Freshstone Dirt Classic Results
Marc-Antoine Camirand claimed the win last Thursday night at Ohsweken Speedway, where the Freshstone Dirt Classic took place in front of thousands of spectators. It was a star-studded lineup as not only NASCAR Canada Series regulars were on track, but also NASCAR Cup driver Chase Briscoe, ARCA driver Amber Balcaen, NASCAR Canada legend Ken Schrader, and series veteran Cayden Lapcevich all participated.
The day started off strong. Championship contender Kevin Lacroix set a time of 19.825 aboard his #74 Gates Hydraulics/NAPA Racing Dodge, claiming the fastest lap. Right behind him was Andrew Ranger in the #27 GM Paillé Chevrolet, a mere 0.075 from Lacroix’s time. Camirand, in his #96 GM Paillé Chevrolet, rounded off the Top three.
Three Heat races replaced the usual qualifying format. Chase Briscoe, Stewart-Haas Racing driver in the NASCAR Cup Series, commanded his #1 Rinnai/Mahindra Tractors/S3 Ford to the front of the field, clinching the win of his heat race and setting the fastest time of all drivers, earning the E3 Spark Plugs Pole Award. Ranger won his qualifying round, setting the second-fastest time behind Briscoe, while Camirand came in first in his round, which permitted him to start third for the main race.
The Freshstone Dirt Classic was split into three stages, the first two being 25 laps and the final segment being 50 laps. The race saw action across the board, as all drivers waltzed in the Top 10, yearning for a place on the podium.
Early in the race, Quebec native Donald Theetge pressured Briscoe in his #80 RPM Designs/Vulcain Chevrolet. However, Camirand quickly came to charge and gained the lead of the race, while Briscoe took advantage of a caution flag to make a quick trip in the paddocks.
It was an impressive feat as Briscoe spent the remainder of the race making his way up the field. He was back amongst the leaders in the last few laps, but had to settle for fifth place. However, Camirand was in a battle of his own with Ranger who was closing in on him. Ken Schrader, in the #52 APC/Pennzoil/Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet, was busy fending off Kyle Steckly who made an appearance in the #22 APC/Pennzoil/GSR/Stewart’s Equipment Chevrolet at Ohsweken.
“ What a way to bounce back after our weekend at Antigonish,” said Marc-Antoine Camirand at the Eviurm victory lane. “ We prepped the car pretty well. The #96 was awesome today. I was able to make the tight line and have good traction coming out. What a way to bring the car back in the victory lane. So happy for the GM Paillé Team!”
Andrew Ranger came in second, giving GM Paillé yet another 1-2 finish, “I am very happy that we made it on the podium. I am very happy for this first and second place for the GM Paillé team. Today, my goal was to salvage what I could and do well. I think it’s mission accomplished. I am not sure where we stand in the championship, but it should be very close.”
Ken Schrader can be proud of himself, as he managed to battle it out with one of the best NASCAR drivers. “ We probably had a fifth-place car under us, but we kept digging until the third place,” he said. “ I’m happy with it. The guys in front were in a league of their own. The #96 was fast, and we had nothing for them. So we were just fighting back there for what was left.
With this win, Camirand is back in the Championship lead, but only by a point. Ranger has 248 points, and Kevin Lacroix sits third with 238 points. Louis-Philippe Dumoulin, the driver of the #47 WeatherTech/OmniFab, is also lurking at the Championship with 229 points, while Jason Hathaway closes off the Top 5 with 223 points.
Cayden Lapcevich represented Ohsweken Speedway aboard the #32 GSR/Ohsweken Speedway/Chantarellie Chevrolet. It was an impressive comeback as he started 17th and went to sixth place. Unfortunately, his teammate Glenn Styres didn’t have much luck in front of his home crowd as he was plagued by a mechanical issue that prevented him from finishing the race.
Kevin Lacroix came in 7th, with Steve Côté in the #29 Evirum/ BKFC Chevrolet, Daniel Bois in the #31 Sierra Excavating/Bolton GM Chevrolet and Donald Theetge rounding off the Top 10.
The Freshstone Dirt Classic will air on TSN on Saturday, July 20th, at 2:00 PM ET and on RDS on Saturday, July 27, at 5:30 PM ET. The NASCAR Canada series is now heading out West for its yearly trip to Saskatchewan and Alberta. The first stop will be at Sutherland Automotive Speedway in Saskatoon on July 20th, then at Edmonton International Raceway in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, on July 27.