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Bowmanville, Ontario - NASCAR Canada drivers, officials, and staff assembled bright and early last Thursday morning for an all-day, pre-season testing event. Hosted at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP), in Bowmanville, 25 drivers took to the track for a full day of racing activity. 

 

2022 Champion Marc-Antoine Camirand set the quickest lap in his #96 GM Paillé Chevrolet Canada machine, while Kevin Lacroix followed suit in his #74 NAPA Auto Parts Dodge, only 0.037 behind the leader. Only a few tenths separated the Top 5, with the #27 GM Paillé Chevrolet Canada of Andrew Ranger setting the third fastest lap time, with Daniel Bois (#31 Sierra Excavating/Desousa Railing Chevrolet) right on his tail. Alex Labbé rounded up the Top 5 in his #36 AB Express/Glasurit/Sherwin-Williams Chevrolet. 

 

“We had a pretty good practice session in this brand new car that we just finished yesterday,” said Marc-Antoine Camirand as practice concluded. “We made some adjustments throughout the day that really paid off. We feel confident with the car going into the first race.” 

 

Kevin Lacroix stated that, “We came in with a newly assembled team and a new teammate. We struggled at the beginning of the day, but were able to make some set up changes to be ready for the race.” 

 

His new teammate Andrew Ranger had a great time on track, clearly happy with his new program, “It was unbelievably fun,” exclaimed the 2019 champion. “ We have a new crew chief, new teammates, new cars and a wicked new wrap. To have a seasoned teammate like Kevin (Lacroix) is amazing. It was a great way to start the season. I know it was just a test day, but this feels good.”

 

“To be back to testing and to feel the enthusiasm is exciting” said Alan Labrosse, General Manager of NASCAR Canada. “ We are filled with optimism that this racing season will exceed all expectations.” 

 

There was a mix of young guns and seasoned veterans present on track. Amongst them were D.J. Kennington, Jason Hathaway, J.F. Dumoulin, L.P. Dumoulin, Alex Tagliani, Dexter Stacey, Jacques Guenette Sr., and Sam Fellows took part in the practice session. 

 

2023 Rookie of the Year Thomas Nepveu was also in attendance, with J.P. Bergeron, Glen Styres, rookie drivers Simon Charbonneau and Herby Drescher, Danny Chisholm, newcomer Steve Cote, Michael Goudie, Wallace Stacey, Domenic Scrivo, Ben Couture and Malcolm Strachan.

 

The 2024 season comprises 13 races; four in Ontario and in Quebec and travelling to  Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and Alberta. The season starts on May 19th at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Fans at home can catch the action on the TSN+ app and FloSports.

 

For more information and updates on NASCAR Canada, please visit nascar.ca or follow us on social media: 

 

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Celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2023, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Mexico Series and the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). 

 

The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 12 countries and more than 30 U.S. states. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).