Marc-Antoine Camirand captured his second consecutive win and third of the season in the Leland Industries 250 at Sutherland Automotive Speedway this Saturday. Camirand held off Kevin Lacroix and Andrew Ranger, further extending his championship points lead.
Fourteen drivers battled each other in intense heat throughout the day and into the night. Camirand, driving the No. 96 GM Paillé Chevrolet, started strong by capturing the E3 Spark Plugs Pole Award with a time of 14.915. Lacroix, in the No. 74 Quick Strut/NAPA Racing Dodge, was right behind, a mere 0.045 slower.
Right from the start, Camirand, Ranger, and Lacroix broke away from the field, creating a healthy gap. Camirand and Lacroix raced side-by-side for a few laps, which was an indicator for more exciting battles to come.
It was an emotional day for series veteran Mark Dilley, who made his final career start in the No. 64 Leland Industries/NTN Chevrolet. However, a mechanical issue ended his race on lap 71 after battling in the top five early on.
A few great battles shaped up in across the field. For instance, the No. 3 ASSA ABLOY/Leland Industries Chevrolet commanded by Jason Hathaway pressured Lacroix for third place before the halfway mark. Up front, Ranger led through the midway break, earning the Freshstone Midway Leader Award.
Several cars experienced issues in the second half of the race. Thomas Nepveu in the No. 24 Home Hardware/Richelieu Ford retired on lap 161 due to overheating, and Alberta native Jamie Krzysik in the No. 46 Krown-Pel Ventures/BerMar Rewind/Da-Roc retired with suspension issues.
Donald Theetge, who set the fastest time in practice, spun on lap 179, bringing out another caution. On the following restart, Lacroix passed Ranger for the lead, with Camirand holding on to third. Camirand fought his way back up to challenge Lacroix for the lead with 24 laps to go. After an intense battle, Camirand took over the top spot and held on to it to the end of the race.
“Nice win here at Saskatoon, we had a good car,” said Camirand from the Evirum Victory Lane. “The first half of the race was pretty good. After that, the car started getting tight. We made an adjustment at the halfway break, and with 50 laps to go the car was really good and I was able to make a pass on the 74. I’m really proud of my team; it’s a great way to start the trip out west.”
Lacroix maintained second place at the finish. “It was a good race. We didn’t have the best car, but we fought from fourth to first position,” said Lacroix. “I think the best car won today, so I’m happy to leave with second place. I’ve always had difficulty at Sutherland, and I’ve never won in Edmonton because of bad luck. I’m going there with a lot of confidence, and I think we can hope for a victory.”
Ranger secured third, achieving another top-three finish for both Paillé Racing team cars. “It was a very good race. For the first 150 laps, we had a very fast car, and we were able to lead some laps; the car was perfect,” said Ranger. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to maintain my pace in the last 150 laps, but the GM Paillé car was fast, and I am very happy; we achieved a nice podium.”
Camirand’s championship points lead now stretches to 297 total, seven points ahead of Ranger, with Lacroix, L.P. Dumoulin, and Hathaway rounding off the top five in points.
Dumoulin in the No. 47 WeatherTech/OmniFab Dodge finished fourth, claiming the Newfoundland Tourism Move of the Race Award as he advanced from 11th place all the way up to fourth position. Jason Hathaway had a solid return to Western Canada in the No.3 ASSA ABLOY/Leland Industries Chevrolet, finishing fifth.
Coming home sixth was D.K. Kennington in the No. 17 Castrol Edge/Brimstone Games/CIM Metals Dodge. Donald Theetge finished eighth, two laps down after spinning earlier in the race. Glenn Styres in the No. 0 GSR/Ohsweken Speedway/Chantarellie Chevrolet finished ninth, followed by Larry Jackson in the No. 84 Big Chief Snacks/E3/O’Neil Electric/Duma Dodge, and Shantel Kalika rounded out the top ten.
NASCAR Canada continues its Western Swing with the annual stop at Edmonton International Raceway in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, for the next event on July 27.