Montmagny, Quebec - Marc-Antoine Camirand clinched his second NASCAR Canada title for Paillé Course//Racing, Sunday, at the last race of the season at Autodrome Montmagny. Andrew Ranger, who was also still a contender to the championship, retired early after an accident, but has a positive look back at his 2024 season.

 

Marc-Antoine Camirand had a 20-point lead over Kevin Lacroix and 22 over Andrew Ranger, before entering the last race of the season on a new venue, the Autodrome Montmagny. “We needed a 15th-place finish to secure the title. We were in a good position, but we needed to be smart and make sure to finish the race,” told Camirand.

 

The driver of the GM Paillé/Chevrolet Canada n°96 Camaro established a fast pace early on Saturday, being quickest in both practice sessions. “I posted fast times, but I felt like it took two or three laps to really make the best of my car. And with only a two-lap qualifying, we scored the 8th fastest time, but I knew that I could have achieved a better time on a third lap.”

 

Camirand quickly managed to gain positions during the race, on Sunday. He took the third spot after 55 laps, and was running on the same pace as the leaders. The driver took the second spot after the halfway break but felt like his GM Paillé/Chevrolet Canada n°96 was not as fast as it was at the beginning.

 

After a restart with less than 50 laps to go, he dropped to sixth place, but secured his second NASCAR Canada title. “We didn’t want to push too hard to risk a collision and kept the championship in mind. We ran a smart race just like we had to do.”

 

Camirand was thrilled after winning his second title in three seasons. “We had an incredible season. We started strong at CTMP, and we have been able to stay very strong and consistent. I had great fights with Kevin Lacroix and Andrew Ranger all season, and I have much respect for those two drivers,” stated Camirand.

 

“I am very proud of my team at Camirand Performance who worked so hard all year. And I couldn’t be more thankful and happier to share this with my partner, GM Paillé, and finish this season in Quebec here in Montmagny,” he concluded.

 

Andrew Ranger had a difficult race, after showing great speed on Saturday. “We had good speed in final practice and qualifying, and I was confident to finish my season strong. I knew my chances to win the championship were low, but I was aiming at a fourth win in 2024,” said the driver of the GM Paillé/Chevrolet Canada n°27 Camaro.

 

Unfortunately, a suspension failure at the rear of the car caused him to drop several positions, and Ranger lost control of his car after a restart on lap 113, forcing him to retire. “We would have liked a better ending to this season, but an accident is part of racing. I draw a very positive summary to this 2024 season, with three victories, seven top-5 and 11 top-10,” said Ranger.

 

“I also had to learn to work with a new team, Innovation Auto Sport, and I’m very happy with this association, and my partnership with GM Paillé,” concluded Ranger.