BOWMANVILLE, ON – It was a promising weekend for Thomas Nepveu at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, as the young driver could have claimed a Top 5 finish had it not been for a gearbox issue.
The famed Mosport track hosted the NASCAR Pinty’s Series for the penultimate round of the 2023 season. It was a familiar territory for Thomas, who had competed at the Victoria Day Speedfest last May.
On Saturday, the driver of the #24 Evirum | Home Hardware Nepveu car set the 17th fastest time in practice, and then he went 14th quickest in qualifying. “It’s a shame because we had a fast car in qualifying,” says Thomas. “A caution flag caught me on my fast lap so I couldn’t do any better than 14th”.
However, Nepveu redeemed himself in the 51-lap race. Strategy and consistency played an important role in the race, as Thomas didn’t let the cars behind him put pressure on him. Right from the start, he began to work his way up through the field.
When a competitor went off the track, Thomas’ quick reaction earned him a place in the Top 5. Indeed, the young driver immediately decided to come down pit road, seeing that a caution was about to come out.
He had a good restart, starting from 2nd place. However, he had to keep Alex Tagliani and Andrew Ranger behind him and not let the leader get away. The rest of the race was spent in the Top 10. At one point, veteran DJ. Kennington got the better of Thomas Nepveu, who was pushed off the track after Turn 10. It allowed Louis-Philippe Dumoulin and Marc-Antoine Camirand to pass, as Nepveu was destabilized, although he returned to the track unharmed.
Thomas’ chances of a Top 5 finish quickly turned when he was forced to retire with five laps remaining to go due to a mechanical problem.
“It was a disappointing day at the office,” said Nepveu. “I had a fast car, and a Top 5 was achievable before our mechanical failure. Jacombs Racing ran our pit stops very well, and the strategy was good, so it’s a shame to leave Mosport without a good result.”
He says, “I’m disappointed not to have finished in the Top 5, as several Evirum guests had come to watch the race. I’d like to thank Julien Rémillard, who continues to support me race after race”.
The next race will be at Delaware Speedway and will mark the finale of the NASCAR Pinty’s season.
