Delaware, ON – The NASCAR Canada Series’ penultimate event of the season delivered twice the action at Delaware Speedway on Saturday night, where Donald Theetge swept both ends of the highly-anticipated doubleheader.
The day began with practice, where defending champion Marc-Antoine Camirand set the pace in the No. 96 Paillé Racing Chevrolet, clocking a lap of 18.952 seconds on the historic half-mile oval. In qualifying, local favourite D.J. Kennington secured the E3 Spark Plugs Pole Award in the No. 17 Castrol Edge/Brimstone Games/CIM Metals Dodge, setting the stage for the opening race, the APC 125.
The APC 125 was marked by an early spin for Theetge, but he recovered and gradually worked his way back into contention. Kennington led much of the race, with Kevin Lacroix in close pursuit in the No. 74 NAPA Racing/Valvoline Chevrolet., but Theetge advanced to second by Lap 74 and passed Kennington for the lead with just over 10 laps to go.
Theetge won the APC 125, followed by Kennington in second and Lacroix in third. He also set the fastest lap, earning pole position for the second race, the NTN 125.
In the NTN 125, Kennington grabbed the lead at the green flag and traded positions with Theetge through the opening laps, while Lacroix and Andrew Ranger, driving the No. 27 Paillé Racing Chevrolet, battled just behind. Theetge took control on Lap 15, but Kennington responded after a mid-race caution, reclaiming the top spot on the restart.
The final 30 laps featured intense battles among Kennington, Theetge, Ranger, and Lacroix. Contact between Ranger and Camirand brought out another caution, resetting the field. On Lap 105, Kennington restarted out front, but Theetge worked back into second and launched his decisive move in the closing laps.
Theetge surged past Kennington to secure his second win of the night, with Kennington finishing second and Lacroix third, repeating the same podium as the first race.
“It’s been three or four years of hard work, and my team has done an incredible job,” said Theetge. “With three races left on the schedule, we set a goal, and achieving a double like this went beyond our expectations. Hard work always pays off, and I’m very proud of what we accomplished together.”
“I thought we had a car capable of winning,” said Kennington. “Finishing second at my home track is not as satisfying, but the car was strong. It’s frustrating not to get it done in front of the fans, but we’ll take the two podiums.”
“Two podiums after the kind of season I’ve had is positive,” added Lacroix. “I was missing a bit of aggressiveness out there, but overall it was a good night.”
Rookie Connor Pritiko impressed with a fifth-place finish in Race 1 and a sixth in Race 2, while fellow rookie Jonathan Aarts wrapped up the night with 13th- and 10th-place results.
The NASCAR Canada Series season will conclude at Autodrome Montmagny on Sunday, September 21, where the 2025 champion will be decided.
