SASKATOON, SK (July 27, 2017)- – The first doubleheader in NASCAR Pinty’s Series history resulted in victories for young stars Alex Labbé and Cayden Lapcevich Wednesday night. And it served to tighten the championship chase.
Labbé, the 24-year-old from Victoriaville, Quebec, scored the win in the first race of the Velocity Prairie Thunder 100s, holding off two-time champion DJ Kennington in an overtime finish. Lapcevich, the 17-year-old from Grimsby, Ontario, finished third. He then stormed to the front in the second twin 100 to capture the victory.
The win for Lapcevich came at the track the NASCAR Next driver scored his first victory last year en route to the series title.
When everything was said and done, championship points leader Kevin Lacroix left Saskatoon with a two-point lead over Labbé in Canada’s national stock car championship. Lapcevich moved up to third in the standings, 26 points out of the lead, and holding a four-point advantage on Kennington and five on L.P. Dumoulin.
It took everything Labbé had to hold off Kennington to score his second win of the season in Race No. 1. He was able to make the pass around Kennington on Lap 75 and then held on in overtime. Labbé enjoyed a one-car length lead when the fifth and final caution of the race was given to the field on Lap 97 after a single-car spin, which set up the sprint to the finish and pushed the race to 104 laps.
Kennington moved to the outside of Labbé on the final restart, but the latter was able to make a good run off of Turn 2. Labbé’s No. 32 Can-Am/Kappa/Cyclops Gear/Lou’s BBQ Ford crossed the line .314 seconds ahead of Kennington on the third-mile oval.
It marked Labbé’s third career win and second of 2017. He picked up a victory at Delaware Speedway when the Pinty’s Series returned there in June. Kennington was looking for his 20th career win and first since 2013.
Cayden Lapcevich, who was involved in a caution on Lap 40, rebounded from his incident to finish on the podium.
Donald Theetge and Gary Klutt were fourth and fifth, respectively.
Kevin Lacroix, who entered the race as the series points leader and winner of the last two series races, won his second career Pole Award on an oval track earlier in the day. He led the first 30 laps of the race but fell back to eighth.
In the second Twin 100, Lapcevich passed Kennington on Lap 77 and went on to win his second race of the season. Lapcevich started the nightcap fifth as the starting lineup was set for the second race by the drivers’ fastest lap recorded during the first race.
Lapcevich, who was selected to the NASCAR Next program this year – an industry initiative designed to spotlight the sport’s top young drivers — quickly moved his No. 76 Fastline Motorsports Dodge into the top three midway through the race. He was able to get past Kennington late in the race and pull away for the victory by .241 seconds.
Kennington started from the pole following his runner-up finish in the opening race of the night.
Labbé followed up his win in Race No. 1 with a third-place finish, while Lacroix was fourth. LP Dumoulin, a former winner at Saskatoon, was fifth.
The NASCAR Pinty’s Series concludes its annual western swing visiting Edmonton International Raceway with the Luxxur 300 on Saturday.
The Velocity Prairie Thunder 100s will air on TSN on Saturday, Aug. 5, at noon, and on RDS on Sunday, Aug. 20 at 5 p.m.
NASCAR Pinty’s Series-WGR 100 presented by Bayer Race 1 Results
Wednesday At Wyant Group Raceway
Saskatoon, SK
Lap length: 0.333 miles
(Start position in parentheses)
1. (2) Alex Labbé, Victoriaville, Que., Ford, 104 laps, 52.650 mph.
2. (3) D.J. Kennington, St. Thomas, Ont., Dodge, 104.
3. (5) Cayden Lapcevich, Grimsby, Ont., Dodge, 104.
4. (4) Donald Theetge, Boischatel, Que., Dodge, 104.
5. (6) Gary Klutt, Halton Hills, Ont., Dodge, 104.
6. (9) L.P. Dumoulin, Trois-Rivières, Que., Dodge, 104.
7. (10) Noel Dowler, Sherwood Park, Alta., Dodge, 104.
8. (1) Kevin Lacroix, Saint-Eustache, Que., Dodge, 104.
9. (16) J.F. Dumoulin, Trois-Rivières, Que., Dodge, 104.
10. (7) Andrew Ranger, Roxton Pond, Que., Dodge, 104.
11. (11) Mark Dilley, Barrie, Ont., Ford, 104.
12. (13) Luc Haukaas, The Pas, MB, Dodge, 104.
13. (12) Adam Martin, Ayr, Ont., Ford, 104.
14. (18) Armani Williams, Grosse Pointe, Mi., Dodge, 104.
15. (15) Ian Admiraal, Sherwood Park, Alta., Chevrolet, 104.
16. (19) Stefan Klym, Weyburn, SK, Dodge, 102.
17. (17) Jason Hankewich, Kindersley, Sask., Chevrolet, 101.
18. (20) Destiny Klym, Weyburn, SK, Dodge, 100.
19. (14) Anthony Simone, Aurora, Ont., Dodge, 99.
20. (8) Alex Tagliani, Lachenaie, Que., Dodge, 66, radiator.
Race Statistics
Time of Race: 0 hours 39 minutes 28 seconds
Margin of Victory: .314 seconds
Fastest Qualifier: K. Lacroix (81.857 mph, 14.645 seconds)
Caution Flags: 5 for 32 laps.
Lead Changes: 5 among 3 drivers.
Lap Leaders: K. Lacroix 1-30; A. Labbé 31-53; D. Kennington 54; A. Labbé 55; D. Kennington 56-74; A. Labbé 75-104.
NASCAR Pinty’s Series-WGR 100 presented by Bayer Race 2 Results
Wednesday At Wyant Group Raceway
Saskatoon, SK
Lap length: 0.333 miles
(Start position in parentheses)
1. (5) Cayden Lapcevich, Grimsby, Ont., Dodge, 100 laps, 53.256 mph.
2. (1) D.J. Kennington, St. Thomas, Ont., Dodge, 100.
3. (4) Alex Labbé, Victoriaville, Que., Ford, 100.
4. (3) Kevin Lacroix, Saint-Eustache, Que., Dodge, 100.
5. (9) L.P. Dumoulin, Trois-Rivières, Que., Dodge, 100.
6. (6) Donald Theetge, Boischatel, Que., Dodge, 100.
7. (11) Andrew Ranger, Roxton Pond, Que., Dodge, 100.
8. (14) Mark Dilley, Barrie, Ont., Ford, 100.
9. (8) Alex Tagliani, Lachenaie, Que., Dodge, 100.
10. (2) Gary Klutt, Halton Hills, Ont., Dodge, 100.
11. (7) Anthony Simone, Aurora, Ont., Dodge, 100.
12. (16) Adam Martin, Ayr, Ont., Ford, 100.
13. (18) Armani Williams, Grosse Pointe, Mi., Dodge, 100.
14. (17) Jason Hankewich, Kindersley, Sask., Chevrolet, 100.
15. (13) Ian Admiraal, Sherwood Park, Alta., Chevrolet, 100.
16. (20) Destiny Klym, Weyburn, SK, Dodge, 99.
17. (19) Stefan Klym, Weyburn, SK, Dodge, 96.
18. (15) Luc Haukaas, The Pas, MB, Dodge, 83, suspension.
19. (12) J.F. Dumoulin, Trois-Rivières, Que., Dodge, 78.
20. (10) Noel Dowler, Sherwood Park, Alta., Dodge, 59, suspension.
Race Statistics
Time of Race: 0 hours 37 minutes 31 seconds
Margin of Victory: .241 seconds
Fastest Qualifier: D. Kennington (80.782 mph, 14.84 seconds)
Caution Flags: 4 for 27 laps.
Lead Changes: 3 among 3 drivers.
Lap Leaders: D. Kennington 1-68; K. Lacroix 69-71; D. Kennington 72-77; C. Lapcevich 78-100.
Standings: 1. K. Lacroix, 300; 2. A. Labbé, 298; 3. C. Lapcevich, 274; 4. D. Kennington, 270; 5. L. Dumoulin, 269; 6. A. Ranger, 260; 7. J. Dumoulin, 240; 8. A. Tagliani, 237; 9. A. Martin, 225; 10. A. Simone, 180.
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