AVONDALE, NL – It was a difficult race for Kevin Lacroix at Eastbound Int’l Speedway last Saturday. The NASCAR Pinty’s Series made its way to the East Coast, with Avondale Speedway in Newfoundland and Labrador serving as the host for the fourth round of the series.
The 3/8 mile oval track is a favourite of Kevin Lacroix’s, who found it to be to his liking last year in terms of speed. It was the same scenario this time around as well, as he set the 6th fastest time in practice and qualifying aboard the #74 NAPA Synthetic Motor Oil |Valvoline car. He therefore started the Pro-Line 250, a 250-lap race with a break at the halfway mark, from the third row.
“I started 6th,” said Kevin. “It wasn’t long before I found myself at the front of the pack in first place. We held on to the lead until the end of the first portion of the race.”
As he resumed his leader role for the second half of the race, Lacroix led the field, but not without pressure from the competitors behind him. “After 15 laps, we had a puncture. I was forced to pit to change the tire, but the team had trouble with one of the nuts that was not unscrewing, so we ended up losing a lap.”
However, Lacroix regained a lap thanks to a “lucky dog.” So it was a race against the clock to get back to the top of the pack. “Eventually I got moved back up into 5th position. It was a tough day at work.”
After four rounds, Kevin Lacroix is in 2nd place in the drivers’ championship, 23 points behind first place. The NASCAR Pinty’s Series will be back on track on July 14th at the Exhibition Center, during the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Toronto.
