CTMP LABOUR DAY
SPRINTS
By Bryce Turner he NASCAR Pinty’s Series (NPS) and two FEL Motorsports season finales headlined the Labour Day Sprints at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP), the last of five major events on the track’s 2023 calendar. L.P. Dumoulin started on pole for the 51-lap NPS event, on September 3, with Marc-Antoine Camirand joining him on the front row. Despite having a better statistical season, in most categories, over his 2022 championship campaign, Camirand entered CTMP needing a strong performance to stay in the title hunt. Camirand took the lead on the opening lap, while Dumoulin kept the margin close. On Lap 11, Dumoulin took the top spot. The various pit strategies synonymous with CTMP soon began, with Alex Tagliani and Andrew Ranger among the early takers, a couple of laps before Camirand and D.J. Kennington. Dumoulin and Kevin Lacroix both pitted on Lap 16, allowing points leader Treyten Lapcevich to take the lead and a bonus point that came with it. Two circuits later, Lapcevich pitted, with Alex Labbé inheriting the lead. Labbé looked to be staying out as long as he could, after losing spots early. On Lap 32, caution for Dexter Stacey’s car stalled just off track. Labbé and Larry Jackson pitted under caution, giving Ranger the lead for a restart with 14 to go.
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One lap after the restart, Tagliani took the top spot. Ranger’s horrible luck then continued, as his motor blew entering turn ten, creating a fireball in the back of his #27 Chevy and sending him spinning. Gary Klutt and Wallace Stacey received heavy damage in the chain reaction, with a line of oil left on the track. Ranger now has a 13.8 average finish, with four DNFs and eight finishes off the lead lap, in 2023. After a short red flag delay, the race restarted with 8 to go. Tagliani led the field to green before Lacroix took the lead. Dumoulin gained spots behind him, moving into second with 4 to go. Dumoulin made a late charge, going side-by-side through turns eight and nine on the last lap, but Lacroix held on to win by 0.117 seconds. “We’ve all seen what happens here, I’ve been in the (opposite position) a few times, so I could prepare myself to be the victim,” said Lacroix. “Thinking about moves like this, because it’s always something that happens, getting moved around in the last corner, so I gave him the chance to come side-by-side so he’s not behind me.” The victory snapped a 14-race winless skid for Lacroix, which included DNFs in the last two road/street races. In creative fashion, Lacroix celebrated by doing a dance on the track, where he got to the ground and circled the checkered flag. “It was a new way of doing donuts when you have traction control,” said Lacroix. “It happened when (Camirand) won at Chaudière, I
