Clarington, ON – Marc-Antoine Camirand completed a sweep of this year’s NASCAR Canada Series races at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP), using a last-lap move to record the victory in the WeatherTech 200.
Andrew Ranger started on pole for the 51-lap event. The race got off to a chaotic start when Brent Wheller and Darryl Timmers were involved in an opening-lap incident that brought out the caution. The restart was followed by another issue and a red flag delay as Larry Jackson wrecked into the tire wall in turn eight, leaving the car with race-ending damage and the tire barriers in need of repair.
Kevin Lacroix pitted under caution with mechanical issues, putting him two laps down as his team looked under the hood. Lacroix ultimately retired early, finishing 24th with steering problems.
Ranger led the field back to green on Lap 9, with Kyle Steckly staying close behind as the run continued. On Lap 15, caution when Ryan Klutt wrecked into the turn three wall after contact with Jack Polito. Multiple drivers pitted just before the yellow flag, including D.J. Kennington and Connor Bell.
Drivers must take tires and fuel during separate pit stops, with the strategy chess match in full force at CTMP. Most of the field made at least one stop, with some of the frontrunners stopping twice, under this yellow flag.
Timmers restarted up front on Lap 21 before being passed by Sam Fellows after the green. Fellows pulled away and paced the field, while Alex Guenette worked his way to second and slowly cut into the deficit as the long green flag run continued.
On Lap 39, caution for Malcolm Strachan stuck in the tire barriers in turn nine. Fellows edged ahead on the restart, with seven to go, while Guenette spun off track following contact; he was able to continue. Later that lap, Mathieu Kingsbury crashed into the turn eight tire wall, causing a second red flag delay for repairs to the tire barriers in that corner.
Fellows, Camirand and Bell led the field back to green with three to go, as Fellows pulled ahead, while Bell briefly took second. Camirand got back around Bell and applied the pressure on Fellows, closing the gap to 0.392-seconds at the white flag.
As has become a familiar sight at CTMP, the battle was ultimately decided in turn five, where Camirand made a move, with some contact, to take the lead and get the win. Bell made a move in the last turn for second place, pushing Fellows onto the grass to cross the line in third. Alex Tagliani and Ranger rounded out the top-five.
“I love to race at CTMP and, once again, my team gave me a hell of a car to race with,” said Camirand. “We took only two tires on the first pit stop and I was managing the car to the end. With three or four laps to go, I was second. I was planning to do the move on (Fellows) on corner eight but I was much faster than him in corner three and four, so I did the move in (turn) 5b.
“I got hit too, by (Bell), which was okay, that’s part of racing,” he continued. “I took my spot back on corner three after that and the target was (Fellows). The last few laps were kind of bumpy but we managed to bring the win back.”
This is Camirand’s fifth win and 12th podium in 20 starts at CTMP; it’s also his fourth victory of the season. Next up for the NASCAR Canada Series is a double-header at Delaware Speedway on September 13.
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