BOWMANVILLE, Ont. | The famous final corner of the Mosport circuit was again the scene of a controversial tussle that will end in Kevin Lacroix’s favor in Sunday’s NASCAR Pinty’s Series.
• Also read: A Quebec photographer plays the heroes in Ontario
• Also read: Dumoulin sends a clear message
It took a third overtime and six more rounds to determine the winner.
A few meters from the finish, the second from Saint-Eustache attempted a daring maneuver to overtake Ontarian Gary Klutt and save himself with victory. The Ontarian was able to get back on track after the touchdown, but was content with fourth place.
Two other Quebecers, Alexandre Tagliani and Dexter Stacey, joined the winner on the podium. If the Laval pilot is a regular in the stands, that’s certainly not the case for the Kahnawake resident, whose third-place finish marks his best result of his life in 62 starts.
And six in Mosport!
“This win is deserved,” said Lacroix, who signed his sixth win at Mosport. The end of the race was intense as so often here, especially at the end of the race. gary [Klutt] was fast and was able to pass me on the last lap before opening up a lead of about five car lengths.
“But with three corners to go, Lacroix added, he started to slow down and be unpredictable. If a pilot cannot withstand the pressure of an opponent behind him, he has to give in. I tried to respectfully pass him, but we persevered…”
Photo courtesy of John R. Walker
Lacroix takes a double shot. His 15th win in 75 starts gives him the lead in the overall standings. He is ahead of Treyten Lapcevich (85), Tagliani and Klutt (79) and Brandon Watson (78).
No more fuel
Starting from the lead, Louis-Philippe Dumoulin was in second place before a late restart when his car stalled on the track with no fuel. However, he was able to continue his journey with the help of a tow truck.
Then a collision with Ray Courtemanche Junior and Peter Klutt robbed him of any hope of catching up with the race leaders a few laps before the curtain went down. He will end up in seventh place.
Marc-Antoine Camirand, third on the grid, suffered the same fate as Dumoulin, who also fell victim to an empty fuel tank on lap 46.
But his problems started long before that, on lap 11 when he had to stop prematurely in the pits to replace a flat tyre. However, like last week, he had taken first place at the start of the event. Despite this, he will finish the race in 14th place, leaving two laps to the winner.
Stars for Montour and Bergeron
Louis-Philippe Montour, just his second start of his life in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series, crossed the finish line in a brilliant fifth place after being limited to just two laps in free practice the previous day due to mechanical failure.
From position 21 on the starting grid, he managed the best comeback of the 25 starters.
A star must also be given to Jean-Philippe Bergeron, who was also his second participation in the series but his first on the road course.
Ninth place is a mission accomplished for the Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm-based driver who had his sights set on a top-10 finish at the intimidating Mosport circuit.
In turn, Andrew Ranger had a difficult second assignment in two weeks. The Roxton Pond driver, who was second behind Lacroix and kept up the pressure, was forced to retire on lap 19 with mechanical problems.
Among the other Quebecers, Wallace Stacey, Dexter’s father, 19th, and Ray Courtemanche junior, injured in the 43rd lap, did not see the checkered flag