- Details
- Category: Oval Racing
By: Thomas Nepveu Motorsport
July 21, 2024
July 21, 2024
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – It seems bad luck continues to follow Thomas Nepveu, as he once again fell victim to mechanical issues. This time, he had to retire at Sutherland Speedway in Saskatoon.
It was a track where he had success last year, finishing 11th and 8th in the Leland Industries Twin 125. This year, however, he was plagued by mechanical issues, forcing him to retire.
In scorching heat, the NASCAR Canada teams took to the track last Saturday in Saskatoon. From the practice session, Nepveu immediately encountered mechanical issues. "We had a pretty tough day," he admitted. "Our problems started during practice. We then changed the transmission and several parts."
Nepveu still managed to secure 10th position in Practice, repeating this result in the Qualifying session.
"We thought we had fixed the problems with these changes, but unfortunately, the car did not improve during the race. We had issues other than the engine in the first half of the event. The car wasn’t handling well at all."
The Leland 250, a 250-lap race, included a short break after the 125th lap. "We made some changes at the halfway point, and things were better. However, the engine overheated and failed. We had to retire due to an engine failure that had likely been developing over the past race or two but worsened in Saskatoon."
The series returns next Saturday, July 27, at Edmonton International Raceway. It’s a track Thomas is fond of, having had a good result there last year. "The team will change the engine before next Saturday, and we hope for a better race. I was close to the Top 5 last year, running in 6th before finishing 7th. I hope to be successful again," concluded the driver of the #24 Ford Richelieu | Home Hardware | Cromwell car.
Thomas Nepveu will be back on track next Saturday for the NAPA 300, a 300-lap event at the track located in Edmonton's suburbs.
- Details
- Category: Oval Racing
By: Anthony Bruno for RaceCanada.ca
July 13, 2024
July 13, 2024
In a field with a couple big names from south of the border, it was a NASCAR Canada regular that dominated at Ohsweken Speedway.
Marc-Antoine Camirand laid a beat down on the field to win the Freshstone Dirt Classic ahead of Andrew Ranger and Cup Series legend Ken Schrader.
The 45 year-old took the lead early on from pole sitter Chase Briscoe and seemed almost untouchable from that point onwards.
He grabs his second win of the season, putting himself in a great position for a title challenge as the season moves along.
Ranger managed to get close to Camirand towards the end of stage two and the end of the race, but never had enough left in the tank to get a move done, thus settling for the runner up spot.
Schrader finishes up in third, showing great pace and consistency all night long, being one of the only drivers to have continued success using the high line.
Kyle Steckly comes home in fourth in his return to the series, a great showing for him, never venturing outside of the top 10 for most of the night.
Briscoe rounds out the top five in his NASCAR Canada debut, fighting back after an early puncture forced him to pit and fall to the back of the field.
A great night for Cayden Lapcevich, finishing in sixth place, looking relatively quick all night long with Kevin Lacroix behind him in seventh.
A rough night for hometown man and track owner Glenn Styres, who suffered a component failure in the rear of the car while running in the top 10, sending him for a spin and ending his night early.
Amber Balcaen also had a difficult race after suffering damage on lap two after spinning into one of the inner concrete barriers, taking her out of contention early on.
The series starts its western swing next, as NASCAR Canada heads to Sutherland Automotive Speedway in Saskatoon, SK on Saturday, July 20.
- Details
- Category: Oval Racing
By: Thomas Nepveu Motorsport
July 10, 2024
July 10, 2024
Oka, Quebec - The NASCAR Canada series is now heading to Ohsweken Speedway, a ⅜-mile dirt oval. Thomas Nepveu will be there, driving the #24 Richelieu | Home Hardware | Cromwell car, to compete in the 6th race of the season.
"We had a difficult start to the season with several retirements," said Thomas. "However, we also had success, notably at Eastbound Speedway where I finished in the Top 5."
Last year, Thomas performed well on this oval, finishing 8th in the first race of the evening and then establishing himself among the leaders in the second race. However, he was relegated to the back of the pack due to an issue.
This time, there will be only one race held on Thursday night. It will be in three stages, with the first two segments being 25 laps each, and the final portion being 50 laps. The Freshstone Dirt Classic always attracts many spectators, as well as notable competitors, such as NASCAR Cup driver Chase Briscoe.
Briscoe will be driving for Jacombs Racing and will be behind the wheel of the #1 car. He will therefore be Nepveu's teammate for this race.
The Freshstone Dirt Classic will be broadcast live on TSN+ and FloRacing.com.
- Details
- Category: Oval Racing
By: NASCAR Canada
July 10, 2024
July 10, 2024
Daytona, Florida - The NASCAR Canada Series is set for another round of high-action stock car racing. After three races out east, the series returns to Ontario for the sole dirt race of the season at Ohsweken Speedway.
Ohsweken Speedway is Canada’s premiere dirt track, so it is only fair that it plays host to the NASCAR Canada Series’ Freshstone Dirt Classic. The race will have three stages, the first two of which will be 25 laps and the final stage of 50 laps. The green flag will wave at 9:40 PM ET.
The Thursday night race is set to feature an all-star lineup of drivers. Cayden Lapcevich, the 2016 series champion, will be returning to the series for the first time since 2017. Lapcevich has served as crew chief for Toni Breidinger and Venturini Motorsports in the ARCA Menards series for the past two seasons.
Last year the track played host to two back-to-back NASCAR Canada races, the first race was won by long-time NASCAR Cup Series driver Kenny Schrader, who became the oldest winner of a NASCAR Canada series race at 68 years old. Treyten Lapcevich brought home his sixth win of the season in Race 2.
NASCAR Cup Series star Chase Briscoe is set to make his first career NASCAR Canada Series start—Briscoe who currently drives the No. 14 Ford for Stewart Haas Racing in the Cup Series will be driving the No. 1 Dave Jacombs-owned car, prepared by Canadian Motorsport Hall of Famer Don Thomson Jr.
Local hero and Ohsweken specialist, Glenn Styres, will be commanding his #0 GSR/ Ohsweken Speedway/ Chantarelle Promotions Chevrolet around the ⅜ mille track.
Amber Balcaen will be making her second career NASCAR Canada series start. Her first start in the series came at Delaware last year. The Winnipeg native currently runs full-time in the ARCA Menards series, also for Venturini Motorsports.
Jason Hathaway will also be making his first career start at Ohsweken in the No. 3 ASSA ABLOY/ Leland Industries Chevrolet, along with Donald Theetge in the No. 80 Group Theetge/Revêtement VULCAIN Chevrolet, Steve Côté in the No. 29 Evirum/BFKC Chevrolet.
D.J. Kennington has finished in the top 10 in every race at Ohsweken, he will be looking at climbing on the podium in his #17 Castrol Edge / CIM Metals / Brimestone Games Dodge.
The Championship battle is currently tight, with Andrew Ranger's #27 Paillé Racing Chevrolet leading by a mere 4 points. His Innovation Autosport teammate Kevin Lacroix, the main challenger to the Championship battle, will try to claim another podium in his #74 Gates Hydraulics / NAPA Racing Dodge, but he will also be pressured by Marc-Antoine Camirand's #96 Paillé Racing Chevrolet, which has the same number of points—201.
WeatherTech Canada driver Louis-Philippe Dumoulin is currently sitting 4th in the Championship standings with 197 points, while Hathaway rounds off the Top 5 with 193 points.
NASCAR Canada is excited to welcome back Kyle Steckly, who will be aboard the #22 Chevrolet, with his father Scott Steckly as the crew chief. Trevor Monoghan's #4 Chevrolet will also participate in the event.
As always, fans across the country can tune in TSN+ to watch NASCAR Canada drivers in action, and our international audience can watch the race live on FloRacing.com. Practice takes place at 6:30 PM ET, with Qualifying heats starting at 7:30 PM ET. The Freshstone Dirt Classic is set to start at 9:40 PM ET.
- Details
- Category: Oval Racing
By: Innovation Auto Sport
July 9, 2024
July 9, 2024
Saint-Eustache, Quebec - Kevin Lacroix will be back behind the wheel of the #74 Gates Hydraulics / NAPA Racing car this Thursday at Ohsweken Speedway, the only dirt track on the NASCAR Canada schedule.
Last year, he secured a 2nd place finish in the inaugural event on the ⅜ mile oval located near Toronto. This year, he aims to do it again.
“I’m really excited to race at Ohsweken Speedway this Thursday,” said Lacroix. “It’s a unique dirt track. We’ve had great results in the last four races with two second-place finishes and two wins. So, it will be crucial to maintain this momentum and continue performing at this level. The team and I are ready to give our all for another great performance.”
The Freshstone Dirt Classic will be divided into three stages: the first two will be 25 laps long, followed by a 50-lap final heat, totalling 100 laps. It will be a highly anticipated race as Chase Briscoe, renowned NASCAR Cup driver from the United States, will be participating.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to welcome NASCAR Cup drivers to our ranks,” said Kevin Lacroix. “It allows us to compete against drivers from the United States, and it also gives them a chance to see what Canadians are made of!”
The race will start at 9:40 PM on Thursday, July 11. The Freshstone Dirt Classic will be broadcast live on TSN+ and FloRacing.com.