Analyzing The Pinty’s Presents The Clarington 200
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The penultimate race of the 2015 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 season is set for Sunday with the Pinty’s presents the Clarington 200 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario. Below is a statistical look at the performance of the series and selected drivers at the track:
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Race Setup:
• Scott Steckly enters the race with a 12-point lead on Andrew Ranger in the championship standings. Steckly will not be able to clinch the title at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. One race will remain on the schedule after the Pinty’s presents the Clarington 200.
• Steckly is still in search of his first career road-course win while Ranger has 15, including two at CTMP. Ranger also has a record five poles at the Ontario course.
• Rookie Kevin Lacroix has won two of the three previous road races this year. Only Ranger, in both 2009 and 2010, has previously won three such events in a year.
• Jeff Lapcevich has finished as the runner-up in four of the last five CTMP events. His 5.5 average finish at the track ranks second all-time among active drivers, trailing only D.J. Kennington’s mark of 4.0.
At Canadian Tire Motorsport Park:
History
• Opened in 1961 as Mosport Park. The name Mosport was a contraction of motor sport.
• Has played host to the American Le Mans Series, CASCAR Super Series, Can-Am, Formula 1, IndyCar, Tudor United SportsCar and USAC Champ Car, among others, through the years.
• Welcomed the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 for the first time on June 17, 2007 in an event won by Andrew Ranger.
• Was renamed from Mosport International Raceway to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in February 2012.
• Held its inaugural NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event on Sept. 1, 2013, won by Chase Elliott.
Notebook
• CTMP has welcomed the NCATS 11 times previously, the most events any track has held since the series began competition in 2007.
• This is the third season in a row that CTMP will hold two NCATS road course events after single races there from 2007-12.
• Five drivers have participated in all 11 previous events, and all five are expected to extend the streak this week.
• The 11 previous races have produced five different winners, led by J.R. Fitzpatrick’s five.
• There have been five different pole winners in the 11 contests, led by Andrew Ranger’s five.
• There has yet to be a wire-to-wire victory at CTMP, but both of Ranger’s wins were earned from the pole, as was Gary Klutt’s this past May.
• Fitzpatrick was the youngest CTMP race winner at 20 years, 1 month and 6 days in 2008.
• L.P. Dumoulin was the oldest CTMP victor at 34 years, 6 months and 11 days in 2013.
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Data
Race #: 10 of 11 overall, 2 of 2 at CTMP
Track Layout: 2.459-mile, 10-turn road course
Race Length: 51 laps (125.4 miles, 201.8 kilometers)
Telecast: Sept. 5, 12 p.m. ET on TSN; Oct. 22, 7 p.m. on RDS2
Qualifying/Race Data
2014 Race Winner: J.R. Fitzpatrick, Chevrolet, 88.023 mph, 1 hr. 25 mins. 29 secs.
2014 Pole Winner: Andrew Ranger, Dodge, 106.321 mph, 83.261 secs.
Qualifying Record: Andrew Ranger, Dodge, 106.712 mph, 82.956 secs., 5/18/14
Active Category Leaders at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park:
Wins
1. L.P. Dumoulin … 2
Andrew Ranger … 2
3. D.J. Kennington … 1
Gary Klutt … 1
Poles
1. Andrew Ranger … 5
2. Scott Steckly … 2
3. Gary Klutt … 1
Jeff Lapcevich … 1
Top Fives
1. D.J. Kennington … 9
2. Scott Steckly … 6
3. L.P. Dumoulin … 5
Andrew Ranger … 5
Top 10s
1. D.J. Kennington … 11
2. Jeff Lapcevich … 10
3. Andrew Ranger … 7
Laps Led
1. Andrew Ranger … 71
2. L.P. Dumoulin … 46
3. Scott Steckly … 34
Laps Completed
1. D.J. Kennington … 557 (all)
Jeff Lapcevich … 557
3. Kerry Micks … 539
Select Driver Highlights:
Marc-Antoine Camirand (No. 99 Grafoid/Braille Battery Chevrolet)
• Has a pole and nine top 10s in 16 career NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 starts.
• Ranks fifth in points this year with four top fives and seven top 10s. Leads the Jostens Rookie of the Year standings. His runner-up last time out at Riverside International Speedway was a career-best finish.
• Has a pole, three top 10s and an average finish of 16th in nine career road course races.
• Has an average finish of 13th with a best result of third (Aug. 2014) in four previous starts at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
J.F. Dumoulin (No. 04 Bernier Crepeau/Bellemare Dodge)
• Has 14 top 10s in 28 career starts with a best finish of third in the 2015 opener at CTMP.
• Sits eighth in the standings with five top 10s in nine events in his first full-time season.
• Has nine top 10s with an average finish of 13.5 in 22 career road course starts.
• Has an average finish of 13th in four previous CTMP appearances. The May podium was his first top 10 there.
L.P. Dumoulin (No. 47 WeatherTech Canada/Bellemare Dodge)
• The 2014 NCATS Champion and 2011 Rookie of the Year has four wins, a pole, 22 top fives and 36 top 10s in 57 career starts.
• Ranks fourth in points with top 10s in eight of nine events and a best result of second at Edmonton International Raceway.
• Has three wins, a pole, 14 top fives and an average finish of 10th in 25 career road races.
• Recorded a 2013 sweep at CTMP, where he’s posted five top fives across seven starts with an average finish of sixth.
Spencer Gallagher (No. 24 Allegiant Travel Dodge)
• Will make his NCATS debut in a 22 Racing entry as a teammate to Scott Steckly.
• Has four top 10s in 26 career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts.
• Only previous NASCAR road racing experience was three such starts in 2011 in K&N Pro Series West action.
Jason Hathaway (No. 3 Fast Eddie/Choko/HGC Chevrolet)
• Has six wins and 66 top 10s in 107 career starts. Is one of three drivers that have run every race in NCATS history.
• Ranks third in points on the strength of a win (Autodrome Chaudiere) and seven top 10s in nine starts.
• All six of his wins have come on ovals. In 38 road races he’s posted 17 top 10s with an average finish of 14th.
• Has five top 10s, an average finish of 15th with a best run of third (May 2013) in the 11 all-time CTMP races.
D.J. Kennington (No. 17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge)
• The 2010 and 2012 NCATS champion. Maintains series records for top fives (71) and top 10s (88), and is one of three drivers to start each of the 107 all-time events. Also ranks second in series history in wins (19), laps led (2,791) and fifth in poles (11).
• Has a streak of 70-consecutive races without at DNF. Last DNF came at Riverside in 2009.
• Sits sixth in points after nine races with six top 10s and a best finish of third at Chaudiere.
• Has two wins, 24 top fives, 30 top 10s and an average finish of seventh across the 38 all-time road course races.
• Has a win (2011), nine top fives and a series-best average finish of 4.0 in the 11 CTMP events.
Gary Klutt (No. 59 CLT Corp./Legendary Motorcar Chevrolet)
• Has a win, two poles and 10 top 10s in 15 career NCATS starts.
• Ranks seventh in points with top-10 finishes in seven of nine races this year.
• Won from the pole – both career-firsts – in the May opener at CTMP. Has an average finish of sixth in four starts at the track.
• Has five top 10s and an average finish of 11th in eight career road races.
Alex Labbe (No. 36 Lou’s BBQ/Cathcart Trucking Dodge)
• Has seven top 10s in 14 career NCATS starts with a best finish of second at Riverside in 2014 and at Chaudiere in 2015.
• Has top-10 finishes in three of his five appearances this year.
• Has five top 10s with an average finish of 13th in eight career road course starts.
• This will be his first start at CTMP. He was unable to take the green flag in May due to injury.
Kevin Lacroix (No. 74 Auto Parts Plus/Total Dodge)
• Has two wins in four starts during his debut season. Won road races at Circuit ICAR and Circuit de Trois-Rivieres.
• Is the first driver in series history to win two of his first four starts, and first to record two victories in rookie season.
• Made first NCATS start in the May opener and finished 26th (accident) after qualifying fifth.
Jeff Lapcevich (No. 76 Tim Hortons Dodge)
• Has a pole, 17 top fives and 42 top 10s in 62 career starts. Best finish is second, recorded five times.
• Has 25 top 10s and an average finish of eight in 30 career road course starts.
• Has top 10s in 10 of the 11 all-time CTMP race with an average finish of 5.5. Has been the runner-up there in four of the last five events. His one pole also came at CTMP in Sept. 2013.
Kerry Micks (No. 02 Johnsonville/Leland/BDI Ford)
• Has three wins, four poles, 30 top fives and 52 top 10s in 85 career starts.
• The three road races are his only previous starts this year. Best finish was 14th in the CTMP opener.
• Has two wins, a pole, 21 top 10s and an average finish of 10.5 in 37 career road course starts.
• Has participated in all 11 CTMP races and has an average finish of 13th with a best run of second (2008).
Andrew Ranger (No. 27 Mopar/Pennzoil Dodge)
• The 2007 and 2009 champion is the series’ all-time leader in wins at 20 and is tied for the poles record at 16. Has 49 top fives and 68 top 10s in 81 career starts.
• Is second in points with six top fives and eight top 10s, highlighted by a win at Autodrome St-Eustache.
• Has 15 wins, 16 poles, 27 races led, 29 top fives, 32 top 10s and an average finish of fourth in 35 career road races.
• Has two wins (2007, `09) a record five poles, six races led, seven top 10s and an average finish of eighth in nine CTMP starts.
• Also has three wins in nine career NASCAR K&N Pro Series road course starts.
Scott Steckly (No. 22 Canadian Tire Dodge)
• Has a series-leading three championships (2008, ‘11, ‘13) through the first eight years of NCATS competition.
• Owner of 19 wins, 16 poles, 65 top fives and 80 top 10s. Is tied for the all-time poles lead with Andrew Ranger while his top fives and top 10s totals rank second all-time. His wins total sits third in the record book. Is the all-time leader in races (55) and laps led (4,782), and is one of three drivers to start each of the 107 all-time events.
• Has a 12-point lead on Andrew Ranger atop the standings on the strength of three wins and eight top 10s.
• Has three poles, 21 top fives, 31 top 10s and an average finish of 8.5 in 38 career road course starts. Has been a runner-up on the road on four occasions.
• Has six top fives, an average finish of 11.5 and a best result of third (2012) across the 11 CTMP races.
Alex Tagliani (No. 18 EpiPen/CGI/CanTorque Chevrolet)
• Has two wins, six poles and 16 top 10s in 32 career NCATS starts.
• Ranks ninth in points despite missing two events. Has top-10 finishes in each of his seven starts.
• Has a win (Edmonton City Centre Airport, 2008), five poles, seven top fives and an average finish of 14th in 16 series road course starts.
• Has just two previous NCATS starts at CTMP. Finished fifth in 2008 and 20th in this race last year.
• Earned the pole and finished 16th at CTMP last year in his NCWTS debut. Will compete there with Brad Keselowski Racing once again in this week’s event.
Other Driver Notes
• Among drivers entered for this race without a victory, Ray Courtemanche Jr., J.F. Dumoulin, Ryan Klutt, Jeff Lapcevich, Kevin Poitras and David Thorndyke all have recorded their career-best finish at CTMP.
• Quebec native Olivier Bedard will attempt to make his NCATS debut in this race with White Motorsports.
Up To Speed:
• The 2015 season is the ninth for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1.
• The 2015 schedule features 11 races at 10 different tracks across five provinces.
• Rookie Gary Klutt won the season-opening Pinty’s presents the Clarington 200 from the pole at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on May 17.
• Jason Hathaway reached Budweiser 300 Victory Lane for the second year in a row at Autodrome Chaudiere on June 13.
• Alex Tagliani earned his first NCATS oval victory on June 20 when he won the inaugural Sunset Speedway event.
• Kevin Lacroix reached Victory Lane in just his second NCATS appearance when he won at Circuit ICAR on July 5.
• The western swing began on July 11 at Edmonton International Raceway with Scott Steckly winning in wire-to-wire fashion, a series first in an oval event.
• Steckly completed his western swing sweep as he won from the pole on July 15 at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway.
• Andrew Ranger extended his streak for years with a win to nine with his first career victory at Autodrome St-Eustache on July 25.
• Lacroix passed Ranger on the last lap at Circuit de Trois-Rivieres to win the JuliaWine.com Le 50 Tours on Aug. 2.
• Steckly won the Wounded Warriors Canada 300 from the pole on Aug. 15 at Riverside International Speedway.
• Following CTMP, the season will conclude on Sept. 19 at Kawartha Speedway with the Pinty’s 250.
