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- Category: Oval Racing
August 3 2021
Milverton, Ontario – Tuesday August 3, 2021 - Despite the multiple rain delays, the highly anticipated NASCAR Pinty’s Series season got underway this past weekend with twin 125’s; the Frontline Workers 125 & General Tire 125 at Sunset Speedway located in Innisfil Ontario.
The loyal fans in the stands at Sunset Speedway and new live stream viewers in Canada and south of the border were treated to two action packed races as a reward for persevering hours of rain delays.
Qualifying for the Frontline Workers 125 took place under overcast skies saw rookie Treyten Lapcevich in the No 20 RGC Sports/Qwick Wick Chevrolet earn second fastest of the session. Alex Tagliani, behind the wheel of the No 18 RONA/Viagra/St. Hubert Chevrolet posted 8th fastest and right behind him Marc-Antoine Camirand in the No 22 GM Paillé Chevrolet in 9th.
After the long-awaited start to the season the command to start the engines was given and the Frontline Workers 125 was finally underway with the youngest member of the 22 Racing NASCAR Pinty’s Series team roster Lapcevich taking the lead on the third lap.
With only 7 laps in, the race was red flagged for rain. Many fans and sponsors didn’t let the on-again, off-again precipitation dampen their spirits, using the time to reconnect after a year and a half of being away from the track.
After a nearly four-hour delay the drivers were called back to their cars and shortly after the engines were re-fired to get the race underway again. After running over 30 laps under caution to help dry the track, Lapcevich regained the lead and Tagliani battled for fourth with the sun beginning to set in the distance.
On lap 84 under yellow Lapcevich was leading with Tagliani in 6th and Camirand in 8th.
On the restart the 20 machine of Lapcevich got turned battling for the lead from the outside. Tagliani continued his charge to the front with Camirand fighting to stay in the hunt after some major body damage to the rear of the 22 car that occurred on lap 80.
Tagliani brought home the No 18 RONA/Viagra/St. Hubert Chevrolet in third with Camirand holding on for 7th and early leader Lapcevich rebounding to cross the line in 9th.
Tagliani couldn’t celebrate his first podium finish of the season as teams were allotted only thirty-minutes to make adjustments and repairs before the second race of the doubleheader, the General Tire 125.
At just after 10 p.m. local time fans, special guests and live stream viewers buckled in for the General Tire 125, that was sure to be another barnburner of a race. Starting from the third row both Tagliani and Lapcevich took the green flag, with Camirand tucked in close behind, began their charge to the front.
The second race of the evening began to unfold as if it was the final race for the Championship title. By lap 50, Lapcevich was up to third and Tagliani to 5th. By lap 65 Camirand had worked his way up to fifth with Tagliani in third and Lapcevich in second with his sights on the leader.
With twenty-five laps to go Lapcevich began to experiment with line choice to close the gap on the leader. Tagliani continued his unrelenting battle with the No 17 car for third and Camirand continued to demonstrate great speed and showed no signs of letting up.
Hungry to take the win at Lapcevich’s home-track he only had a few laps left to claim his first career win and attempted a pass. The 17-year-old rookie and the leader ended up touching and Lapcevich went around. On the last restart he put his head down making numerous passes to bring home the No 20 RGC Sports/Qwick Wick Chevrolet in fourth place at the line.
“I’ll admit its frustrating. I feel we had the fastest car here tonight. We ended up getting a little loose, and the 80 was loose as well at the end of the second race.” said Lapcevich. “Thanks to my crew for all their hard work and giving me a rocket ship.”
Hoping to better his third-place result in race No 1, Tagliani fought hard and did his utmost to navigate limited passing opportunities after sliding back in the field and brought home the No 18 RONA/Viagra/St. Hubert Chevrolet in 9th place.
Grabbing a snack in the hauler after a very long day Tagliani commented; “That is racing my friend…” and went on to acknowledge that significant progress had been made in some areas of the No 18 car and more work still needs to be made in other areas before returning to the ovals.
Battling for a top five early in the race, Camirand found himself stuck on the outside line during restarts. The pilot of the No 22 GM Paillé Chevrolet demonstrated a good pace throughout the race.
The caution flag flew with only a few laps to go triggering NASCAR overtime. On the very last turn of the last lap of the General Tire 125 Camirand was hit from behind making him lose control of his GM Paillé Camaro. He persevered to take the checkered flag in 12th place.
Much like his No 22 GM Paillé Camaro, Camirand was visibly battle-worn and frustrated but remained positive.
“We demonstrated we’re competitive even though we didn’t get the top-five result we were capable of. The team and I are even more motivated to take home a good result for GM Paillé and the team from the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières in two weeks.”
After rain delays, variable track conditions and intense battles the 22 Racing oval program has taken an important step forward thanks to the dedicated crew at the shop and at the track.
With two intense races in the books each lap and finish matter in the 2021 NASCAR Pinty’s Series point standings; Lapcevich currently holds third with 77, Tagliani in fourth with 76 and Camirand in tenth with 69 points. Lapcevich also leads the 2021 Jostens Rookie point standings.
The next challenge facing the team and its roster of highly skilled drivers will be taking on the legendary streets of Trois-Rivières for the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres August 15, 2021.
The Frontline Workers 125 will air on TSN on Sunday, Aug. 8, at 1:00 p.m. ET, and the General Tire 125 will air on TSN on Sunday, Aug. 15 at 11 a.m. Each race also will air on RDS/RDS2. Fans in the United States can stream races after they air on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold.
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- Details
- Category: Oval Racing
August 2 2021
Innisfil, Ontario – Kevin Lacroix competed in the first two events of the NASCAR Pinty's season last Sunday at the 1/3-mile Sunset Speedway. The Bumper to Bumper team started strong with a 4th place finish in the Frontline Workers 125.
However, Lacroix suffered a mechanical issue around lap 30 of the night's second event, the General Tire 125, which ended his race prematurely. The driver of the #74 Bumper to Bumper / Lacroix Tuning car.
car had set the fastest time in practice earlier on Sunday and then the 5th place in the qualifying session.
"It was going very well in practice, but I missed my shot in qualifying, which explains my 5th place," said Kevin Lacroix.
Frontline Workers 125 Race Recap
It was an action-packed 125-lap race at all levels. Kevin Lacroix fought hard with the drivers around him in the first half of the race, staying between 7th and 5th position. These battles slowed down his ascent as he was caught in traffic as the train of cars was very tight. However, after a mid-race restart, Lacroix worked his way to the top of the pack, narrowly avoiding a car that went off the track.
Lacroix battled with Andrew Ranger, Treyton Lapcevich and Peter Shepherd III, all of whom were hoping for the lead. He finished the race in 4th place as he battled with Alex Tagliani.
"The race went well, except that I was stuck in traffic, so it was hard to pass other drivers," explained Lacroix. "When I was passing, there was often a caution, so I would lose the place I had gained. However, when I finally got to the front of the pack, everything was fine, and the speed was there," he concluded.
General Tire 125 Race Recap
Kevin Lacroix started from the 7th place for the second and last race of the night. Once again, the St-Eustache native was caught in traffic but managed to pull away and move up the field.
The driver explains that "I was once again caught in traffic, but everything was going well. It took a few laps to pass Alex Tagliani; we were side by side for a while. However, when I was able to finalize my pass, I was able to go faster, and I was moving up on the top four. However, my race ended on lap 30 because of a mechanical failure. It was not our day!
Kevin Lacroix remains confident for the next race, which will be on August 15, in the streets of Trois-Rivières; "I have always been very comfortable at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières, so I hope to finish on the podium, and even win the race. It will be nice to see the fans in the stands, and I'm especially looking forward to seeing all the guests wearing red Bumper to Bumper shirts to cheer on our team!
The Frontline Workers 125 will be broadcast on TSN on Sunday, August 8 at 1 pm, and on RDS2 on Friday, August 13 at 9:30 pm. The General Tire 125 will air on August 15 at 11 am on TSN and on Monday, August 23 at 7 pm on RDS 2.
2021 Calendar
Races | Tracks | Results |
Frontline Workers 125 : August 1 | Sunset Speedway, Innisfill Ontario | 4th |
General Tire 125: August 1 | Sunset Speedway, Innisfill Ontario | DNF |
Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières : August 15 | GP3R, Trois-Rivières, Québec | |
Circuit ICAR: August 28 | Circuit ICAR, Mirabel, Québec | |
Autodrome Chaudière Course 1: August 29 | Autodrome Chaudière, Vallée-Jonction, Québec | |
Autodrome Chaudière Course 2: August 29 | Autodrome Chaudière, Vallée-Jonction, Québec | |
CTMP Course 1 : Septembre 4 | Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Bowmanville, Ontario | |
CTMP Course 2 : Septembre 5 | Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Bowmanville, Ontario | |
Flamboro Speedway Course 1 : Septembre 12 | Flamboro Speedway, Flamborough, Ontario | |
Flamboro Speedway Course 2 : Septembre 12 | Flamboro Speedway, Flamborough, Ontario | |
Delaware Speedway : Septembre 26 | Delaware Speedway, Delaware, Ontario |
About Lacroix Motorsport
Lacroix Motorsport is a race team created in 2015 from Sylvain Lacroix and Serge Bourdeau’s idea. They wanted to race for pleasure on road tracks in the Canadian NASCAR series. After Kevin Lacroix’s first two wins, and seeing his son’s potential, Sylvain decided to participate full-time in the series. Lacroix Motorsport is not only a team in the NASCAR Pinty’s, in fact, Dany Lacroix, Kevin’s brother, also races in the STCH Cup Formula Tour 1600 in Kent Class.
Lacroix Motorsport stems from an idea and passion. By creating this team, world snowmobile champion, Sylvain Lacroix has made it a family affair.
About Bumper to Bumper
The BUMPER TO BUMPER store banner is a turnkey program for auto parts wholesalers looking for complete program support, a strong brand image and a very aggressive go-to-market approach. BUMPER TO BUMPER was introduced to the Canadian Automotive Aftermarket in 1977 and entered the Uni-Select fold in 2006. Today, over 120 auto parts stores operate in Canada under the BUMPER TO BUMPER banner.
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- Details
- Category: Oval Racing
July 29 2021
Milverton, Ontario – The NASCAR Pinty’s Series takes to the track for the first event of 2021 this weekend at Sunset Speedway. The highly anticipated season gets underway with twin 125’s; the Frontline Workers 125 & General Tire 125 which will run on Sunday, August 1, 2021 on the 1/3 mile paved oval located in Innisfil Ontario.
The pandemic-delayed start to the season has allowed for an initial return to a sense of normalcy as drivers and crews will finally be joined by fans in the stands at Sunset Speedway.
22 Racing is pleased to field three teams this season including Alex Tagliani who was the defending race winner at Sunset Speedway heading into 2020 but didn’t end up racing in last year’s doubleheader due to a prior commitment. In 2015 and 2016 Tagliani was the sole winner at Sunset taking both checkered flags. After a busy off-season preparing for the opening of the Tag E-Karting & Amusement center the veteran will be back behind the wheel of the No. 18 RONA / VIAGRA / St. Hubert Camaro to challenge for the win at Sunset.
After sitting out the pandemic-shorted 2020 season Marc-Antoine Camirand is excited for the new season to get underway at Sunset Speedway piloting the No. 22 GM Paillé Chevrolet Camaro. Camirand is best known as a highly skilled road course racer but has proven he is a threat to win at any track. Camirand’s never-quit attitude resulted in 7th place in the final 2019 NASCAR Pinty’s Series drivers’ standings.
2021 will be his fourth full-time NASCAR Pinty’s season, a third with the support of GM Paillé, a testament to the NASCAR Pinty’s series, the sport and loyal race fans.
The newest member of the 22 Racing family, 17-year-old Treyten Lapcevich will start his rookie campaign at a track he has proven to excel at. After almost winning at Sunset last year in his series debut subbing for now teammate Alex Tagliani, fans can expect him to be in the hunt to claim a podium finish in this year’s season opener behind the wheel of his No. 20 RGC / Qwick Wick Chevrolet Camaro.
Race day kicks off with practice at 12:30 p.m on Sunday followed by qualifying taking place between 2:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. Driver introductions are scheduled 4:45 p.m. with the Frontline Workers 125 going green at 4:50 p.m. and race No 2, the General Tire 125 scheduled to get underway at approximately 6:20 p.m.
Races 1 & 2 will be 125 laps (41.66 miles), with a time allotment of 30 minutes after the completion of race one to prepare for the second race of the day.
This season the NASCAR Pinty’s Series races on oval tracks and road courses in Ontario and Quebec. For more information and updates throughout the season, please visit www.22racing.ca and NASCAR.ca.
The full NASCAR Pinty’s Series season will again be broadcast on TSN and RDS2 in Canada and MAVTV in the United States. New for 2021, race fans in Canada can watch NASCAR Pinty’s Series races LIVE on TSN.ca and the TSN app.
Races will also be streamed live on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold for fans in the United States. Replays of full events will stream on TrackPass immediately after each race.
About 22 Racing
22 Racing is owned by Four-Time NASCAR Pinty’s Series Champion and Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame Inductee Scott Steckly. 22 Racing provides highly competitive race cars built in their world-class 7,500 square foot Milverton-based facility and maintained by a team of highly experienced crew members.
22 Racing offer turnkey solutions that range from research and development, construction, testing, logistics to marketing support. Visit 22racing.ca for additional details and a list of previous notable drivers the team has prepared cars for.
Follow the 22 Racing team on social media for behind the scenes updates on; Twitter @22RacingTeam, Facebook Fan Page 22RacingTeam and Instagram 22RacingTeam
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- Details
- Category: Oval Racing
July 30 2021
Montréal, Quebec – Racecar driver Alex Tagliani will start his 2021 NASCAR Pinty's Series season this Sunday on the 1/3 mile paved oval (0.333-mile) at Sunset Speedway located in Innisfil, Ontario. This track has been magical for the driver of the #18 Chevrolet Camaro RONA - VIAGRA - St-Hubert who is the defending NASCAR Pinty's Series race winner. In 2015 in his race at Innisfil, he scored his second win in this series, but his first since returning full time in NASCAR Canada competition in 2014. To top this win, he lapped he whole field before crossing the finish line. A feat in this seriesŠ
The following year, he repeated with a second consecutive win on the same track. The first leg of the 2021 season at Innisfil, the Frontline Worker 125, a 41.66 miles race, will start Sunday at 4:50 p.m. and the second round, the General Tire 125, around 6:20 p.m. Practice will start Sunday at 12:30 and finish at 1:15 p.m. and the two-lap qualifying session for the first race will be held between 2:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Starting position for the second 125 race will be determined by each car's best lap time during the first Twin 125 lap race. No planned race pit stops are scheduled during the races.
NASCAR.ca will have live coverage of each event, including live timing and scoring, on Race Center.
"This is exiting for me to start the 2021 NASCAR Pinty's championship season at Sunset Speedway, because it brings back great memories," mentioned Tagliani. "My last two races on the oval track at Sunset, TAG Motorsport/Team 22 Racing dominated and won both events. As a matter of fact, in my first race there in 2015, my Chevrolet #18 lapped the entire field and I became the first driver in the NASCAR Pinty's Series history to cross the finish line with a lap lead. In my second race at Sunset the following year, the pack was quite aggressive and more competitive, but I still manage to win the 300-lap race."
"However, race seasons come and go and they tend to change a lot. Over the past few years, the series has made several changes but the most significant one in my mind was the arrival of a new tire manufacturer, which changed how my car reacts on oval tracks. Team 22 Racing worked hard all winter to improve my Chevrolet Camaro RONA - VIAGRA - St-Hubert. On the eve of this new season we still cross our fingers but it is a good thing to go back on a track that has brought me great successes in the past," concluded Tagliani.
2021 modified NASCAR Pinty's Series race schedule
The NASCAR Pinty's Series returns with a racing season for 2021 with 11 races on its schedule and Alex Tagliani is ready to go. This Sunday, he will be at the wheel of his Chevrolet Camaro RONA - VIAGRA - St-Hubert for the opening two rounds at Sunset Speedway in Innisfil, Ontario were he won in 2015 and in 2016. Fifteen days later on Sunday August 15, it's the annual Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières, always filled with door-to-door and bumper-to-bumper restart thrillers. This is the first of the busy part of the schedule for Alex with the Pinty's Series in Quebec. On Saturday, August 28, round 4 of 11 of the 2021 schedule will be held on the new oval track at Circuit ICAR in Mirabel and the next day, Autodrome Chaudière in Junction Vallée located south of Québec City will host the second twin race of 2021.
Then, the season will end in September with five races in Ontario. A double header awaits Tag and Team 22 Racing at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park road course in Bowmanville on Saturday, September 4 and on Sunday the 5th. This double header will be followed by another one a week later with a twin 125 at Flamboro Speedway in Millgrove, Ontario. Fifteen days later, it's the season finale at Delaware Speedway with the Pinty's Fall Brawl.
Beside his main Chevrolet Camaro RONA - VIAGRA - St-Hubert sponsors, the TAG Motorsport/Team 22 Racing number 18 car will also be sporting secondary sponsors colours such as CanTorque, Fast Wheels, La Petite Bretonne, VR St-Cyr, Arai, Gatorade, 440 Laval Chevrolet, HomeSync, Car Design & Graphics by Jerry Hall, VTT Lachute and O'Sole Mio on tracks in Ontario and Quebec.
Fans can still Alex Tagliani during the off season by visiting www.tagliani.com, or by following him on Twitter at @TAGLIANI, or @TAGLIANI18 on Instagram and like him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Tagliani
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- Category: Oval Racing
July 29 2021
St-Eustache, Quebec – Kevin Lacroix and the Bumper to Bumper crew are headed to Sunset Speedway, Ontario, for the first NASCAR Pinty's event of the season this weekend!
Kevin Lacroix is looking forward to the first two events of the season on Sunday, August 1st, at Sunset Speedway, an oval located in Innisfil, just outside of Toronto.
Lacroix is familiar with the 1/3 mile track as he competed there for two races last year during the shortened NASCAR Pinty's season. He tested at Sunset Speedway earlier this summer in preparation for the event, which will feature two races; the Frontline Workers 125 and the General Tire 125.
"The season started later than expected due to health measures in some provinces, which gave us more time to prepare," said Kevin Lacroix, who will be driving the The #74 Bumper to Bumper / Lacroix Tuning car.
"It also gave me time to practice on the simulator, I see it as a very good practice, and I've been doing a lot of that since the pandemic started."
Kevin Lacroix is approaching this season wisely; he will focus on consistency rather than wins to get his first title in the Canadian NASCAR series. "The important thing this season will be to have a consistent pace to make sure we get points. Last year I was very close to the title, but a mistake in the first race decided my fate in the championship."
Indeed, the level of drivers in this series is extremely strong, which will provide an additional challenge this season. However, Lacroix is confident in his team and his cars; "we made some good changes to the car we use on the road courses which gave us some speed, so I have all the elements to fight at the front of the field."
Once again, Bumper to Bumper will be Kevin Lacroix's main partner this year, in addition to Lacroix Tuning; "this season especially, I want to thank Bumper to Bumper for supporting me even though the economic situation is less than ideal. I am also thrilled to announce that we will have a new sponsor for the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières. Stay tuned as we will be making the announcement very soon!"
Sunday's first event, the Frontline Workers 125, will be presented at 4:50 pm, and the General Tire 125 will be at 6:30 pm. Live timing and highlights can be found at nascar.ca/race-center/ and on the series' social media channels. Both races will be broadcast on RDS and TSN.
2021 Calendar
Race | Track | Result |
Frontline Workers 125 : August 1 | Sunset Speedway, Innisfill Ontario | |
General Tire 125: August 1 | Sunset Speedway, Innisfill Ontario | |
Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières : August 15 | GP3R, Trois-Rivières, Québec | |
Circuit ICAR: August 28 | Circuit ICAR, Mirabel, Québec | |
Autodrome Chaudière Course 1: August 29 | Autodrome Chaudière, Vallée-Jonction, Québec | |
Autodrome Chaudière Course 2: August 29 | Autodrome Chaudière, Vallée-Jonction, Québec | |
CTMP Course 1 : Septembre 4 | Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Bowmanville, Ontario | |
CTMP Course 2 : Septembre 5 | Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Bowmanville, Ontario | |
Flamboro Speedway Course 1 : Septembre 12 | Flamboro Speedway, Flamborough, Ontario | |
Flamboro Speedway Course 2 : Septembre 12 | Flamboro Speedway, Flamborough, Ontario | |
Delaware Speedway : Septembre 26 | Delaware Speedway, Delaware, Ontario |
About Lacroix Motorsport
Lacroix Motorsport is a race team created in 2015 from Sylvain Lacroix and Serge Bourdeau’s idea. They wanted to race for pleasure on road tracks in the Canadian NASCAR series. After Kevin Lacroix’s first two wins, and seeing his son’s potential, Sylvain decided to participate full-time in the series. Lacroix Motorsport is not only a team in the NASCAR Pinty’s, in fact, Dany Lacroix, Kevin’s brother, also races in the STCH Cup Formula Tour 1600 in Kent Class.
Lacroix Motorsport stems from an idea and passion. By creating this team, world snowmobile champion, Sylvain Lacroix has made it a family affair.
About Bumper to Bumper
The BUMPER TO BUMPER store banner is a turnkey program for auto parts wholesalers looking for complete program support, a strong brand image and a very aggressive go-to-market approach. BUMPER TO BUMPER was introduced to the Canadian Automotive Aftermarket in 1977 and entered the Uni-Select fold in 2006. Today, over 120 auto parts stores operate in Canada under the BUMPER TO BUMPER banner.
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