OHSWEKEN, ON – 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.
