There’s a new athlete in town. Seventeenyear- old Antoine Sénéchal participates in a number of sports: hockey, football, lacrosse, obstacle races and golf. But where he really excels is at the wheel of his kart. Discovered by Alex Tagliani during a race last fall, Antoine has just been integrated into the Tag Motor Sport – CRG Canada team for which he’ll compete this season.

A student in natural sciences at the Cégep de Mont-Tremblant (junior college) – an institution that receives great praise from his mother Isabelle Leborgne – Antoine is about to join the elite tribe of Mont-Tremblant athletes who, each in their own way, have marked the history of their respective sports.

A good beginning

On his return from the United States, where he and his family had lived for several years, Antoine received his first kart. He came second in his first race and became part of the Ben Cooper team of the Jim Russell Karting Academy at Circuit Mont-Tremblant (race track).

“Following this first podium, we decided to help him go further,” says Isabelle Leborgne.

But it was last summer, when he achieved the Rotax senior category, that the magic began. Antoine had piled up several podium placements and was classed third in Québec. Alex Tagliani and his team noticed how the young Mont-Tremblant native was evolving on the various tracks of the karting circuit and decided to meet with him.

“It’s a big step for a youngster like Antoine to become part of the Tag Motor Sport team,” Isabelle notes. “He became an industry driver and represented CRG. His goal this season is to win the Montréal Cup and perform well at the national level, which would allow him to be in the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals, to be held in Bahrain in December.”

Diabetes: an added challenge

The day he returned to Canada, at age 13, Antoine fell ill and was hospitalized for seven days. Diagnosis: type 1 diabetes.

“His greatest fear was not to be able to do sports,” explains Isabelle. “But his way of seeing things is that nothing will stop him, particularly not that. It’s become a source of motivation for him, an extra challenge. Sport is the key. He also does promotion to his support group for young diabetics.

A good race car driver’s DNA

The fact that Antoine was invited to join Alex Tagliani’s team is not only due to his excellence at the wheel. According to the well-known car driver, to become a race car driver, “You need money, talent and the right attitude.” While talent is innate, it’s developed, as well. As for money, good creativity and unshakeable passion will be needed to find it. And attitude is another story altogether.

“Antoine is devoted, passionate, respectful and poised,” Alexandre Tagliani notes emphatically. “He has a good head on his shoulders and a very good touch at the wheel. Take the same touch at the wheel with a bad attitude and it won’t work. The teams have to want you. It’s a serious environment that requires the young person to make a lot of sacrifices. He’ll be given all the tricks of the trade and the best-equipped toolbox. But that’s only the beginning. To help him, we’ll have to share experience. We look forward to working with him. He has a really good base. He’s already a talented race driver.”

“I’m going to do everything I can to go as far as possible,” Antoine confides. “I let myself dream big. I’ve experienced some extraordinary moments on the track. I felt that I could do everything without having to think; I was completely in my zone. It’s like not thinking of anything; you know where to go; even with your eyes closed, you know where the kart will go. You don’t even think about how to pass, you just do it. It’s really fantastic. It happened to me on my next-to-most-recent race. I was seventh, with three laps to go. I finished second. It was memorable.”

Money is crucial

Motor racing is an expensive sport. To permit Antoine to have a real impact, Isabelle, backed by Construction Tremblant president Éric Lefebvre, is organizing a golf tournament on June 11 at La Bête golf course. She is inviting, in particular, the business community.

“If everybody gets even a bit involved, he could go far,” Isabelle asserts. “His reputation is that he’s really fast, and he hasn’t yet had the benefit of a team of experts who will support him from now on. Once you win, it costs less, but to win, you need a lot of ammunition,” she concludes.

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