This Saturday afternoon, mod lawn tractor driver Patrice Lavergne was the unsurprising winner of the Club Tracteur à Gazon Québec (CTGQ) championship for the 2023 season.

From Bedford to Granby to Sainte-Justine-de-Newton, the CTGQ season ended in Sainte-Anne-de-Prescott, Eastern Ontario, where Lavergne was crowned at the end of a busy season.

Although Patrice Lavergne had a comfortable lead in the season standings over his closest rivals, the final race was not all plain sailing for the Sainte-Marthe champion.

Young Zavier Desmarais from Saint-Lazare was often just inches behind the series winner. In qualifying, the 14-year-old Desmarais was looking good.

During the race, a breakdown slowed Desmarais down, but he still finished 3rd on the podium.

Meanwhile, 14-year-old Saint-Télesphore rookie Owen Mackey was competing in his second ever race. Despite his young experience, he managed to hold his own on the circuit until he was involved in a spin during the final.

His machine bore the colors of his sponsor, Remorquage Saint-Lazare. He is a member of the same team as Zavier Desmarais, who finished on the podium at the end of the weekend's race.

A family rivalry

Crowned champion of the season, Patrice Lavergne had the upper hand over many rivals in his category. 

Among the other competitors who took the start on the same day was his brother André Lavergne, who won the season championship in the Pro stock category.

His nephew, Marc-André Lalonde, was also among the drivers taking the start on Saturday. He finished on top of the podium in the Pro stock class, ahead of his uncle André Lavergne. However, this victory wasn't enough to put him ahead of the Season Championship, where Marc-André Lalonde took 2nd place behind his uncle André Lavergne.

Interesting fact: André Lavergne is a firefighter with the Saint-Zotique fire brigade, while his brother Patrice Lavergne is chief of the Sainte-Justine-de-Newton and Sainte-Marthe fire departments. Proof that adrenalin addiction runs in the Lavergne family!

Patrice Lavergne's position at the top of the Championship as the season draws to a close doesn't mean he hasn't had his share of obstacles this year. For example, in one of his races, the seasoned driver had to deal with...running out of fuel. It happens even to the best!

This Saturday afternoon, other local talents from Vaudreuil-Soulanges were also on show in Sainte-Anne-de-Prescott, on the same course where Patrice Lavergne was crowned champion. A tractor pulling competition was held on site before Lavergne and his teammates took to the stage.

The competition was equally impressive, and featured the talents of Raynald Bissonnette from Les Cèdres.