- Details
- Category: Oval Racing
By: Innovation Auto Sport
May 20, 2024
May 20, 2024
Bowmanville, Quebec - It was not the weekend Kevin Lacroix had hoped for, as he was forced to retire during the ASSA ABLOY Accentra 200 last Sunday. The driver of the #74 Adaptive One Calipers/NAPA Auto Parts car experienced a transmission problem while leading the race.
The weekend had started well for Lacroix, who posted the fastest time in practice, also setting an unofficial track record with a time of 1:21.917. Later, in the qualifying session, he secured the second position, missing pole by 0.032 seconds.
In the early laps of the race, Lacroix put pressure on Gary Klutt, who was leading at the time. After 5 laps, Lacroix took the lead, pulling away from the second-place driver.
The race was not easy for Lacroix, as he battled with the Top 6 drivers to return to the front after a pit stop. His overtaking paid off, but not for long, as a mechanical issue forced him to stop at turn 1.
Nevertheless, Lacroix received two awards: the Evirum Fastest Lap in the race, and the Leland Industries Lap Leader, having led for 19 laps out of 51.
"It looked like a great start to the season," said Lacroix. "We have a very good new team and the car was very fast during the sessions. It's really unfortunate that we had to retire because it doesn't reflect our potential."
Lacroix and Innovation Auto Sport will be back on track on June 1 at the Autodrome Chaudière.
- Details
- Category: Oval Racing
By: TAG Motorsport
May 20, 2024
May 20, 2024
Bowmanville, Ontario - This past weekend, Alex Tagliani and Theetge Motorsport faced adversity at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, where NASCAR Canada kicked off its 2024 season. Despite a few challenges, Tagliani and his team demonstrated great team spirit and rallied together to finish the race in 10th place.
Tagliani started the weekend by securing the 6th fastest lap time in Practice. He then qualified 7th, a mere 0.638 from pole position, considering a concerning disadvantage as his machine didn’t match the power of his competitors. The race was challenging as strategy wasn’t on his side, but he masterfully managed the winding corners of CTMP and finished 10th in the ASSA ABLOY Accentra 200.
Tagliani remarked, "Overall, it was a really good and fun weekend. Considering everything that this team had to go through in the past month, my overall take on this is that we have an amazing group of guys. I'm extremely proud to be part of Theetge Motorsport & McColl Racing."
The team encountered challenges from the start, with the car arriving just an hour before the first practice session on Saturday morning. "We received our car around 11:15 AM, and we were on track by 12:25 PM," Tagliani explained. "Everybody stayed calm. We didn’t run the car over the winter. Talking about dedication; Donald had to swap his older road course engine and drive it himself to McColl Racing to get it in the car last week because we realized that the new one wasn’t going to arrive in time. We still achieved P6 in practice!"
Tagliani praised the dedication of his crew, stating, "The guys were super professional about it. We did everything we could to improve the car. We’re going to test it in between races to try to make it better. We're super excited about the season and want to be more ready."
The race itself was a mix of strategy and perseverance. Tagliani highlighted the difficulties they faced, "in regards to the race, I think we had the pace to be in the Top 4. But we were on the wrong side of the strategy. We got caught by the first yellow and then we didn't have another caution after our last pit stop. So we went from running in the Top 7 to being outside of the Top 20. All the overtakes had to be done on track as the guys in front of us didn’t have to pit."
Tagliani still managed to secure a Top 10 finish. "It was a shame because we didn't have the pace in the straightaway, which made passing difficult. So passing had to be done on restarts. After that, we were a sitting duck in the straight. Finishing 10th with everything we had to go through during the race, I would say it's mission accomplished."
Tagliani also expressed his gratitude to his partners: "It was my first race proudly representing BFL Canada. It's an honour to be their new ambassador. I was also really happy to have Arobas Personnel on my car this weekend. The key is to have the right people on your team, and this is a company that finds you the perfect employees for your business. Major shout out to the people at Chevrolet Repentigny who just moved to their new massive location at the corner of Highway 40 and Highway 640 on the North Shore. The yellow and red livery looks amazing. We’re thrilled to represent St-Hubert for the entire road course program."
With the first race of the season over, Tagliani remains optimistic and eager for what lies ahead. "I'm leaving the weekend pumped. The team is gelling well. It was a true privilege for me to race for Theetge Motorsport. I really had a lot of fun and enjoyed every minute of it."
Alex Tagliani will be back on track at the highly anticipated Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières on August 10 and 11.
- Details
- Category: Oval Racing
By: Allrem Racing
May 20, 2024
May 20, 2024
Bowmanville, Ontario – The first race weekend in the young history of the Allrem Racing team ends in style with a fiercely earned 13th position by driver Steve Côté during the first round of the NASCAR Canada Series presented by Pinty's and Evirum, at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park road course, in Ontario.
Côté, who had to start in 28th position behind the wheel of the Evirum/BKFC #29 car experienced his share of bad luck during the race with a first entry to the pits blocked by another car which exited at the wrong time, and spun twice off track because of collisions.
However, crew chief Jonathan Côté’s pit strategy paid off and allowed Allrem Racing to move up the field and finish barely outside of the top 10.
“Starting 28th and finishing 13th in the first race of the season, considering my two off-track events caused by collisions, I’m satisfied. I’m convinced that without these incidents, the top 10 was within my reach” mentioned Steve Côté a few minutes after the end of his race.
Crew chief Jonathan Côté also reports a positive outcome for the first race. “I’m very happy with the points accumulated this weekend. We gained great experience with the whole team and we proved that despite being a young team, we are already competitive,” reported the crew chief.
This first result for the Allrem Racing team bodes very well for the rest of the NASCAR Canada Series season, especially for the next race on the Autodrome Chaudière oval circuit in Vallée-Jonction, on June 1, since Steve Côté has had several victories on this circuit which is one of his favorite circuits.
The Allrem Racing team will be in action on June 1 for the second race of the NASCAR Canada Series presented by Pinty’s and Evirum.
Allrem Sports & Entertainment, a company of Allrem group of companies, is the powerhouse behind all sports and entertainment endeavors within the Allrem group of companies, with a strategic focus on ensuring optimal business development, brand awareness, and marketing opportunities for the entire Allrem group of companies and its partners.
Through the collective power of its diverse subsidiaries (Allrem Racing, BKFC, Les Pétroliers du Nord), Allrem Sports & Entertainment delivers unparalleled value to its sponsors and the Allrem group of companies. We provide our partners with business development opportunities, corporate hospitality programs, targeted brand awareness initiatives and innovative sponsorship activations. We ensure that all our partners receive maximum exposure and tangible returns on their investment to meet their objectives. Learn more at allremsae.com
About Evirum
Evirum, part of the Allrem group of companies, is a Canadian residual materials management brokerage offering eco-responsible solutions across North America to minimize environmental impact and promote recycling and other innovative practices.
Evirum is committed to providing companies, events and industries with the best sustainable practices and services. Learn more at evirum.com
About BKFC
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), the World's Fastest Growing Combat Sports Promotion, in which Allrem is a shareholder, is the first entity sanctioned to hold regulated bare-knuckle events in the United States since 1889. BKFC is based in Philadelphia (PA) and headed by President and Founder David Feldman. Learn more at bkfc.com
- Details
- Category: Oval Racing
By: Thomas Nepveu Motorsport
May 20, 2024
May 20, 2024
Bowmanville, Quebec - It was a heartbreaking event for Thomas Nepveu at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) on Sunday. The Oka native driver was on the verge of finishing in the Top 5 and was well underway for his best-ever NASCAR Canada result before a mechanical failure led to retirement.
Thomas Nepveu was commanding the yellow #24 Richelieu | Home Hardware | Cromwell in the NASCAR Canada season opener. In Saturday morning's practice session, he posted the 9th fastest lap time. However, qualifying did not go well for the young driver, as he came in 19th.
However, Nepveu wasn't content with being at the back of the field. From the very first laps of the race, he began making his way up the field, overtaking several cars and making it all the way to the Top 5. It was on a restart shortly after the halfway point that he climbed to the 2nd place. Then Marc-Antoine Camirand and Kevin Lacroix joined the leaders’ pack, sending Thomas back to 4th place. Nonetheless, he stayed with the frontrunners, suggesting a first Top 5 finish.
"We had an excellent car during the race," says Nepveu. "We opted for a different strategy and only came back to the pits once to put fuel in, so I ran the whole race on the same set of tires. Despite this, we had good times and were competitive."
He continues, "We were so close to getting our first Top 5, which would have been a great start to the season and a very good result for us. Unfortunately, we were forced to retire, so I'm disappointed."
Thomas's car came to a halt a few laps from the end, presumably due to an electrical problem although the exact cause has yet to be determined.
The next NASCAR Canada event will be held on June 1 at Autodrome Chaudière, Vallée-Jonction.
- Details
- Category: Oval Racing
By: Dumooulin Competition
May 15, 2024
May 15, 2024
Trois-Rivières, Quebec - Three-time champion of the NASCAR Canada series, Louis-Philippe Dumoulin will begin a new chapter in the series this year. While around forty competitors are registered, including 31 for the first event which will take place this weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (Mosport), in Ontario, the driver of car #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare | Omnifab has for main objective to be back on Victory Lane, which it was not the case in 2023 despite solid results, including four podium finishes.
Last year, Louis-Philippe Dumoulin finished more than half of races among the top five, and he is ready to obtain new victories this year. And for this, the Dumoulin Compétition team has worked very hard over the last few months on the cars of the Trois-Rivières driver: “We have made a lot of adjustments to our oval track car, notably due to the new series’ regulations, then tests last week which have confirmed that our car will be competitive on this type of track this season” confides Dumoulin. He adds: “Regarding the road racing car, it has been rebuilt from the front to the rear. It also has a new design that our fans should really like.”
Event - ASSA ABLOY Accentra 200
Track - Canadian Tire Motorsport Park - May 19, 2024
Broadcast - TSN + app (live) | TSN (tape delayed) | RDS (tape delayed) | FloRacing (USA)
Race - 2:00 PM E.T. – nascar.ca/race-center/
Track - Canadian Tire Motorsport Park - May 19, 2024
Broadcast - TSN + app (live) | TSN (tape delayed) | RDS (tape delayed) | FloRacing (USA)
Race - 2:00 PM E.T. – nascar.ca/race-center/
This car will obviously be used by the team this weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, the very fast Ontario race track, always appreciated by Louis-Philippe Dumoulin: “I learned to drive in motorsports at Circuit Mont-Tremblant and at Mosport. I know this track very well and the fact that it is once again the inaugural event of the NASCAR Canada season is very pleasant. I love this track layout. Additionally, we did a pre-season test day at Mosport two weeks ago, like most of the other teams in the series, so there is no secret for me to compete on this track with a NASCAR’s car.”
The duel between Dumoulin, who started from pole position, and Kevin Lacroix during the last lap of the previous NASCAR Canada race at Mosport, in September 2023, was the highlight of the race. And their respectful battle was noted by the fans. This victory which had then escaped him by nothing, the driver of the car #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare | Omnifab intends to seize it this season. “I’m not thinking about a fourth title in the series. The most important goal is to return to Victory Lane in NASCAR Canada, in a way finishing the development work undertaken on our cars during the 2023 season. Winning, starting strong this 2024 season, is my ambition, that of our partners and everyone at Dumoulin Compétition” specifies Louis-Philippe Dumoulin.
“Of course, I'm thinking about a fourth title but I want to take the 13 races of this 2024 season as they come. I'm hungry for victory and I think we have the right tools to obtain good results on all the tracks, both oval and road course, that the series offers,” concluded the driver of the car #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare | Omnifab.
2024 SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
Date Site Location Track Start Race
May 19 Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Bowmanville, ON Road Race
June 01 Autodrome Chaudière Vallée-Jonction, QC Oval
June 22 Eastbound Speedway Avondale, TN Oval
June 29 Riverside Speedway Antigonish, NS Oval - Race 1
June 30 Riverside Speedway Antigonish, NS Oval - Race 2
July 11 Ohsweken Speedway Ohsweken, ON Dirt track
July 20 Sutherland Automotive Speedway Saskatoon, SK Oval - Race 1
July 20 Sutherland Automotive Speedway Saskatoon, SK Oval - Race 2
July 27 Edmonton International Raceway Wetaskiwin, AB Oval
August 11 Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières Trois-Rivières, QC Urban track
August 17 Delaware Speedway Delaware, ON Oval
August 24 Complexe ICAR Mirabel, QC Road Race
Sept. 01 Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Bowmanville, ON Road Race
Sept. 22 Autodrome Montmagny Montmagny, QC Oval
ABOUT PARTNERS
WeatherTech is committed to designing, engineering and manufacturing the finest products possible for your vehicle, home and your pet. From the industry leading FloorLiner to the 100% non-toxic Pet Feeding System, WeatherTech has dedicated itself to exceed customer expectations of quality, craftsmanship and environmental sustainability for over 30 years. To see the full line of automotive, home and pet products that are guaranteed for life, visit weathertech.ca
Groupe Bellemare is a 3rd generation family business that has been serving clients since 1959. Today, the company has more than 500 employees and provides them with an innovative work environment facilitating work-family balance and a healthy and safe quality of life. With over a half century of experience and its sustained R&D efforts, the Company offers high-quality products and services in areas as diverse as concrete, abrasives and minerals, dimensional load transportation, and recycling. Groupe Bellemare is also very involved in its industry and attaches great importance to its social and environmental role as a member of the business community. Groupe Bellemare makes a positive contribution to the quality of life of citizens in the communities it serves by supporting numerous social causes and promoting local purchasing through its responsible procurement practices. For more information, visit groupebellemare.com
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Dumoulin Competition
Jean-François and Louis-Philippe Dumoulin founded the Dumoulin Competition Race Team in 2009. Working with financial, marketing, logistics and sports management experts, they built up a solid business structure. Dumoulin Competition prepares its own race cars in-house since 2016. Their motto: “Passion - Performance – Partnerships” expresses their will to perform on the track and offer their partners maximum visibility and profitability in return for their commitment. Their vision: To become Canada's leader in motorsports through on-track performance, an entrepreneurial spirit and human values. dumoulincompetition.com