Antigonish, NS – The NASCAR Canada Series made its annual stop in the Maritimes on Saturday at Riverside International Speedway, where Kevin Lacroix won the Pinty’s 300 and added a third career victory at the track.
Earlier in the day, Donald Theetge topped both practice sessions aboard the No. 80 Vulcain / Max Leclerc Construction Chevrolet. With qualifying later cancelled due to rainfall in the region, the starting lineup was determined by practice times, handing Theetge the E3 Spark Plugs Pole Award and the pole position for Saturday night’s 300-lap event.
Theetge led the field to the green flag, but Marc-Antoine Camirand, in the No. 96 GM Paillé Chevrolet, quickly moved to the front in the opening stages of the event. Theetge later regained the lead as the two drivers battled for the top spot during the first portion of the race.
Andrew Ranger, in the No. 27 GM Paillé / Chevrolet Canada Chevrolet, steadily worked his way through the field and moved into second place, while Lacroix, in the No. 74 Valvoline / NAPA Racing Chevrolet, advanced into the top three. Camirand subsequently dropped several positions before beginning his climb back towards the front.
The race’s first half also saw several drivers encounter problems, including D.J. Kennington, in the No. 17 Castrol / Brimstone Games / DriveBuySupply / CIM Dodge, who was forced to pit with a flat left-front tire before returning to competition.
As the race progressed, Lacroix emerged as one of the fastest cars on track and took over the lead from Theetge.
On the restart, after the first competition caution, Lacroix maintained the lead ahead of Alex Guenette, commanding the No. 39 DLGL / GL Électricité-Automatisations Chevrolet, and Theetge. Theetge soon reclaimed second place, while Camirand recovered to third, after passing Guenette. At the front, Lacroix and Theetge continued their battle for the lead as the field reached Lap 200, when the second competition caution slowed the pace.
Lacroix maintained the lead on the restart, with Theetge and Camirand running behind him. In the closing laps, L.P. Dumoulin moved into third and began pressuring Theetge for second, but Lacroix remained firmly in control and crossed the finish line first. Theetge secured the runner-up position, while Dumoulin completed the podium in third.
“We really needed this win to keep the momentum and motivation going for the rest of the season,” said Lacroix. “Riverside was the right place to do it because we’ve always been fast here. We finally had a race without any bad luck, and to come away with the win feels really good. I’m super happy. The car was really strong, and it was a lot of fun to be able to control the pace and manage the race from the front.”
“We had a really good car for the first 200 laps, but over the final 100 laps, the car became too loose,” said Theetge. “Kevin was really quick at the end. We had a strong enough car to stay with him during the first two-thirds of the race and I almost got by him a couple of times, but we raced each other clean all night. We’ll take the second-place finish, collect some valuable points and head to Montmagny, which has always been a good track for us.”
“We’ll definitely take the podium,” said Dumoulin. “Our No. 47 WeatherTech / Omnifab / Bellemare Dodge was really fast. It’s a good result and we’re building some momentum. We haven’t reached Victory Lane yet, but we’re getting closer. I think we took a big step forward compared to Chaudière, and we’ll continue to build on that. We’re looking for that first win, and I believe it’s coming soon.”
The NASCAR Canada Series heads back to Quebec next weekend for a doubleheader at Autodrome Montmagny on July 4.
About the NASCAR Canada Series
The NASCAR Canada Series is the premier motorsports league in Canada, featuring top drivers and teams competing from May through September on a variety of racetracks all across Canada. As NASCAR’s national series in Canada, it delivers high-level competition and thrilling entertainment for fans nationwide, with races broadcast in English and French on REV TV, TVA, and TSN.
Since its launch in 2007 following NASCAR’s acquisition of the CASCAR Super Series, the championship has grown into a proven development platform for drivers advancing to NASCAR’s national divisions and other premier motorsports series. The series celebrated its 200th race in 2023 and unveiled a new brand identity that same year, transitioning to a presenting partner model. As of 2026, the three presenting partners are Pinty’s Foods, CarGurus, and NAPA Auto Parts.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 14 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Euro Series, NASCAR Mexico Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Local Racing Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.
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