Bowmanville, ON – Kevin Lacroix used a late caution and some tight passes to win the NASCAR Canada Series’ Labour Day weekend stop at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP), an event that saw a long green flag run, with differing pit strategies, bookended by a pair of yellow flags.
Lacroix started on the pole for the 51-lap race, with Gary Klutt, Andrew Ranger and Marc-Antoine Camirand rounding out the first two rows. Lacroix settled into the early lead, while points leader Camirand lost a couple of positions on the opening lap.
On Lap 3, caution for Dexter Stacey and Jason Hathaway in the tire barriers in turn three. Stacey’s car came to rest above the four rows of tires, with the car’s left-front wheel propped over the concrete wall at the back. The extensive clean-up prompted a red flag delay.
Once the race resumed, on Lap 6, Lacroix pulled back ahead, while Camirand moved to fourth, having taken fifth before the caution. On Lap 14, the leaders encountered the lapped car of Serge Bourdeau, allowing Camirand to pass third-place Klutt and second-place Ranger on the front straight, before pulling right up to Lacroix.
On Lap 15, Camirand took the lead. Lacroix pitted the next lap, with most drivers making fuel stops at around that point. Camirand and Ranger stretched their opening runs, with Ranger pitting on Lap 24 and Camirand on Lap 25. Lacroix cycled into the lead, but started his sequence of tire stops the next time around, handing the spot back to Camirand.
The pit strategies remained split, with a bunch of drivers staying out, having not pitted for tires. Camirand, Sam Fellows, Alex Tagliani and Kyle Steckly were among the drivers who continued without tire stops. With 8 to go, caution for a pair of issues; Fellows slowed on track, with smoke coming from his car, while Klutt spun into the barriers in turn three, a short distance behind Fellows.
A short red flag delay stopped the race as crews made further repairs to the turn three tire wall. The caution allowed those who pitted for tires to make up the ground they lost, while the leaders hoped to use their track position to hold them off.
Camirand and Steckly led the field back to green, with 4 to go, as drivers with fresher tires made quick passes. With 2 to go, Lacroix made contact with Steckly through turns five and 5b, taking over second. On the last lap, it was Camirand’s turn to face the pressure; Lacroix got into the back bumper of Camirand in turn five, pushing him wide and taking the lead.
Lacroix went on to win for the fourth time this season and a record eighth time at CTMP; Camirand and Steckly rounded out the podium, while Ranger and D.J. Kennington rounded out the top-five.
“I was so excited about the yellow, because before that I was running eighth, I think, and that’s not our usual spot,” said Lacroix. “We took on tires; it helped the speed but almost hurt us on track position because there was no yellow to catch up with the leaders…I had seven spots to get in four laps, so I had to rush through traffic a little bit…it didn’t seem like it all day long so very happy to get the win like that.”
Despite leading for most of the race, a runner-up finish still gave Camirand his ninth podium of the season, tying the single-season record that he and Treyten Lapcevich set last season. It also gave him valuable points as he looks to maintain his lead in the standings, with sights set on a second series championship.
“The plan was not to take tires, even at the beginning of the race,” said Camirand. “I was ahead with about a 20-second lead at some points, not pushing, keeping the car and tires in good shape. Unfortunately, with about eight laps to go, yellow came out; I knew (Lacroix) took four tires, he was like ninth at that point, so I thought it may be alright…he bumped me out, pushed me off of the track, but we accomplished what we wanted, finished ahead of (Ranger) and we put ourselves in a good position for the championship.”
Next up is the penultimate race of the season, a rain re-scheduled event next Sunday at Delaware Speedway.
