Raphaël Lessard concluded the Mid Atlantic – CARS Responses Energy Super Late Model Tour race in 4th place. This 150-lap event took place at the Orange County Speedway in North Carolina on Saturday night, April 21st.
The young Toyota Racing Development (TRD) member started the race from 5th place. Right from the start, Lessard, 16 years-old, set the pace for the remainder of the race.
Although the event saw many caution flags, Raphaël remained unfazed by the many restarts, making good use of the inside and outside lines to pass his competitors on the track.
The Toyota Camry FRL Express/Mobil 1/Toyota #51 prepared by Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) for Raphaël showed to be once again an excellent car, stopping with 60 laps to go for a tire change and a quick refuel in the first and only pit stop for Lessard.
After a mandatory caution flag called the “competition flag” came out with 20 laps remaining, the drivers were all eager to finish on the first step of the podium. Patiently waiting for the right opportunity, Raphaël gained back the 3rd position after a competitor made a mistake.
After the last caution flag of the night (caused by a driver going off track), Lessard sought a first-place finish, but the competitors were too aggressive. Lessard ultimately finished in 4th place in this action-packed race won by Bubba Pollard.
Twenty-seven cars started the race, but only 15 crossed the finish line!
“It is disappointing that we did not win the race, mainly because we were so close to the first place,” said Raphaël after the race. “We still proved that we had an excellent car and that the pace was there. I am very happy with my performance, and that of the team and the car. We are on a good path for a great season. I want to thank my partners FRL Express, Mobil 1 and Toyota, the investors, as well as team KBM who worked so hard to give me a great car. I want to thank my parents for their support, my agent Robert Desrosiers, my fans and everyone who watched the race!”
RLR PR
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