The NASCAR Canada field returned to the streets of Trois-Rivières for Qualifying, with drivers split into three groups as they battled against the clock for the E3 Spark Plugs Pole Award.
Dave Coursol set the early benchmark in Group 1 in the No. 54 Carquest/Qualité Refrigeration/Assainiteck Dodge, putting together the fastest lap of the opening group.
Simon Charbonneau, in the No. 88 TransGestion/Complexe AutoPlus/NAPA/IAI Chevrolet, then set the benchmark for Group 2 in his No. 88 TransGestion / NAPA / IAI Experts Conseils Chevrolet.
Kevin Lacroix then set the pace in Group 3 as the final drivers took to the historic street circuit, ultimately securing the E3 Spark Plugs Pole Award. He will lead the field to green in Sunday’s 45 Tours CarGurus behind the wheel of the No. 74 NAPA Gold Filters Chevrolet.
Marc-Antoine Camirand qualified second, in the No. 96 GM Paillé/Chevrolet Canada Chevrolet, earning a spot alongside Kevin Lacroix on the front row.
“I’m really happy. Things weren’t looking this good for us this morning. We were further down the order in practice, but we made a small adjustment afterward that made all the difference,” said Kevin Lacroix.
While Qualifying determined the front row for Sunday’s 45 Tours CarGurus, the remainder of the starting lineup will be decided through the two 15-lap Omnifab Sprints later today. The two fastest qualifiers will start first and second on Sunday, while Sprint 1 will establish the inside row of the grid from third position onward and Sprint 2 will determine the outside row. The top five finishers in each Sprint will also earn championship points, with five points awarded to the winner, followed by four, three, two and one.
Fans can watch the Omnifab Sprints live on REV TV and the NASCAR Canada YouTube channel. Sunday’s 45 Tours CarGurus will be broadcast live on REV TV, TVA Sports, TVA+ and the NASCAR Canada YouTube channel, with tape-delayed coverage also available on TSN.