ST. EUSTACHE, QC – Scott Steckly returned to a familiar place on Saturday night, Victory Lane at Autodrome St. Eustache after winning the National 250 presented by Public Mobile.
Steckly, out of Milverton, Ont., staged a heated battle with J.R. Fitzpatrick as the two exchanged the lead four times over the final 65 laps of the race. However, a Lap 243 spin by Fitzpatrick in Turn 4, while racing side-by-side with Steckly, paved the way for the No. 22 Canadian Tire/Sylvania Dodge.
It was Steckly’s third consecutive NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 victory and the 14th of his series career. Additionally, it was his third win in five starts on the .4-mile Quebec oval.
Rookie Alex Guenette finished in the runner-up spot, followed by Fitzpatrick in third. Ron Beauchamp Jr. finished in the fourth spot after winning his fifth career pole position earlier in the day. Jason White followed with a season-best finish of fifth.
Louis-Philippe Dumoulin, Martin Roy, Trevor Seibert, Dave Connelly and Noel Dowler completed the top 10.
With the victory, Steckly took the lead in the championship standings from D.J. Kennington, who finished the race in 16th after battling mechanical problems early in the race. Steckly now holds a 10-point advantage over Dumoulin and has a 15-point edge on Kennington. It’s the first time this season that the standings lead has been in double-digits.
The National 250 presented by Public Mobile will premiere on TSN at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 4. The French-language telecast will air on RDS2 at 11 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 24 and at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 25 on RDS.
The NASCAR Canadian Tire Sires presented by Mobil 1 is next on track on August 11 for the JuliaWine.com 100 from Circuit de Trois-Rivieres (Que.).
UNOFFICIAL:NASCAR CANADIAN TIRE SERIES presented by MOBIL 1
National 250 presented by Public Mobile Results
Saturday At Autodrome St. Eustache // St. Eustache, Que. // Lap length: 0.4 miles
(Start position in parentheses)
1. (2) Scott Steckly, Milverton, Ont., Dodge, 250 laps, 59.416 mph.
2. (6) Alex Guenette, Terrebonne, Que, Dodge, 250.
3. (4) J.R. Fitzpatrick, Ayr, Ont., Chevrolet, 250.
4. (1) Ron Beauchamp, Jr., Windsor, Ont., Dodge, 250.
5. (16) Jason White, Sun Peaks, B.C., Dodge, 250.
6. (8) L.P. Dumoulin, Trois-Rivieres, Que, Dodge, 249.
7. (3) Martin Roy, Napierville, Que, Dodge, 247.
8. (11) Trevor Seibert, Williams Lake, B.C., Dodge, 247.
9. (15) Dave Connelly, Arnprior, Ont, Dodge, 246.
10. (18) Noel Dowler, Sherwood Park, Alta., Dodge, 244.
11. (10) Hugo Vannini, Repentigny, Que., Ford, 243.
12. (19) Paul Jean, St. Eustache, Que., Chevrolet, 241.
13. (14) Ray Courtemanche Jr., Montreal, Que, Dodge, 239.
14. (13) Jason Hathaway, Dutton, Ont., Dodge, 219.
15. (9) Ryley Seibert, Williams Lake, B.C., Dodge, 204, engine.
16. (5) D.J. Kennington, St. Thomas, Ont., Dodge, 185.
17. (7) Kerry Micks, Mt. Albert, Ont., Ford, 138.
18. (12) Larry Jackson, Oakville, Ont., Dodge, 115, ignition.
19. (17) Howie Scannell Jr., Milton, Ont, Dodge, 26, overheating.
Race Statistics
Time of Race: 1 hour 40 minutes 59 seconds
Margin of Victory: .652 seconds
Fastest Qualifier: R. Beauchamp, Jr. (83.203 mph, 17.307 seconds)
Caution Flags: 6 for 38 laps.
Lead Changes: 9 among 5 drivers.
Lap Leaders: R. Beauchamp, Jr. 1-50; M. Roy 51-102; J. Fitzpatrick 103-132; J. Hathaway 133-175; J. Fitzpatrick 176-185; S. Steckly 186-230; J. Fitzpatrick 231-238; S. Steckly 239; J. Fitzpatrick 240-242; S. Steckly 243-250.
Standings: 1. S. Steckly, 272; 2. L. Dumoulin, 262; 3. D. Kennington, 257; 4. J. Hathaway, 254; 5. J. Fitzpatrick, 250; 6. M. Roy, 233; 7. R. Beauchamp, Jr., 229; 8. N. Dowler, 224; 9. J. White, 221; 10. R. Seibert, 215.
From Shon Sbarra / IMC
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