GRIMSBY, ON- After three successful seasons of stock car competition at the weekly level, third-generation star Cayden Lapcevich will make his first ever NASCAR Canadian Tire Series start this Sunday, May 17th at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in Pinty’s presents the Clarington 200.
The 15-year old will follow in the footsteps of his father – multi-time NCATS podium finisher Jeff Lapcevich – in making the move to the national tour on a part-time basis in 2015.
“There have definitely been jitters leading up to the weekend,” admits ‘The Prodigy’ with a smile. “I thought I was nervous the first time I hit the line-up area for a Super Stock race – this is way more intense than that was”
“I’ve been coming to this race for as long as I can remember,” continues Lapcevich. “I know how much it means to the teams, how awesome it is for the fans and how important it is to the series. Really, it’s an honour to be a part of it”
When asked if lining up alongside the veteran-heavy NCATS roster provides any additional pressure, Lapcevich is quick to refute the notion.
“I’ve been racing against drivers with more experience than me for most of my career. It doesn’t intimidate me at all. If anything, I look forward to it – because I believe I’ll learn a lot more by watching how they attack the track”
With just a single test session under his belt, Lapcevich notes that much of the early portion of Sunday’s event will be spent gathering a feel for his new surroundings.
“I’m so lucky to have this experience – I just want to make sure to learn as much as I can,” explains the rising star. “We don’t want to push ourselves early, because the goal is to finish all the laps and keep the car in one piece”
“The test was absolutely incredible,” continues Lapcevich. “I can’t wait to feel what this car is like in race trim. All my life, I’ve wondered what it would be like to fly down the backstretch and over the hill in front of a huge crowd of people. It was an awesome experience in practice, and I’m sure it will be even more special on race day.”
Cayden’s NASCAR Canadian Tire Series debut is made possible thanks to the support of 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.
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
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