Vallée-Jonction, QC – Three-time NASCAR Pinty’s Series champion Louis-Philippe Dumoulin achieved a new top-5 this Saturday at the Autodrome Chaudière in Vallée-Jonction. At the wheel of the #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare car, Dumoulin had qualified third but minor handling problems and a puncture prevented him from fighting for the victory. But, with this new top-5, the second in three races completed in the 2023 season, he consolidates his fourth-place in the drivers’ standings.
Fourth in the free practice session, then third in qualifying, Louis-Philippe Dumoulin thought he could still improve his position in the race, but he had to deal with a car that couldn’t be improved throughout the 300 laps of this race, contested under the sun and in front of the packed grandstands at Autodrome Chaudière.
“The qualification was excellent, my experience and the excellent level of preparation of the team #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare helped a lot but, once in the race, it was not easy because I constantly had to deal with handling problems,” said Dumoulin. “The whole team worked hard to collect this top-5. Traditionally on short ovals, we want to be on the inside line at the restarts to gain positions under braking but with these grip problems, I preferred the outside line. It gave some great battles for the fans in the grandstands and on TV but, for me, it was really hard to fight to stay in the top-5.”
“After about 30 laps, I understood that the problems when I was on the inside line were going to be a handicap until the end,” he continued. “The problem was particularly significant during the restarts, the tires hardly rising in temperature. In addition, I was often inside when the green was dropped. This is usually the perfect place but here, with the handling concerns, it increased the problem. Finally, a puncture in the front-left slowed me down in the last laps but I gave my best, I pushed as hard as possible. I really wanted this top-5 and I was also thinking about the championship points.”
This constant work allows him to keep the fourth-place in the championship standings, just six points from third position, held by Kevin Lacroix, with whom Dumoulin offered one of the best battles of the race, during the first segment.
“These are valuable points for the championship. It is also a fifth-place, which offers good lessons because it highlighted the elements which remain to resolve to be even closer to the victory contestants in the next races,” adds the driver of the car #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare.
Next event: Newfoundland on June 24
The fourth event of the 2023 season will take place in two weeks, in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. For the second year in a row, the Eastbound International Speedway, located in Avondale on the island of Newfoundland, will host the competitors of the NASCAR Pinty’s Series.
Presented on Saturday, June 24, this race is the only one of the season contested in the Maritime Provinces.
“I am really looking forward to this race. I also have a very strong personal attachment to the Maritime Provinces, since my mother’s entire family is from New Brunswick,” said Dumoulin, who concludes: “Last year, I was the victim of a accident that resulted in major damage to my car due to a lack of safety of the track. I am confident that this will have been corrected by the local organizers. People are very welcoming there, they like racing and the track is still very interesting. It’s a nice oval. I’m sure we’ll have a lot of fun racing again on this track.”
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Dumoulin Competition
Jean-François and Louis-Philippe Dumoulin founded the Dumoulin Competition Race Team in 2009. Working with financial, marketing, logistics and sports management experts, they built up a solid business structure. Dumoulin Competition prepares its own race cars in-house since 2016. Their motto: “Passion – Performance – Partnerships” expresses their will to perform on the track and offer their partners maximum visibility and profitability in return for their commitment. Their vision: To become Canada’s leader in motorsports through on-track performance, an entrepreneurial spirit and human values. dumoulincompetition.com.
- By Service Presse
