Revisiting the Pinty's Finish at Mosport

The final corner at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park delivered yet another fender-banging and memorable finish.

This time, Kevin Lacroix put the bumper to Gary Klutt in double overtime, sending the No. 59 into the wall and allowing the No. 74 to claim the eBay Motors 200 victory, his Pinty’s Series record sixth career win at CTMP and first of the 2022 season.

The final corner at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park delivered yet another fender-banging and memorable finish.

This time, Kevin Lacroix put the bumper to Gary Klutt in double overtime, sending the No. 59 into the wall and allowing the No. 74 to claim the eBay Motors 200 victory, his Pinty’s Series record sixth career win at CTMP and first of the 2022 season.

In one of the more interesting weekends at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, the iconic final turns of the track still brought the action.

Starting the eBay Motors 200 in the rain, Kevin Lacroix took the lead on lap 11 and dominated the majority of the race.

“We had built a 14-15 second lead. I’m always comfortable in the rain,” said Lacroix. “The track got dryer and the lap times were faster. I was not risking anything. I knew there were people behind me that were battling together and were always on the edge. They knew better than me, what the new limits were, with the drying track.”

The race went green until lap 47, when the No. 96 GM Paillé Chevrolet of Marc-Antoine Camirand stop on track, sending the field into NASCAR Overtime. After the No. 47, 8 and 6 got into each other during the first attempt, the cars restacked and tried it again.

On the green flag, Gary Klutt took the lead away from Lacroix and held on until the last few corners on the final lap. The No. 74 Bumper to Bumper / Lacroix Tuning Dodge then made contact with Klutt’s No. 59 NewTechWood / RGC Sports Dodge, sending him into the wall.

“I expected him to build a lead for the last few corners and he slowed down so much that I needed to watch my back or find a way around him,” explained Lacroix. “I tried to move in on the inside in corner eight and then he blocked me and went outside, then he blocked me again, then our doors banged.”

In one of the more interesting weekends at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, the iconic final turns of the track still brought the action.

Starting the eBay Motors 200 in the rain, Kevin Lacroix took the lead on lap 11 and dominated the majority of the race.

“We had built a 14-15 second lead. I’m always comfortable in the rain,” said Lacroix. “The track got dryer and the lap times were faster. I was not risking anything. I knew there were people behind me that were battling together and were always on the edge. They knew better than me, what the new limits were, with the drying track.”

The race went green until lap 47, when the No. 96 GM Paillé Chevrolet of Marc-Antoine Camirand stop on track, sending the field into NASCAR Overtime. After the No. 47, 8 and 6 got into each other during the first attempt, the cars restacked and tried it again.

On the green flag, Gary Klutt took the lead away from Lacroix and held on until the last few corners on the final lap. The No. 74 Bumper to Bumper / Lacroix Tuning Dodge then made contact with Klutt’s No. 59 NewTechWood / RGC Sports Dodge, sending him into the wall.

“I expected him to build a lead for the last few corners and he slowed down so much that I needed to watch my back or find a way around him,” explained Lacroix. “I tried to move in on the inside in corner eight and then he blocked me and went outside, then he blocked me again, then our doors banged.”

Lacroix capture his sixth win at CTMP and 15th of his career. He breaks the series record as the winningest driver at a single track in the series. J.R. Fitzpatrick previously had five wins at CTMP and Kennington the same at Delaware. Lacroix also sets the record for most wins at CTMP as well.

Klutt managed to recover for a fourth-place finish but saw the pass differently.

“On the second green/white/checkered, we passed Lacroix in corner three, led the last lap, then he just got to my bumper in nine, roughed me up. I just got turfed in ten, hit the wall, we finished fourth,” said Klutt. “It is what it is, but it’s a tough day.”

Lacroix capture his sixth win at CTMP and 15th of his career. He breaks the series record as the winningest driver at a single track in the series. J.R. Fitzpatrick previously had five wins at CTMP and Kennington the same at Delaware. Lacroix also sets the record for most wins at CTMP as well.

Klutt managed to recover for a fourth-place finish but saw the pass differently.

“On the second green/white/checkered, we passed Lacroix in corner three, led the last lap, then he just got to my bumper in nine, roughed me up. I just got turfed in ten, hit the wall, we finished fourth,” said Klutt. “It is what it is, but it’s a tough day.”

DRIVERS AND FANS BAND TOGETHER

Following the province wide storm that ripped through the track Saturday afternoon, some drivers ventured out to help fans and the track clean up the mess left behind.

One of those drivers, was Sam Fellows who when he’s not racing his No. 98 Curb Records / Love Good Fats / AER Manufacturing Chevrolet, is the Director of Marketing for CTMP.

“Luckily in the NASCAR paddock, everyone got their stuff inside, and everyone was pretty sheltered,” said Fellows. “But in some of the lower paddocks, it’s been pretty expensive down there, some of the cars got destroyed, fans tents, vendors. It was pretty brutal.”

“Everyone came together. Larry Jackson and a few of us were over in the marketplace, picking stuff up, helping people find their stuff,” Fellows continued. “My dad [Ron Fellows] and I at one point were trying to drive some people to their cars.

CAREER BEST FINISH FOR DEXTER STACEY

After returning to the series in 2019, Dexter Stacey has continued to rise to the top ranks of the series. Before the eBay Motors 200, his best finish was in 2012 at Barrie Speedway where he finished fifth.

But the last few seasons, Stacey had shown speed but would later end his days with bad luck and mechanical failures. But not this weekend.

“We started off debating on either to hold back or go,” explained Stacey. “Took to the other side, it stuck, passed about three or four cars there, then we just started running our line and working our way through.”

“Me and my crew chief were having an argument on the radio, dry or slick. I said dry, he said slick, so we changed them and started working and then it was just coming like a rocket,” continued Stacey.

When the first caution came out, the free pass went to the No. 92 Bully’s Truck Stop Chevrolet, putting back on the lead lap.

Following the contact between Gary Klutt and Larcoix, Stacey slid through and captured the bottom step of the podium.

“Last year we had a great season, but this year, we’re coming for more podiums.”

NON-CHAMPIONS LEAD THE STANDINGS

Two races into the 2022 season and the points standings are majority controlled by drivers hunting for their first series championship.

Lacroix sits in first, only two points ahead of Treyten Lapcevich. Alex Tagliani, Klutt, Brandon Watson and Marc-Antoine Camirand follow close behind the two race winners.

L.P. Dumoulin, the first champion to appear in the points standings, sits in seventh, 14 points back of Lacroix. D.J. Kennington sits on the cusp of the top-ten, 21 points behind.

The last time the series saw a first-time champion was in 2017 when Alex Labbe claimed the title over Lacroix.

Treyten Lapcevich
Alex Tagliani -2
Gary Klutt -8
Brandon Watson -9
Marc-Antoine Camirand -14
L.P. Dumoulin -14
J.P. Bergeron -16
Dexter Stacey -20
D.J. Kennington -21
Mark Dilley -24
Larry Jackson -26
T.J. Rinomato -30
Brett Taylor -32
Bryan Cathcart -33
Wallace Stacey -34
Andrew Ranger -35
Glenn Styres -36
Sam Fellows -37