Tim Salvatore, one of Prime Powerteam’s go-to mechanics, decided to take a break from wrenching on karts and jumped behind the wheel for one of the biggest Briggs Masters races of the year—the Ontario Interclub Challenge. With 28 Masters drivers registered and Tim having only raced once this entire season, no one was exactly betting their life savings on him. In fact, he only decided to race a few days before and threw the kart together just in time for a few practice sessions. But after spending most of the year telling our junior drivers to “be more aggressive,” it was time to prove he could actually practice what he preached.
The day kicked off with a promising P7 in qualifying. Considering his limited seat time this year, it was a positive start. A top 10 finish seemed well within reach, but when Tim went out and won the first heat race, suddenly the expectations shifted—he was now a serious contender. In Heat 2, Tim came in P5 but clocked the fastest lap of the race, with teammate Rich Folino taking the win. The Super Heat saw more of the same, as Tim recorded the fastest lap yet again, finishing P6.
Then came the Final, where things got interesting. Running P4 for most of the race, Tim spotted an opening at Turn 8 and made a gutsy move, taking two drivers in one corner. Apparently, all those years of saying “just send it” to our juniors paid off. With that, he set his sights on the leader. He was 1.3 seconds behind with only five laps to go, but in true Tim fashion, he started hammering away, chipping 2-3 tenths off per lap. It was a thrilling charge, but he ultimately ran out of time, crossing the line in P2.
What a comeback drive! With a bit of luck (and a lot of peer pressure), we might be able to convince Timmy Turbo to stay out of retirement and join us for a few more races in 2025. Who knows—maybe next time he’ll even manage to squeeze in a few more practice sessions before race day. After all, who doesn’t love a bald racer?
Here’s to Tim Salvatore and his incredible return to the track—let’s hope we see more of him behind the wheel soon!
Photos by Canadian Karting News, for more pictures from this event visit our Gallery.
