Wetaskiwin, AB – Kevin Lacroix and the NAPA Racing team dominated at Edmonton International Raceway on Saturday night, winning the NAPA 300 in the NASCAR Canada Series. It was an action-packed race at all levels, making the victory well-deserved for the driver of the No. 74 Quick Strut / NAPA Dodge.
Earlier in the day, Lacroix set the fastest lap during the practice session and secured the pole position, edging out Marc-Antoine Camirand.
The race kicked off in front of a record crowd, including many NAPA guests cheering for their driver. Such races are rare in NASCAR Canada, but the first half of the event ran without any cautions, allowing Lacroix to showcase his dominance. Indeed, the driver, whose car is prepared by Innovation Auto Sport, pulled away from the field, putting a lap ahead of several drivers and even two laps ahead of a few cars on track.
Although it seemed like an easy win, it nearly slipped away from the Saint-Eustache, QC driver in the second half of the race. Right after the restart, Andrew Ranger took the lead. It was less than 60 laps from the end when Lacroix regained the position, leaving the drivers behind to battle amongst themselves. He wasn’t challenged until the checkered flag, much to the delight of the thousands of fans in the stands.
“I have to admit I was sweating during the second half of the race,” said Lacroix. “The first part of the race went very well; I had an excellent car, thanks in part to my team and my engineer Étienne Cliche.
“However, Ranger was very strong after the halfway break,” he continued. “It was a challenge to pass him. This win is significant for me because I had secured four pole positions over the years but had never won at Edmonton International Raceway until tonight.”
With this victory, Lacroix is now in second place in the drivers’ championship, 10 points behind Camirand, who still holds the lead. The next NASCAR Canada event will be the highly-anticipated Grand Prix of Trois-Rivières on August 11.
- By Service Presse/Innovation Auto Sport
