Crédit photo :Don Simpson A Family Gathering
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Most family activities involve camping or spending time around the dinner table to keep connected. For the Plante family, racing has become the family activity that not only connects them together as a family but as a team as well.
This bonding began back in the summer of 1980 when a young 17-year-old named Réjean Plante took up the challenge of racing in the Novice class at Autodrome Drummond.
Over several years, Réjean continued to progress through the ranks and, by 1988, racing in the Late Model class, he was challenging for the track championship at Autodrome St-Grégoire. In the end, Réjean would lose out on the championship to Normand Lemire by one point. But that season, the eyes of several car owners caught Réjean’s driving talent.
Crédit photo : Bruno Dorais
The following year, car owner Gilles Robert asked Réjean to drive his Sportsman Modified for several races and was so impressed with his performance, the two began a partnership that would last many years.
In 1990 the Roberts team began campaigning a new Big Block Modified with Réjean filling the driver's duties.
For the next several years, the team continued racing until Réjean decided it was time to retire from racing as he and wife, Sylvie, began raising their family.
ReJean always kept in the racing loupe and from time to time would fill in for the driving duties for some teams.
As time went, the family grew, but there always was a racing theme through the home, influencing the children.
Crédit photo : Bruno Dorais
In 2006, the family decided to go racing as a whole -- a family activity of sorts. The class of choice was kart racing. Jessica Plante, the eldest child in the family, would start in the Senior Honda class, with Josianne in the Jr. Honda class, followed by Maxime in the Cadet class. Réjean would maintain the karts while Sylvie did all the statistics and team arrangements.
For the next several years, all three of the siblings raced in the Karting class at their local track as well as participating in the Coupe Montréal and the Coupe de L’Est.
Crédit photo : Bruno Dorais
By 2011, the family decided to move up to the REVSTAR Speed STR class with races in Quebec and Ontario along with the Northeastern United States. That same year, Jessica and Josianne continued to race karts, along with the STR speedster. But Jessica always loved kart racing, something she preferred over the Speedsters or slingshots and would draw her to that sport in later years.
The season for change came in 2013 when Jessica decided to just concentrate on her kart racing on her own while Max and Josianne moved forward in the REVSTAR STR class. So after seven years of the family racing together as a group, the team moved in two directions, with Jessica racing alone. Réjean and Sylvie always made the effort to come and watch and support Jessica’s racing efforts.
Maxime and Josianne raced in the REVSTAR, STR class for the next few years. In 2014, Maxime and Josianne joined their dad in the ACT series. All three would competed in the ACT series on asphalt in a number of selected races throughout the season.
By 2015, the team decided it was time to move up in class, once again with Josianne moving to the Sportsman Modified ranks while Maxime stepped up to the 358 Modified class.
Crédit photo : Don Simpson
This was a big step as both classes are very competitive as well as the cost of running in these classes is much higher.
On the other side of the Plante Racing Team, Jessica continued to run her race kart -- something she is quite happy doing to this day.
Maxime continued to progress in the 358 Modified class and is always a strong presence in the field of cars as shown by his driving skills.
Josianne raced in the Sportsman Modified class until 2017 when she joined her brother in the 358 class.
It has been a long ride over the past 12 years of racing and I believe Sylvie didn’t expect this idea to last this long or evolve this large.
Racing has bonded the family in such a strong way. Yes, there have been some up-and-down moments along the way, but there have been so many great moments over those years. For example, when Maxime won multiple Quebec STR championships or the National Championship in STR back in 2012, or his first win driving a 358 Mofided in Granby in 2016.
Crédit photo : Don Simpson
Josianne remembers when she was asked to drive her brother's car at the Big Block Super DIRTcar series at RPM Speedway in 2017. She had the third fastest time in her group time trials and would start the race in the fifth position. After 100 laps, Josianne would cross the finish line in 17th place.
While Jessica recalls her first-ever win at Mont-Jolie or the time she qualified for in first place at the Mont-St-Hilaire kart track.
The entire racing experience has been family memories together and will stay with them, only to grow with each racing season.
Crédit photo : Bruno Dorais
The following year, car owner Gilles Robert asked Réjean to drive his Sportsman Modified for several races and was so impressed with his performance, the two began a partnership that would last many years.
In 1990 the Roberts team began campaigning a new Big Block Modified with Réjean filling the driver's duties.
For the next several years, the team continued racing until Réjean decided it was time to retire from racing as he and wife, Sylvie, began raising their family.
ReJean always kept in the racing loupe and from time to time would fill in for the driving duties for some teams.
As time went, the family grew, but there always was a racing theme through the home, influencing the children.
Crédit photo : Bruno Dorais
In 2006, the family decided to go racing as a whole -- a family activity of sorts. The class of choice was kart racing. Jessica Plante, the eldest child in the family, would start in the Senior Honda class, with Josianne in the Jr. Honda class, followed by Maxime in the Cadet class. Réjean would maintain the karts while Sylvie did all the statistics and team arrangements.
For the next several years, all three of the siblings raced in the Karting class at their local track as well as participating in the Coupe Montréal and the Coupe de L’Est.
Crédit photo : Bruno Dorais
By 2011, the family decided to move up to the REVSTAR Speed STR class with races in Quebec and Ontario along with the Northeastern United States. That same year, Jessica and Josianne continued to race karts, along with the STR speedster. But Jessica always loved kart racing, something she preferred over the Speedsters or slingshots and would draw her to that sport in later years.
The season for change came in 2013 when Jessica decided to just concentrate on her kart racing on her own while Max and Josianne moved forward in the REVSTAR STR class. So after seven years of the family racing together as a group, the team moved in two directions, with Jessica racing alone. Réjean and Sylvie always made the effort to come and watch and support Jessica’s racing efforts.
Maxime and Josianne raced in the REVSTAR, STR class for the next few years. In 2014, Maxime and Josianne joined their dad in the ACT series. All three would competed in the ACT series on asphalt in a number of selected races throughout the season.
By 2015, the team decided it was time to move up in class, once again with Josianne moving to the Sportsman Modified ranks while Maxime stepped up to the 358 Modified class.
Crédit photo : Don Simpson
This was a big step as both classes are very competitive as well as the cost of running in these classes is much higher.
On the other side of the Plante Racing Team, Jessica continued to run her race kart -- something she is quite happy doing to this day.
Maxime continued to progress in the 358 Modified class and is always a strong presence in the field of cars as shown by his driving skills.
Josianne raced in the Sportsman Modified class until 2017 when she joined her brother in the 358 class.
It has been a long ride over the past 12 years of racing and I believe Sylvie didn’t expect this idea to last this long or evolve this large.
Racing has bonded the family in such a strong way. Yes, there have been some up-and-down moments along the way, but there have been so many great moments over those years. For example, when Maxime won multiple Quebec STR championships or the National Championship in STR back in 2012, or his first win driving a 358 Mofided in Granby in 2016.
Crédit photo : Don Simpson
Josianne remembers when she was asked to drive her brother's car at the Big Block Super DIRTcar series at RPM Speedway in 2017. She had the third fastest time in her group time trials and would start the race in the fifth position. After 100 laps, Josianne would cross the finish line in 17th place.
While Jessica recalls her first-ever win at Mont-Jolie or the time she qualified for in first place at the Mont-St-Hilaire kart track.
The entire racing experience has been family memories together and will stay with them, only to grow with each racing season.