Kevin Lacroix returned to the winner’s circle in the WeatherTech 200, the NASCAR Pinty’s race presented during the famous ‘Labour Day Sprints’ weekend.
The driver of the #74 NAPA Auto Parts | Valvoline car has always been fond of the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, having scored numerous victories there in recent years. He finished 6th in Saturday’s practice session, then set the 4th fastest time in qualifying.
Lacroix got off to an excellent start on Sunday afternoon, overtaking Alex Labbé in the first few corners. He then took advantage of a battle between Louis-Philippe Dumoulin and Marc-Antoine Camirand to close the gap and have a shot to the lead.
After 12 laps, he was in second place, putting pressure on Dumoulin. He soon found himself at the pointier end of the field. However, the race was plagued with long cautions.
He returned to the pits during a caution flag around mid-race and took the restart from 6th position. However, he didn’t stay there for long as he regained the lead. However, another long caution brought the race to a halt. The race finally restarted with eight laps remaining.
It was an intense race to the end, as the driver of the #74 car had a considerable lead that melted away, with Louis-Philippe Dumoulin eyeing victory. In the final corners, the two drivers were side by side, much to the delight of the spectators who witnessed a fiery race. In the end, it was Lacroix who got the better of Dumoulin.
“I’m happy to have had a win at the end of the season like this,” says Lacroix. “I was afraid I wouldn’t visit the winner’s circle in 2024, but it’s a done deal.”
He says, “The race was fun; we had some great battles on the track. It wasn’t easy to manage the restart after the mid-race caution when the field was confused about where to restart. We ended up starting further back than we should have, but the car was quick, so I could work my way up through the field”.
The next NASCAR Pinty’s event will take place on Sunday, September 24. It will be the season finale.
Kevin Lecroix PR
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