Photo Credit: Ashley McCubbin
It’s been a long three years away, but the NASCAR Pinty’s Series finally returns to Delaware Speedway this weekend. It was a long awaited and popular decision by NASCAR to finally make its way back to the London, Ont. track. The addition of the half-mile track to the schedule means Innisfil’s Sunset Speedway goes by the wayside.
One driver who has to be wishing he was at Sunset this weekend is Quebec’s Alex Tagliani. The former open-wheel star honed his skills on the high-banked short track where he won both times the Pinty’s Series raced there. In the 2015 race, Tagliani pulled off a feat only he has been able to accomplish in series history by being the only driver to finish on the lead lap. Now, Tagliani heads to Delaware, a track he’s never been to before. It’s a bit of an unknown for him, but so was Sunset.
D.J. Kennington heads into Delaware with a winning dry spell, but this is probably the perfect track to break the spell. In five Pinty’s starts at Delaware, Kennington has three wins and a worst finish of fourth. Couple that with an average finish of second, and you have a pretty solid horse to bet on. It’s been since 2013 that Kennington visited victory lane. There’s a good chance that changes this weekend.
Cayden Lapcevich is the type of driver that tends to surprise people. The 17-year-old won the championship last year with no corporate sponsorship and very little funding. He’s in position to do the same thing this weekend. A talented short track driver, one thing that Lapcevich could do this weekend that wouldn’t surprise anyone is winning.
One name that is notably absent from the entry list is Gary Klutt. Klutt has run full-time the past two years, but plans to only run the road courses plus the Saskatoon doubleheader. Coming off a third-place run at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Klutt will have to hope the momentum sticks with him heading into Circuit ICAR in July.
Delaware’s a home game for St. Thomas’ Jason Hathaway. Hathaway, who only has one more race planned in 2017 following Delaware, comes to the track looking to score his first NASCAR victory on the half-mile. All but one of Hathaway’s nine Pinty’s Series wins have come on the short ovals, so he has a good shot at a win on Saturday.
Most of Adam Martin’s success in his short Pinty’s campaign thus far have come on the short tracks. He has four top-10 finishes in his seven starts, which includes two fourth-place finishes at Sunset in his series debut and St. Eustache. The short tracks is where Martin’s background in racing is, and the 19-year-old driving for veteran Kerry Micks could find his way to victory lane for the first time this weekend.
A few Quebecois drivers who tend to perform better on the road courses still have a good chance come race time on Saturday night. Kevin Lacroix and Andrew Ranger, who aptly finished first and second at CTMP last weekend, come into Delaware on top of the points pylon. Lacroix first saw a short track race last season. In five oval short track starts, he only has one top-five finish. The goal for Lacroix will be survival. If he can do that, he can hold onto the points lead. Ranger has had more success than Lacroix on the road courses. The all-time win list leader has 22 total victories, four of which have come on ovals.
Five drivers will make their season debuts this weekend, including one making his first series start. 17-year-old Armani Williams from Detroit is driving for Canada’s Best Racing Team. The teenager has amassed most of his oval track experience in the U.S. driving in the ARCA Truck Series, but moves over to the Pinty’s Series to add to his experience. Williams will have Kennington as a driver coach for the season, which should help the racer. Series veterans Noel Dowler, Mark Dilley, Donald Theetge and Steven Mathews, who will make his first start since 2014, also are in the weekend’s race.
Alex Labbe comes into this weekend’s race looking for his second career win. Labbe won at Autodrome Chaudiere in his native Quebec last year, and has been a force on the ovals. Labbe seems to be knocking on the door of his second win every track the series visits, and that will surely be the same at Delaware.
Rounding out the 19 car field are series veterans Jason White, Larry Jackson, brothers L.P. and J.F. Dumoulin, Anthony Simone and series newcomer Charles Harvey.
