GRIMSBY, ON- Just two weeks after securing his second consecutive Sunset Speedway Super Stock championship, third-generation star Cayden Lapcevich beat the odds by transferring out of the Last Chance Qualifier at the season-end Velocity 250 to capture his second career event victory.
Lapcevich found his No. 76 in Sunday’s B Main after an incident in his qualifying heat race that cut his tire and saddled the team with a critical DNF. With 42 cars on the property, anything less than a pair of top-5 finishes in two rounds of qualifying was an almost guaranteed start in the LCQ.
‘The Prodigy’ went on to turn in a runner-up finish in his B Main – transferring his Tim Hortons-sponsored Chevrolet into the 50-lap A Main.
“When I rolled up to the lineup area and saw the number of cars in front of me, I think that’s when it really sunk in,” laughs Lapcevich when asked about his state of mind when tasked with driving from the rear of the field in Sunset’s Crown Jewel event. “I remember keying the radio and saying to Dad ‘man, we’ve got a long way to go’. He just told me not to focus on how many guys were in front of us and to just focus and do my thing. Once the green flag came out, I was just trying to take things one car at a time”
By lap-35, Lapcevich had picked his way through the 28-car field and found himself sitting just outside of the top-10 with 15-laps remaining.
“When we hit the top-10, the car was still just as consistent as it was on lap-1, and I knew that we had a chance to win this,” explains the high-school student. “Every pass that was made inside the top-10 felt like it was more difficult than the one that came before it. I mean, once you’re that close to the front, you’re up against the absolute best of the best in Ontario. The whole field was incredible, but the guys at the front are the cream of the crop. That’s why they’re there”
A late-race charge propelled Lapcevich into the lead with 7-laps remaining, and the 15-Year Old held on for his second straight Velocity 250 triumph.
“When I pulled into victory lane, I was speechless. I felt like I had been holding my breath all race,” smiles ‘The Prodigy’. “It was an incredible feeling. I never dreamt there was any way we could race from the B Main to the win here. I think, more than anything, it just shows how good this team is. My Dad and the rest of the guys gave me an awesome car today and I can’t thank them and Tim Hortons enough for making it all happen”
With talks swirling that Lapcevich will step back from fulltime Super Stock competition in 2016 in favor of focusing on his burgeoning NASCAR Canadian Tire Series career, the rising star explains that he sees the 2015 Velocity 250 as a fitting performance to bid farewell to Sunset Speedway with.
“It doesn’t look like I’ll be back here fulltime next season. So, if this is it for me as a full-timer here, then I’m happy we were able to put together a race like that,” says the multi-time feature winner.
“I’ll remember last weekend for the rest of my career,” adds Lapcevich. “Sunset has been home for four years now, and I wouldn’t trade the things I’ve learned here for anything. You won’t find many weekly divisions that are as tough to win in than the Sunset Super Stocks. Every single team on this roster makes you better by racing against them – no question.”
With a second Velocity 250 title in his hip pocket, Lapcevich is still far from done in 2015. This weekend, the team will head to Flamboro Speedway’s Frostoberfest, for a twin 30-lap event that will once again pit Lapcevich against the very best talent in Ontario.
Details for this weekend can be found at www.FlamboroSpeedway.ca.
Cayden Lapcevich and team will have T Shirts and Hoodies on sale all weekend long at Flamboro Speedway, with proceeds being added to Lapcevich Racing’s yearlong efforts to raise funds and awareness for the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation.
Support for Cayden Lapcevich’s 2015 endeavors is provided by Tim Hortons, Castrol, Cathcart Trucking, Springers Meats, EPIC Racewear and Troy Cove Marine.
Fans can keep up with ‘The Prodigy’ by following him on Twitter @CaydenLapcevich and visiting the official Cayden Lapcevich Racing page on Facebook.
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