Alex Labbe celebrates his first career NASCAR Pinty’s Series victory Friday night at Autodrome Chaudiere. Photo by Matthew Murnaghan/NASCAR
It was finish that left the fans on their feet for the final 25 laps and long-time observers of the NASCAR Pinty’s Series calling it one of the best races in the series’ 10-year history.
In the end, it was 23-year-old Alex Labbe celebrating his first career win in front of his hometown crowd at Autodrome Chaudiere in Quebec, while 16-year-old Cayden Lapcevich recorded a second straight runner-up finish.
Just how wild was the finish on the .25-mile banked oval?
Labbe took the lead from Lapcevich with 21 laps to go with the first of nine lead changes in the closing laps, as the two young rising stars ran nearly door-to-door the entire time. Labbe’s No. 32 Can-Am/Kappa/Cyclops Gear/Lou’s BBQ Ford, running the slightly higher line, would pull slightly ahead. But whenever he moved down, he’d get the bumper of Lapcevich’s Dodge that pushed him back up the groove and allowed the teenager to pull back alongside.
They ran side-by-side for the final 10 laps, swapping the lead by a nose at the line. Labbe took the point with three to go and only a slip-up in turn 4 of the final lap prevented a last-lap bump-and-run attempt by Lapcevich.
Final margin of victory was .331 seconds.
Alex Tagliani finished third right behind the leaders, just another tenth back. Donald Theetge and Mark Dilley completed the top five.
Earler in the day, Labbe won his second E3 Spark Plug Pole Award. But unlike the season opener at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, where he lost the win with a lap and a half to go, he was able to close the deal. He led a race-high 150 laps, dominating the first half of the race in his 18th career start.
Lapcevich walks away with a nice consolation prize, as he becomes the youngest driver to lead the championship points. Lapcevich leads Andrew Ranger by six and Labbe by eight.
Kevin Lacroix finished sixth, followed by Jason Hathaway, Ranger, David Michaud and D.J. Kennington. Ranger led 71 laps and had been battling with Lapcevich for the lead before he slipped up in turn 4 on Lap 227. That handed the lead to Lapcevich and set the stage for the final run to the finish.
The NASCAR Pinty’s Series will be right back on track Sunday, July 3 for the ICAR 100 at Circuit ICAR, the road course in Mirabel, Quebec.
NASCAR Pinty’s Series
Autodrome Chaudiere – Vallee-Jonction, Quebec, Canada
CRS Express 300
| Fin | Str | Car | Driver | Team | Laps | Points | B/Points | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 32 | Alex Labbe | Can-Am/Kappa/Cyclops Gear/Lou’s BBQ Ford | 300 | 48 | 5 | Running |
| 2 | 2 | 76 | Cayden Lapcevich * | OhswekenSpeedway.com Dodge | 300 | 43 | 1 | Running |
| 3 | 4 | 18 | Alex Tagliani | Epipen/Riobel/ComplexeJCP/Juste du Pin/Cantorque | 300 | 41 | Running | |
| 4 | 5 | 22 | Donald Theetge | AIM Levis/Le Soleil/L’Antidote Media Dodge | 300 | 40 | Running | |
| 5 | 12 | 2 | Mark Dilley | Leland/Johnsonville/BDI Ford | 300 | 39 | Running | |
| 6 | 8 | 74 | Kevin Lacroix * | Bumper to Bumper/Total/Go Fast Dodge | 300 | 38 | Running | |
| 7 | 13 | 3 | Jason Hathaway | Raybestos/HGC/Fast Eddie Chevrolet | 300 | 37 | Running | |
| 8 | 11 | 27 | Andrew Ranger | Mopar/Pennzoil/Mopar Express Lane Dodge | 300 | 37 | 1 | Running |
| 9 | 15 | 56 | David Michaud * | OMVIC/Excavation Mario Michaud/IGPC Ethanol | 299 | 35 | Running | |
| 10 | 10 | 17 | D.J. Kennington | Castrol Edge Dodge | 299 | 34 | Running | |
| 11 | 3 | 47 | L.P. Dumoulin | WeatherTech Canada/Bellemare Dodge | 299 | 33 | Running | |
| 12 | 9 | 1 | Larry Jackson | Canada’s Best Racing Team/Piloti Ford | 298 | 32 | Running | |
| 13 | 7 | 59 | Gary Klutt | PoolSuppliescanada.ca/CTL Dodge | 231 | 31 | Running | |
| 14 | 16 | 25 | Josh Collins * | Eastbound Int’l. Speedway/Ed Collins Contracting | 199 | 30 | Suspension | |
| 15 | 6 | 95 | Anthony Simone | Innovative Plumbing/InkYourRide Dodge | 198 | 29 | Accident | |
| 16 | 14 | 9 | Kerry Micks | Johnsonville/Reese’s Fine Foods/Stihl Ford | 4 | 28 | Electrical |
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RACE STATISTICS
Fastest Qualifier: Alex Labbe, Time: 12.953 Seconds, Speed: 69.482 mph
Time of Race: 1 hrs., 26 mins, 24 secs Average Speed: 52.083 mph Margin of Victory: .331 Seconds
Caution Flags: Laps 87-97 (Debris {[freepass]} [59]); 152-155 (Halfway Break [59]); 165-167 (Cars 25 & 74 spin in turn #2 [02]); 202-212 (Car 95 spin in turn #3 [56]); 229-233 (Car 27 spin in turn #4 [74]). 5 for 34 laps.
Lap Leaders: Alex Labbe 1-6, Cayden Lapcevich * 7-27, Alex Labbe 28-156, Andrew Ranger 157-227, Cayden Lapcevich * 228-278, Alex Labbe 279, Cayden Lapcevich * 280-281, Alex Labbe 282-284, Cayden Lapcevich * 285, Alex Labbe 286-291, Cayden Lapcevich * 292-293, Alex Labbe 294-295, Cayden Lapcevich * 296-297, Alex Labbe 298-300.
Total Laps Led: Alex Labbe 150, Cayden Lapcevich * 79, Andrew Ranger 71. 13 changes involving 3 drivers.
Top 10 Driver Points: Cayden Lapcevich * 126, Andrew Ranger 120, Alex Labbe 118, D.J. Kennington 114, Larry Jackson 104, Jason Hathaway 101, Kevin Lacroix * 98, L.P. Dumoulin 97, Gary Klutt 96, Alex Tagliani 89
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