Thomas Nepveu aims for a Top 5 finish at Eastbound Speedway
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Thomas Nepveu aims for a Top 5 finish at Eastbound Speedway

Photo By : Ray MacAloney/cdn-r.com

Oka (QC), June 19, 2024 – It’ll be a first for Thomas Nepveu this Saturday when the third stop on the NASCAR Canada Series comes to Eastbound International Speedway. He’ll be behind the wheel of his #24 Richelieu | Home Hardware | Cromwell car in the 250-lap Pro-Line 250.

Last year, Nepveu had to miss this event due to a conflict with another event, so he has never raced on this oval track, which is located in Newfoundland and Labrador.

“I’m very happy to be going to Eastbound,” says Thomas. “It’s a new track that I’ve never done, but I’ve heard good things from a lot of people. It will be a race that will be fun and existing.”

Eastbound is ⅜ of a mile long, making it one of the longest ovals on the NASCAR Canada calendar. It’s located 40 minutes from St-John, and is called ‘The Rock’.

“It’s a bigger, faster track than Vallée-Jonction,” Nepveu continues.  “Last year we performed well on tracks like that like, like Delaware, Saskatoon and Edmonton. We’re hoping for a good result and no mechanical problems. A Top 5 finish would be excellent.”

Unfortunately, Thomas Nepveu’s car suffered two mechanical problems. The first at CTMP forced him to retire, and the second at Autodrome Chaudière relegated him to the rear of the field. This will be a good opportunity to score some points for the rest of the season.

The Pro-Line 250 kicks off at 5 p.m. Eastern time. Spectators can watch the event live on the TSN+ app as well as on FlorRacing.com.

Lacroix and Innovation Auto Sport head for Eastern Canada
Posted by admin on in NASCAR Canada Series

Lacroix and Innovation Auto Sport head for Eastern Canada

Photo By: Ray Macaloney/cdn-r.com

Saint-Eustache (QC), June 19, 2024 – It’s time to leave the provinces of Ontario and Québec for Newfoundland and Labrador this coming Saturday. Eastbound International Speedway will host the Pro-Line 250, the third round of the 2024 NASCAR Canada season.

Kevin Lacroix will drive the #74 Valvoline/NAPA Racing car this coming Saturday, for the race that gets underway at 6:30 pm PST (5 pm Eastern). Last year, Lacroix set the sixth-fastest time in qualifying, then moved to the front of the field before suffering a puncture and ultimately retiring from the race.

“At the 2023 race, I was in first place before I had a problem,” says Lacroix. “Eastbound is a track I really like because it’s fast and suits my driving style.”

The 3/8-mile oval, located 40 minutes from St-John in Newfoundland and Labrador, is a unique circuit. It is a little longer than the other ovals visited during the season, but its tight corners require a technical approach, given its slight gradient.

“The start of the season is going particularly well with our new team and Étienne Cliche, our engineer, so I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next, but to date, I’m satisfied with the work done.”

The event will be broadcast live on the TSN+ app as well as on FloRacing.com

 

Thomas Nepveu on the Brink of the Podium before a Heartbreaking Stop
Posted by admin on in NASCAR Canada Series

Thomas Nepveu on the Brink of the Podium before a Heartbreaking Stop

Photo By: Ray MacAloney/cdn-r.com

Thomas Nepveu Motorsport Release:

Bowmanville (QC), May 20, 2024 – It was a heartbreaking event for Thomas Nepveu at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) on Sunday. The Oka native driver was on the verge of finishing in the Top 5 and was well underway for his best-ever NASCAR Canada result before a mechanical failure led to retirement.

Thomas Nepveu was commanding the yellow #24 Richelieu | Home Hardware | Cromwell in the NASCAR Canada season opener. In Saturday morning’s practice session, he posted the 9th fastest lap time. However, qualifying did not go well for the young driver, as he came in 19th.

However, Nepveu wasn’t content with being at the back of the field. From the very first laps of the race, he began making his way up the field, overtaking several cars and making it all the way to the Top 5. It was on a restart shortly after the halfway point that he climbed to the 2nd place. Then Marc-Antoine Camirand and Kevin Lacroix joined the leaders’ pack, sending Thomas back to 4th place. Nonetheless, he stayed with the frontrunners, suggesting a first Top 5 finish.

“We had an excellent car during the race,” says Nepveu. “We opted for a different strategy and only came back to the pits once to put fuel in, so I ran the whole race on the same set of tires. Despite this, we had good times and were competitive.”

He continues, “We were so close to getting our first Top 5, which would have been a great start to the season and a very good result for us. Unfortunately, we were forced to retire, so I’m disappointed.”

Thomas’s car came to a halt a few laps from the end, presumably due to an electrical problem although the exact cause has yet to be determined.

The next NASCAR Canada event will be held on June 1 at Autodrome Chaudière, Vallée-Jonction.

 

Lacroix Sets a Track Record at CTMP!
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Lacroix Sets a Track Record at CTMP!

 

Photo by : Ray MacAloney/cdn-r.com

Innovation Auto Sport Release:

Bowmanville (QC), May 20, 2024 – It was not the weekend Kevin Lacroix had hoped for, as he was forced to retire during the ASSA ABLOY Accentra 200 last Sunday. The driver of the #74 Adaptive One Calipers/NAPA Auto Parts car experienced a transmission problem while leading the race.

The weekend had started well for Lacroix, who posted the fastest time in practice, also setting an unofficial track record with a time of 1:21.917. Later, in the qualifying session, he secured the second position, missing pole by 0.032 seconds.

In the early laps of the race, Lacroix put pressure on Gary Klutt, who was leading at the time. After 5 laps, Lacroix took the lead, pulling away from the second-place driver.

The race was not easy for Lacroix, as he battled with the Top 6 drivers to return to the front after a pit stop. His overtaking paid off, but not for long, as a mechanical issue forced him to stop at turn 1.

Nevertheless, Lacroix received two awards: the Evirum Fastest Lap in the race, and the Leland Industries Lap Leader, having led for 19 laps out of 51.

“It looked like a great start to the season,” said Lacroix. “We have a very good new team and the car was very fast during the sessions. It’s really unfortunate that we had to retire because it doesn’t reflect our potential.”

Lacroix and Innovation Auto Sport will be back on track on June 1 at the Autodrome Chaudière.

 

SIMON CHARBONNEAU AND EIGHTY8 RACING SET TO COMPETE IN NASCAR CANADA!
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SIMON CHARBONNEAU AND EIGHTY8 RACING SET TO COMPETE IN NASCAR CANADA!

Montreal (QC), March 19, 2024 – Eighty8 Racing is delighted to announce its entry in NASCAR Canada for the upcoming 2024 season. Simon Charbonneau will drive the #88 TransGestion | NAPA | IAI Experts Conseils car during the four road-course events, with his sights set on full-season competition in 2025.

After a few months of preparations, the Montreal driver established the Eighty8 Racing team with the help of long-standing partners TransGestion and NAPA Pièces d’Autos. “I’m delighted to be able to count on the help of Cédric and Vanessa at TransGestion,” says Charbonneau. “When we suggested NASCAR Canada as a possibility for 2024, TransGestion didn’t hesitate to jump in on the adventure with us.”

“We are proud to support Simon once again this year,” said Vanessa Léonard and Cédric Cousineau, owners of TransGestion. “His driving skills and confidence on track hooked us right from the start. Just like us at TransGestion, he runs on adrenaline!”

“I’m grateful to NAPA Pièces d’Autos, IAI Experts Conseils, and Gersol for supporting me in the creation of our race team. I can’t wait to represent my partners’ colours on tracks across Quebec and Ontario.”

This won’t be unfamiliar territory for the 35-year-old driver, who previously raced in NASCAR Canada last year at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP). “I’m looking forward to renewing with NASCAR; last year, I completed my first laps in this series, and I intend to continue my progression this season.”

Charbonneau has been busy building up his team over this past winter, surrounding himself with experienced teammates. “I’m happy to have Yvan Turcotte as my Team Manager,” says the driver. “His expertise is stellar; he’s one of the people with the most experience in the paddock.”

“It’s my dream to race in NASCAR Canada, as it is the premier racing series in Canada. After a few years in the Nissan Sentra Cup, I am proud to have had the opportunity to start my own team. I look forward to sharing the track with the strong lineup of drivers that make up the NASCAR Canada field.”

Charbonneau’s season will feature four events: the Victoria Day weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on May 17, the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières on August 11, the Complexe ICAR event on August 24 and the Labor Day weekend at CTMP on September 1.