Bowmanville, Ontario - Kevin Lacroix claimed his 8th victory at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park this Sunday during the WeatherTech 200. He took the win commanding the #74 Adaptive One Calipers/NAPA Racing Dodge in a race full of twists and turns.

 

Lacroix had a strong weekend, getting off to a good start during the Practice session on Saturday morning. He set the second-fastest time, a mere 0.020 seconds off the top spot. Later, in the qualifying session, he secured pole position, also setting a new lap record with a time of 1:21.809.

 

However, Sunday’s race wasn’t an easy win for the NAPA Racing driver. When the green flag dropped, he led the race but faced intense pressure from Gary Klutt and Andrew Ranger. The three drivers had pulled ahead before a caution on the second lap. Not long after the restart, Lacroix lost the lead to Marc-Antoine Camirand.

 

Lacroix was on a different strategy than the other drivers. He pitted early for fuel and then made two more stops to get four fresh tires. By making three stops, the team was gambling on a caution that would allow Lacroix to have a strong restart. However, the much-anticipated caution came late, just a few laps from the end.

 

With less than 10 laps remaining, Lacroix had to climb from the back of the Top 10 to the front, which he did. It was in Turn 5 on the last lap that he seized the victory, solidifying his efforts.

 

“We started from pole position, but it didn’t seem like it because we stopped several times for fresh tires while the other drivers didn’t,” Lacroix explained. “There were no cautions, so we found ourselves in the middle of the pack with only 10 laps to go. I started making my way back up through the field—I had seven cars to overtake in four laps. There was a lot of traffic, but we came out with the win.”

 

He concluded by saying, “I’m very happy with this victory; it’s my 4th this season. Although the championship seems decided, my goal was to win as many races as possible before the end of the season.”

 

The NAPA Racing team will be back in action at Delaware Speedway in Ontario on Sunday, September 8.

 

An action-packed event saw an important win of one driver in their quest for the NASCAR Canada crown.

 

Circuit ICAR held The Evirum 100 on Saturday with a 24 car field and eyes focused on the championship.

 

Andrew Ranger lead them to the green flag ahead of Kevin Lacroix, with points leader Marc-Antoine Camirand starting in fifth.

 

The two front row starters were the ones duking it out for the win all race long.

 

Lacroix made his move early and took command of things, with Ranger biding his time, striking to retake the lead with 12 laps to go to take an important victory, making amends for his late race misfortune from Trois-Rivières.

 

Camirand rounded out the podium, limiting the damage done to his championship lead and putting him in great position with three rounds to go.

 

Alex Guenette came home in fourth, just shy of the top three steps, with Alex Labbé finishing in fifth.

 

Alex Tagliani ended things in sixth, capping off a good day for him and his team.

 

Thomas Nepveu turned things around with a seventh place finish with Daniel Bois in eighth.

 

Simon Dion-Veins took the chequered in ninth place, punctuating a good day with a solid finish.

 

Dave Coursol rounded out the top 10, ahead of the likes of D.J. Kennington and Jason Hathaway.

 

The series heads over to Bowmanville, ON next and the 10 turns of Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.

 

Action begins on Sunday, Sept. 1 at 2:05 P.M. EST

Bowmanville, Ontario - NASCAR Canada, presented by Pinty’s and Evirum, competed in their final road course event of the season at the famed Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) over Labour Day weekend for the WeatherTech 200. Kevin Lacroix claimed victory in front of thousands of fans, marking his 8th win at CTMP and 4th this season. 

 

Twenty-eight drivers took part in the race on the 3.9-kilometre circuit. The Bowmanville venue is always host to action-packed races, and the WeatherTech 200 was no exception. 

 

Marc-Antoine Camirand set the fastest lap in Practice, commanding his Armed Forces-themed No. 96 GM Paillé Chevrolet. However, it was Kevin Lacroix who secured the E3 Spark Plugs Pole Award late Saturday afternoon. The driver of the No. 74 Adaptive One Calipers/NAPA Racing Dodge also set a new track record with a time of 1:21.809. Qualifying was halted early due to an incident involving Darry Timmers. Unfortunately, the driver of the No. 98 Curb Records/4S Electrical/WrapForce Ford was unable to participate in the WeatherTech 200 the following day.

 

On Sunday afternoon, the drivers took the green flag for the WeatherTech 200 under the shinning sun. Kevin Lacroix started alongside Gary Klutt in the No. 59 Bothwell-Accurate/Hofmann Plastics Dodge, with Andrew Ranger in the No. 27 GM Paillé Chevrolet and Camirand on the second row.

 

Lacroix held the lead on Lap 1, with Klutt and Ranger close behind as Camirand slipped down the order. A major incident involving Dexter Stacey's No. 66 ReCap/K-Fibre Optic/Bully's Truck Chevrolet and Jason Hathaway's No. 3 Weiser/Leland Industries Chevrolet led to a red flag. 

 

Lacroix retained the lead on the restart despite pressure from Klutt and Ranger. A backmarker played a significant role in shuffling the order, allowing Camirand to claim 2nd place while Klutt dropped to 4th. Then, it wasn’t long before Camirand took the lead from Lacroix.

 

Louis-Philippe Dumoulin’s race ended in disappointment as he retired his No. 47 WeatherTech Canada/OmniFab Dodge after only 14 laps. Before the race, Dumoulin had expressed his desire to receive the winner’s trophy from the WeatherTech Canada team, who were present on-site.

 

During the pit stop sequence, several drivers in the Top 10 elected to come down pit road three times. Marc-Antoine Camirand lost no time coming in for fuel but didn’t return for new tires. He earned the Freshstone Midway Leader Award.

 

After the halfway mark, Alex Tagliani became a strong contender for the win, running in second place for several laps aboard his No. 80 St-Hubert/BFL/ArobasPersonnel/Chevrolet 440 machine. However, he came under pressure from Sam Fellows in the No. 87 AER/Polysleep/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, who claimed second place on Lap 34. Matthew Scannell, who started from 11th, was running strong in 4th place with his No. 99 Nitro54/Mainstreet Logistics/Mi-Box Dodge, while Kyle Steckly rounded out the Top 5.

 

Camirand comfortably led the race in the closing stage of the race, but the battle behind him intensified. 

 

Kyle Steckly passed Tagliani for 3rd place, and Scannell joined the fray, relegating Tagliani to 5th. Trouble struck for Fellows, who stopped his No. 87 Chevrolet in Corner 2 just as Gary Klutt hit the tire barrier in an unrelated incident. This brought out a full course yellow and a red flag for barrier repairs with 7 laps remaining.

 

The restart set the stage for a thrilling finish. Kyle Steckly made a bid for the lead, but Camirand held firm. Meanwhile, Lacroix clawed his way back up the order, moving from 7th to 3rd place as mechanical issues caused Scannell to drop the order. In true NASCAR Canada fashion, Lacroix attacked Camirand on the last lap, overtaking him in Corner 5 to take the victory. Camirand finished second, with Kyle Steckly rounding off the podium.

 

“We started from pole position, but it didn’t feel like it as we were on a different strategy than everyone else,” explained Kevin Lacroix. “We took on tires early in the race, and since there was no caution, we found ourselves mid-pack with only 10 laps to go. However, a caution came out near the end, and just like in a typical NASCAR finish, we had to pass seven cars in four laps. I rushed through traffic and came out with the win. I’m super happy for the team.”

 

Camirand shared, “It was a really good race. We had a solid strategy without taking any tires. We pitted for fuel about 15 laps in, and the car was perfect. Then the worst thing happened: a caution with 8 laps to go. I knew that the No. 74 had taken four tires, so he was much quicker than us. But we finished ahead of the No. 27, and we’re in a good position for the championship.”

 

Kyle Steckly, who was back on track for a one-off event, commented on his podium finish, “The 22 Racing Team brought me a great car. We had a lot of fun out there. The strategy worked well until that caution came out. We were right up there in second really quickly, but I think in the short run, we just weren’t quite as good. Lacroix came hard on four tires and raced aggressively, as expected. That’s how these races play out. We’ll take third place and keep digging.”

 

NASCAR Canada now heads to Delaware Speedway in Ontario on September 8th for the penultimate round of the 2024 season.

 

Mirabel, Quebec – Steve Côté and the Allrem Racing team are heading to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for the final road course event of the NASCAR Canada season. This Sunday, September 1st, Côté will be behind the wheel of the #29 Allrem Racing Evirum/BKFC car, ready to tackle the 53 laps of the WeatherTech 200.

 

Just over four months ago, Côté kicked off his NASCAR Canada season, presented by Pinty’s and Evirum, on this prestigious track in Bowmanville, near Toronto. He secured a respectable 13th place, a solid result for his NASCAR Canada debut and his first experience in NASCAR Canada and on the Ontario circuit.

 

Now, Côté is determined to finish what he started at ICAR last week, driven by his unwavering hunger for success. Despite a promising start on the former Mirabel airport tarmac, a mechanical issue forced him to retire early.

 

“Securing a podium finish at CTMP is a goal in my racing career,” says Steve Côté. CTMP is a track that holds a special place in Canadian motorsport history, mainly because of its association with Formula 1 in the 60s and 70s.

 

Back in May, Côté and Allrem Racing battled it out in front of a record-breaking crowd, and he anticipates another full house this time around.

 

“I’m excited to put on a great show for the fans. CTMP always draws tens of thousands of spectators, and the atmosphere is truly incredible.”

 

“We’ve learned so much since the season began,” adds Jonathan Côté, crew chief. “I’m eager to put all that knowledge to use this weekend. I believe we’re in a strong position to perform well.”

 

Fans at the track are in for a treat, with BKFC planning several surprises. A promotional team will be on-site to highlight the upcoming Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship Prospect Series event, taking place in Edmonton, Alberta, on Saturday night, August 31st.

 

Practice begins at 12:50 PM on Saturday, August 31st, followed by qualifying at 5:25 PM. The green flag for the WeatherTech 200 drops on Sunday at 2:05 PM. Those unable to attend in person can catch all the action on the TSN+ or FloRacing app.

 

Check out the Allrem Racing Evirum/BKFC #29 team’s race schedule here.