The NASCAR Canada Series and Can-Am TQ Midgets will decide champions, four series visit Sunset Speedway for Fall Velocity, regional road racing returns to CTMP, points battles tighten for Canadians in DIRTcar, and more; here’s what you need to know for this weekend in racing.
Championship Finales
The NASCAR Canada Series will conclude its season at Autodrome Montmagny, located east of Quebec City. The series’ first finale outside of Ontario and first visit to Montmagny will see a 250-lap race take place at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Marc-Antoine Camirand enters with a 20-point lead over Kevin Lacroix; he can clinch his second championship in three years by finishing 15th or better.
With 11 wins and 25 podiums in 39 races since the start of 2022, Camirand has been the most dominant driver across that span; but with five wins and 1,029 laps led this year, Lacroix has had the makings of a better season.
Lacroix has two DNFs to Camirand’s one, costing him valuable points; he has four runner-up points finishes and is looking for his first career title. Both drivers could set a new single-season podium record on Sunday, currently tied with last year’s record of nine podiums.
Andrew Ranger is also in the title mix, sitting two points back of Lacroix.
The Ontario Sportsman Series will conclude its season at Sunset Speedway on Friday night, during the track’s Fall Velocity weekend. Defending champion Cory McAllister and substitute driver Connor James, the series’ 2019 champion, have put on a dominant showing in the No. 71 car. The duo have combined to win five of eight races this season, including the last three events. With a lead of over 100 points, the Two Speed Motorsports team clinched the 2024 championship in the last race, at Sauble.
The Can-Am TQ Midgets return from a nearly month-long break to wrap up their season at Flamboro Speedway on Saturday night. Jaden Riddell picked up his first career series victory in the last outing, also at Flamboro. Defending champion Daniel Hawn enters the finale with a 31-point lead over Jeff Blackburn and 47-point advantage over Darren McLennan. James Stanley is a mathematical longshot, 105 points back.
The Toyo Tires F1600 Championship will contest three races during the BEMC weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park to conclude their season. With 14 wins in 15 races this year, Connor Clubine has already secured the A Class championship. Steve Bodrug leads Andrew Mason by 44 points in the B Class.
Following an earlier rain postponement, the Maritime All Star Series sportsman tour will end its season at Scotia Speedworld on Saturday. Dylan Dowe clinched his second consecutive championship in the last outing, at River Glade. The street stock division will also race at Scotia Speedway on Saturday; the tour’s last event was postponed, with Riverside becoming the finale on October 12. There are three races remaining for the street stocks.
Canadian Series News & Notes
There will be several other Canadian series to watch this weekend:
- The JRS Auctions OSCAAR Hot Rods will race at Brighton Speedway on Saturday. The only dirt race on the calendar marks just the second time this season that only one of the two OSCAAR series will be in action. Steve McCaw recorded his first career OSCAAR Hot Rods win in the last event, two weeks ago at Delaware Speedway, becoming the fifth different winner in the last five races. Tyler Hawn leads the standings by 13 points over Kenny McNicol Jr., 23 points over Rob Bromley and 25 markers over Steve Book, with three races remaining.
- The Ontario Outlaw Super Late Models will visit Sunset Speedway on Saturday. J.R. Fitzpatrick recorded his third victory of the season in the last event, on Labour Day weekend at Sunset. Fitzpatrick leads the standings by 11 points over Dario Capirchio, Brandon Passer and Glenn Watson, who are all tied; Ethan Cournyea sits 18 points back, with two races to go.
- The Ontario Legend Car Series will compete at Sunset Speedway on Sunday. The series was last in action nearly a month ago, at the same track, where Mitch Wright won a feature initially scheduled to open the season, before Joe Adams took the victory in the regularly scheduled show. Wright leads the standings by 63 points over Dawson Drimmie, with three races remaining.
Mike Homewood is on a three-race win streak in the Outlaw Midgets, which includes going two-for-two at Sauble. COURTESY: Ashley McCubbin/Outlaw Midgets - The Outlaw Midgets will race at Sunset Speedway on Saturday. Mike Homewood enters on a hot streak, with three straight wins, including a sweep of the Labour Day weekend doubleheader at Sauble Speedway. Homewood has four wins this season, all coming in the last five races, but finds himself fourth in the standings. Jason Metcalfe also has four wins; he leads the title battle by 116 points over Kevin Spiesz, with three races to go.
- The ECI Pro Stock Tour will visit Scotia Speedworld on Saturday. The last event, at Riverside International Speedway, was postponed by rain and will now act as the season finale on October 12. This is the second time this season that the date and track of the finale has changed, which was originally scheduled for this weekend. Austin MacDonald recorded his first career win in the last outing, at Scotia. Jarrett Butcher leads the standings by 27 points over MacDonald and 39 markers over Gage Gilby, with three races remaining.
- The Maritime League of Legends will compete at Scotia Speedworld on Saturday. Ayden Christensen recorded the win last weekend at Petty International Raceway, his fourth of the season, extending his points lead with two races remaining.
- CASC-OR and VARAC will be in action during the BEMC Late Summer Trophy Races this weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The two-day event features three races each for seven grids of cars: the Pirelli Super Touring Sprints, Pirelli Grand Touring Sprints, Toyo Tires F1600, VARAC Formula Classic/Formula Libre/F4, VARAC Classic/Modern Classic, VARAC Vintage Historic/Classic/Modern Classic, and Challenge Cup Series/F1200. The fastest cars are found in the Super Touring/Grand Touring divisions, where Rocco Marciello (GT1), Patrick Cyr (GT2), Krystian Palka (GT3), Hugo Girard (GT4) and Ron Rhead (GT5) lead their class standings.
International Series News & Notes
There will also be some international series to watch this weekend:
- The NASCAR Cup Series will race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night. Four drivers will be eliminated in the Cup playoffs after Bristol, where Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr. and Harrison Burton enter below the cut-line. The drivers on the cut-line are separated by just six points, with Chase Briscoe and Ty Gibbs ahead of Hamlin.
- The NASCAR Xfinity Series will race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday night. Bristol marks the regular season finale for Xfinity, where Justin Allgaier leads Cole Custer by 43 points in the battle for the regular season title, while Sammy Smith leads Ryan Sieg by the same 43-point margin on the playoff bubble.
- Formula One will visit the Marina Bay Street Circuit for the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday. Max Verstappen leads the standings by 59 points over Lando Norris, with Canadian Lance Stroll currently 10th. Stroll has two top-ten finishes in five races at Marina Bay. F1 was in action last weekend, where Oscar Piastri took the victory in Azerbaijan; to read a race recap, click here.
- The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will compete at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course for its penultimate race of the season, with the six-hour Battle on the Bricks taking place on Sunday. There are eight Canadians entered: John Farano (LMP2 class), Roman De Angelis (GTD Pro), Parker Thompson (GTD), Orey Fidani (GTD), Mikael Grenier (GTD), Scott Hargrove (GTD), Kyle Marcelli (GTD), and Misha Goikhberg (GTD).
- The penultimate round of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge will feature two hours on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on Saturday. There are six Canadians entered: Thomas Collingwood (GS class), Jesse Lazare (GS), Robert Wickens (TCR), Denis Dupont (TCR), Karl Wittmer (TCR), and Mark Wilkins (TCR). Wickens, Dupont, Wilkins, and Wittmer, along with their co-drivers, are currently second through fifth in the TCR standings.
- The DIRTcar Sportsman Series championship season continues at Albany-Saratoga Speedway on Friday. Canadian Cody McPherson finished sixth in the last event, with championship rival Gavin Eisele finishing second, trimming McPherson’s lead in the standings to just five points over Eisele, with four races remaining.
- The Super DIRTcar Series will visit Albany-Saratoga Speedway on Saturday. Canadian Mat Williamson won the last event, two weeks ago at Can-Am Speedway, to make up ground in the standings. Williamson is currently second, 31 points behind Matt Sheppard, with just three races remaining before Super Dirt Week and the World of Outlaws World Finals conclude the season.
