesses supporting him in his sport for which Blok is especially thankful giving the ever-increasing costs of go-karting.

His other sponsors are: West End Trailers, SRB Technologies, Sun Sign Graphic , Great Slave Helicopters, Sandra’s Embroidery Works, Graves Engineering, Stream Function, Engine Research, Cy’s Sport and Marine, Staples Business Depot, Panasonic, and TD Products

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Steve Blok (613) 582-3877