Photo Credit: Ashley McCubbin
After finishing third in last year’s inaugural Leland Industries 300 presented by Dickies, it should have marked no surprise to any fans in attendance at Sunset Speedway this afternoon when Cayden Lapcevich set a new track record for the pole.
Starting in the top spot, Lapcevich led early and throughout the event, but ultimately came up second to Alex Tagliani when the checkered flag flew.
“It was really good,” he told OnPitRoad.com. “We were quick. I got out there a little bit, to be honest. We’ll come back next year and hopefully we’ll climb that top spot of the podium.”
Under slick hot conditions and newer asphalt surface, keeping the tires underneath the car can be key to victory with the long runs. The driver of the No. 76 Dodge notes to save tires, he needs to drive smarter in the early stages of the race.
“I used it up too early and that’s what caused the tires to fall off,” he commented. “I got to be a little bit more patient on my brakes and tires, and hopefully we’ll be on the top step of the podium next year.”
After winning the Super Stock Championship at Sunset Speedway, everybody expected success out of Lapcevich when he announced he’d be running some NASCAR Pinty’s Series races. So far, those predictions are correct as he has five top-10 finishes in eight starts, including four top-10s in a row dating back to last year.
He was supposed to run the full schedule this year, however lack of sponsorship has relegated the Fastline Motorsports team to run a limited schedule. So far, Lapcevich is quickly proving in the first two races he’ll be someone to watch in any event he is able to run this year.
Check out this interview with Cayden Lapcevich post-race courtesy of Tyler McMurter
