Alex Labbé will be attending the NASCAR Pinty’s Series event, which will be held at the Mirabel ICAR circuit on Saturday afternoon.
• Also read: NASCAR Xfinity: “By far the biggest influence of my career” – Alex Labbé
• Also read: NASCAR Pinty’s: a first for Justin Arseneau
The news is confirmed this morning during a press conference moderated by Martin d’Anjou, President of Festidrag Développement, without whom the presence of the Bois Francs rider would not have been possible.
It’s a homecoming for Labbé, whose last of 53 starts in the Canadian stock car series dates back to September 21, 2019, when he finished second at the Loudon, New Hampshire track.
Villeneuve’s car
Labbé will drive the car (number 07) that Jacques Villeneuve was expected to drive in the recent Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières in early August. However, the 1997 Formula 1 World Champion was unable to complete a lap before the starting signal due to an electrical problem.
The Dumoulin Compétition team, which will oversee the preparation of Labbé’s race car, has made efforts to rectify the problem.
As required by NASCAR Pinty’s Series regulations, Labbé is not allowed to test drive his car for a few days prior to the race’s presentation.
Instead, Jean-François Dumoulin, who is not registered with ICAR, will today have the task of doing a few laps around the street circuit to ensure that all of the vehicle’s components are working properly.
In Daytona the night before
Labbé will have a very busy schedule this week. After today’s press conference, he will return to the US to prepare for his race in NASCAR Xfinity, the antechamber of the premier class, which will be held at the iconic Oval in Daytona, Florida on Friday night.
He then flies to Quebec early the next morning to land at Dorval Airport around 10:30am. If all goes according to plan, he should arrive at ICAR around noon.
The 29-year-old has to skip the free practice scheduled for Saturday morning at 10 a.m., but can take part in the session qualifying at 2 p.m. provided his flight is not delayed. The race starts at 5:45 p.m.
Six departures at the airport
It was at ICAR that Labbé made his NASCAR Pinty’s Series debut in 2012, where he finished sixth.
In six starts at the Mirabel International Airport circuit, he achieved five top 6 finishes. His best result came in 2016 when he finished second on the podium.
The 29-year-old had his best season at Pinty’s in 2017 when he won the championship with his five wins.
No concussion
On Sunday, Labbé consulted a neurologist hired by NASCAR, who gave him the green light to compete in his two races scheduled for the weekend.
With kind approval
After getting out of his crashed car at Watkins Glen, New York, last Saturday, Alex Labbé received help from rescuers before recovering. The Quebecer has been given the green light by a doctor and will return to the NASCAR Pinty’s Series after a three-year absence at Mirabel on Saturday.
The Quebecer was involved in a serious accident at the Watkins Glen track on Saturday but thankfully the medical showed he didn’t have a concussion or serious injuries that would affect his season.
On the 27th lap of the event, when he was supposed to be traveling at around 220 km/h, his car veered off its normal track after a fracture in the left front suspension and crashed hard into a guardrail with his foot… on a bend the ground.
If the brutal shock has taken his breath away, Labbé says he’s feeling fine and ready to get back behind the wheel in the coming days.