Vallée-Jonction (Québec), June 12, 2023 – It was a homecoming affair for Thomas Nepveu last Saturday, as the young driver made his on-track return in Quebec.
Nepveu was behind the wheel of the #24 Evirum | Home Hardware Nepveu car for the Bud Light 300, a 300-lap event. A large crowd of fans gathered in Vallée-Jonction to cheer on the NASCAR Pinty’s drivers, who were about to make their first appearance of the season on Quebec soil.
The race was filled with obstacles for Thomas, including a run-in with a competitor that resulted in some contact between the two, which sent him spinning around as a result. A secondary spin at the halfway mark further slowed his ascent. In spite of this, Nepveu drove a great race, and took advantage of the opportunity to gain experience on every lap.
“It was a good event,” said Thomas. “We overcame a few pitfalls, for example I got hit twice by competitors, which sent me spinning. On the other hand, I had some good on-track battles, followed by a solid recovery driver to get back on the lead lap.”
He went on to explain that “unfortunately my brakes let go with 8 laps remaining, so I went straight in the first corner, which forced me to retire. I’m very disappointed not to have finished the race, but very pleased with the improvements we’ve made on the car.”
He confirmed that “we had a much more competitive car than we did at Sunset Speedway, which allowed me to concentrate on my driving and gain more experience on oval circuits.”