Calabogie, ON – The NASCAR Canada Series returned to road course competition for the NAPA 150 at Calabogie Motorsports Park. With qualifying washed out due to inclement weather, the starting lineup for the NAPA 150 was established in accordance with the NASCAR Canada rulebook. As a result, Marc-Antoine Camirand led the field to the green flag in the No. 96 GM Paillé Chevrolet.
The race got off to an eventful start before the green flag even flew after the No. 54 Carquest / Qualité Refrigeration / Assainiteck Dodge of Dave Coursol had a mechanical issue during the pace laps, forcing officials to delay the start.
Once the race got underway, Camirand wasted no time establishing himself at the front of the field, leading the opening laps despite multiple early interruptions. At the front, Camirand found himself under constant pressure from Alex Tagliani, commanding the No. 80 St. Hubert / UPS Store / Bet GRW / Olymel Chevrolet, and Kevin Lacroix, driving the No. 74 Carlyle Tools / NAPA Racing / Valvoline Chevrolet, with the trio running three-wide in a thrilling battle for the lead before Tagliani completed the pass on Lap 16. Lacroix soon followed into second, relegating Camirand to third.
Simon Charbonneau, aboard the No. 88 TransGestion / Complexe AutoPlus / NAPA / IAI Chevrolet, looked poised for a strong finish after charging from 22nd into the top-10. However, his promising run came to an unfortunate end after he was caught up in an incident that forced him to retire.
Just before the halfway mark, fluids on the racing surface brought out the red flag for a track cleanup. On the ensuing restart, Tagliani maintained the lead while Guenette continued his charge through the field. Guenette moved into fourth after overtaking championship leader Camirand, putting himself in contention for a podium finish.
With four laps remaining, the race took another dramatic turn when Lacroix spun in the No. 74, costing him several positions and a potential podium. Tagliani capitalized and went on to capture the NAPA 150, earning his first NASCAR Canada Series victory since 2023.
“This is a really special win, and the timing couldn’t have been better after Canadian Tire Motorsport Park,” said Tagliani. “The team worked incredibly hard to rebuild the car after it was heavily damaged in that race.
“We left Canadian Tire Motorsport Park feeling very disappointed, especially with such a long wait before getting back on track. To return to the top step of the podium today, after everything this team put into getting the car race-ready again, definitely takes a weight off my shoulders.”
Guenette completed his impressive drive with a second-place finish, while Andrew Ranger rounded out the podium in third, behind-the-wheel of the No. 27 GM Paillé / Chevrolet Canada.
“We came into the season with high expectations, but bad luck early on left us with several races we were unable to finish,” said Guenette. “The cancellation of qualifying didn’t work in our favour either, especially on a track where it’s so difficult to move through the field. Even so, we knew we had a car capable of winning, and the team did an exceptional job. We came up just short, so there’s a bit of disappointment, but finishing second after everything we’ve been through is still a strong result. Now, our focus is simple: to keep fighting for victories for the rest of the season.”
“I’m really happy. It’s a great podium finish for the No. 27 Paillé Course Racing team,” said Ranger. “We had a really strong race. Early on, I was able to challenge the cars ahead, but as the tires wore down, the car became a little too loose. I knew it was going to be a battle all the way to the finish. The final 20 laps were especially hard-fought. Overall, it was an excellent weekend for us. We’re leaving with valuable championship points, and now we’ll see if we’ll be on the grid in Edmonton.”
Gary Klutt, in the No. 71 AutologiQ / Kleen-Flo Dodge, and Sam Fellows, aboard the No. 87 AER / Novus / McDougall Energy / Mobil 1 Chevrolet, were among the biggest movers of the race. After being relegated to deep starting positions, following the qualifying washout, Klutt charged from 18th to fifth, while Fellows climbed from 25th to ninth.
The NASCAR Canada Series heads west next weekend for a stop at Edmonton International Raceway in Alberta on July 25.
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