Analyzing the Pinty’s Grand Prix of Toronto at Honda Indy Toronto
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The 2016 NASCAR Pinty’s Series returns for the first time since 2011 to Honda Indy Toronto for the Pinty’s Grand Prix of Toronto. Below is a statistical look at the performance of the series at the road course and selected drivers:
Pinty’s Grand Prix of Toronto Setup:
• This is the series’ third visit to the track.
• Andrew Ranger has been victorious in both previous NASCAR-sanctioned events at the course. Ranger won the pole and led every lap in his win in 2010.
• Josten’s Rookie of the Year contender Cayden Lapcevich enters this event for the first time in second-place in the standings and has already recorded a pair of runner-up finishes this season.
At Honda Indy Toronto:
History
• This will be the 30th event at Honda Indy Toronto. IndyCar will be competing on Sunday with the NPS racing on Saturday afternoon.
• D.J. Kennington and Jason Hathaway enter this event as the only drivers to compete in every NPS event held in the history of the series. Kennington has finished in the top five in both previous events.
• The event weekend was originally known as the Molson Toronto Indy, the event dates back to 1986 at the site formerly known as Exhibition Place.
Notebook
• Andrew Ranger has won two races this season and enters as the points leader for the NPS entering Toronto.
• Ranger has led 62 of the 73 laps ran in competition in the previous two events at the track.
• Dodge has been the winning manufacturer for both NPS events at the facility in 2011 and 2011, respectively.
Honda Indy Toronto Data
Race #: 5 of 12
Track Layout: 1.755-mile road course
Race Length: 35 laps (61.4 miles/100 kilometers)
Telecast: TSN – July 23 at 2:30 p.m. ET; RDS – Aug. 5 at 10 p.m.
Qualifying/Race Data (most recent event)
2011 Race Winner: Andrew Ranger, Dodge, 78.956 mph, 49 mins. 8 secs.
2011 Pole Winner: Jason Bowles, Dodge, 82.801 mph, 76.26 secs.
Qualifying Record: Jason Bowles, Dodge, 82.801 mph, 76.26 secs., July 9, 2011
Active Category Leaders at Honda Indy Toronto:
Wins
1. Andrew Ranger … 2
Poles
1. Andrew Ranger … 1
Top Fives
1. Andrew Ranger … 2
DJ Kennington … 2
Kerry Micks … 2
Top 10s
1. Andrew Ranger … 2
DJ Kennington … 2
Kerry Micks … 2
Peter Klutt … 2
Laps Led
1. Andrew Ranger … 62
Laps Completed
1. Andrew Ranger … 73 (all)
D.J. Kennington … 73
Three others … 73
Starts
1. Nine drivers … 2 (all)
Select Driver Highlights:
Robin Buck (No. 56 OMVIC/ B&B Decals Dodge)
• Has scored two NPS wins with his first coming at the inaugural event at ICAR in 2011. He added a second win at Trois-Rivieres later that season.
• Has made two starts at Honda Indy Toronto with a podium finish (3rd) in 2011.
• In addition to his pair of wins, Buck has collected 12 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes in 27 career starts – all on road courses.
J.F. Dumoulin (No. 04 Bernier Crepeau Chrysler/Bellemare Dodge)
• Has 18 top 10s in 32 career NPS starts with a best finish of third at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park last May.
• 23 of his 32 appearances have come on road courses, where he’s posted an average finish of 13th.
• Has made one start at Toronto finishing 17th in 2011.
L.P. Dumoulin (No. 47 WeatherTech Canada/Bellemare Dodge)
• The 2014 NPS Champion and 2011 Rookie of the Year has four wins, a pole, 24 top fives and 38 top 10s in 63 career starts.
• Has three wins, 14 top fives, 17 top 10s and an average finish of ninth in 27 career road course starts.
• Has registered finishes of 21st (2010) and seventh in 2011 at Toronto.
Jason Hathaway (No. 3 Fast Eddie/Choko/HGC Chevrolet)
• Has eight wins and 70 top 10s in 113 career starts. Is one of two drivers to compete in every race in NPS history.
• Has 19 top 10s, an average finish of 11th with one win in the second visit at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park last year in 41 career road course starts.
• In the two Toronto events he’s posted an average finish of 21st with a best showing of 20th in 2011. He finished 22nd in 2010.
D.J. Kennington (No. 17 Castrol Edge Dodge)
• The 2010 and 2012 NPS champion. Currently is tied for second in all-time NPS career wins (19), top fives (75) and top 10s (94), and is one of two drivers to start each of the 113 all-time events. Also ranks second in series history in laps led (2,797) and fifth in poles (11).
• Has two wins, 27 top fives, 33 top 10s and an average finish of seventh in 41 career road course starts.
• In the two Toronto events he’s one of three drivers to finish in the top-five in both events with a best showing of third in 2010.
Gary Klutt (No. 59 Pioneer Family Pools/PoolSuppliesCanada.ca Dodge)
• Has a win, a pole and 12 top 10s in 21 career NPS starts. Both the pole and win came in last year’s season-opener at CTMP.
• Has a win and a pole (CTMP, May 2015), seven top 10s and an average finish of ninth in 11 career road races.
• This will be the NASCAR Next driver’s first start at Toronto.
Alex Labbe (No. 36 Can-Am/Kappa/Cyclops Gear Dodge)
• Has one win (Chaudiere – 2016) five poles, seven top fives and 11 top 10s in 19 career starts.
• In 12 career road course starts he has seven top 10s, an average finish of ninth and a best result of second (ICAR- 2016).
• This will be his first start at Toronto.
Kevin Lacroix (No. 74 Bumper To Bumper/Total/Go Fast Dodge)
• Has two wins, four top-five and five top-10 finishes in 10 career starts.
• Recorded two wins in seven starts during his debut season in 2015. Won road races at Circuit ICAR and Circuit de Trois-Rivieres.
• Is the first driver in series history to record two victories in rookie season.
• Became the first driver in the history of the series to win a caution-free race last season at ICAR in his first start at the track.
• This will be his first start on the Toronto road course.
Cayden Lapcevich (No. 76 Fastline Motorsports Dodge)
• Has made 10 career starts in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series and recorded his career-best second-place finish twice this season Sunset Speedway on June 18th and Chaudiere on June 24th.
• Enters this weekend second in the points standings behind Andrew Ranger (168-162). He’ll make his debut at Toronto on Saturday.
Kerry Micks (No. 02 Leland/Johnsonville Ford)
• Has made 88 NPS starts with three wins, four poles, 30 top-five and 54 top-10 finishes.
• Is one of three drivers to finish in the top five in both previous Toronto events. Finished fourth in 2011 and fifth in 2010 on the road course.
Andrew Ranger (No. 27 Mopar/Pennzoil Dodge)
• The 2007 and 2009 NPS champion and after his wins this season at CTMP and most recently at ICAR, holds the record for all-time wins with 22 and tied for first in poles (17). Has 51 top fives and 73 top 10s in 87 career starts.
• Has won both races at Toronto (2010, 2011) and has led 62 of the 73 laps of competition.
• Currently holds the series’ record for consecutive wins at a track with three (ICAR, 2012-14; Trois-Rivieres, 2008-10) and can equal that mark Saturday if he wins in Toronto.
Alex Tagliani (No. 18 EpiPen/Riobel/Complexe JCP/Juste du Chevrolet)
• Has three wins, six poles and 12 top fives, 21 top 10s in 37 career NPS starts.
• Has a win (Edmonton, 2008), four poles, six top fives and an average finish of 12th in 15 road course starts.
• Will make his first start at Toronto this Saturday.
Other Driver Notes
• Rookie Josh Collins is scheduled to make his first start at Toronto. He’s the first driver in series history to compete in the series from Newfoundland. He finished seventh at Sunset for his best career finish in five starts.
• Peter Klutt is one of nine drivers to have started both races in 2010 and 2011. He finished ninth in both events.
Up To Speed:
• The 2016 season is the first for new series sponsor Pinty’s and the 10th overall for the Canadian-based NASCAR division.
• The 2016 schedule features 12 races at 11 different tracks across five provinces and a return to the road course in Toronto as part of the IndyCar weekend in July.
• Quebec native Andrew Ranger took the lead on the penultimate lap of the season opening race at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park to score the win.
• Alex Tagliani made Quebec drivers two-for-two this season after he won the Leland Industries 300 at Sunset Speedway for his third career series victory.
• Alex Labbe won from the pole last weekend in an exciting finish with rookie Cayden Lapcevich. It was Labbe’s first career win.
• Andrew Ranger retook the points lead and also became the first multi-race winner of the season with his third win at ICAR two weeks ago.
• The NPS will travel west for its annual visits to Edmonton (Alberta) International Raceway and Wyant Group Raceway in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on Saturday July 23 and Wednesday, July 27, respectively.
