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In 2013, the Canadian NASCAR series was in its seventh season.
With Canadian Tire as the primary sponsor, NASCAR had developed a successful format that attracted competitors and fans.
For the most part, the series schedule mirrored that of 2012 - just some shuffling around of dates. For the second straight year, the title chase started on the Victoria Day Weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP). There would be two additional events held at this facility – a race on the oval track in June and on the Labour Day weekend a second event on the road course supporting the NASCAR Trucks series. The title chase would end in September at Kawartha Speedway. The only significant changes saw two high-profile events - Edmonton and Montreal - dropped from the calendar. The championship also returned to Autodrome Saint-Eustache for the first time since 2010. In total, there was twelve race weekends and the series would visit eleven different tracks in five provinces. The cars competing in the championship are constructed to specifications and rules common to most stock car series. The chassis is a steel tube frame design covered with a fiberglass body and is required to weigh no less than 3000-lbs. Body styles are from manufacturers such as Dodge (Avenger, Challenger and Charger), Ford (Fusion) and Chevrolet (Monte Carlo and Impala SS). Engine type and displacement are dictated by the make and model of the vehicle. The carbureted eight-cylinder motors produce approximately 650-horsepower. Depending on the gearing, these cars are estimated to have a top speed of 160-mph. The first event of the 2013 season, the Vortex Brake Pads 200, would be fifty-one laps (201.8 kilometers) around Canadian Tire Motorsport Park’s ten-turn 2.459-mile road course. |
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The start of the 2013 season’s first round for the NASCAR Canadian Tire series. Twenty-eight starters head into Canadian Tire Motorsport Park’s very fast corner one. Pole-sitter, J.R. Fitzpatrick in the Equipment Express Chevrolet Impala SS leads the WeatherTech Dodge of second place starter – L.P. Dumoulin. Immediately behind, Fitzpatrick is the third fastest qualifier and two-time series champion, Scott Steckly in the Canadian Tire Dodge. |
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In previous three years, J.R. Fitzpatrick had finished second or third in the final standings. In the practice session at the season opener, he was the second quickest. And, in qualifying, the driver of the No.84 Equipment Express Chevrolet Impala SS set a new track record and qualified on the pole. Fitzpatrick jumped out front at the start but on lap-7 he retired when the drive shaft broke – he was classified twenty-seventh. |
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Despite all the damage and a number of pit stops to secure the loose body work, Noel Dowler was able to finish on the lead lap. Dowler qualified the Lake Excavating/Emco Waterworks sponsored Dodge Challenger eighteenth on the grid and at the checkered flag, he was in ninth place. |
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Experienced road racer and veteran stock car driver, Jeff Lapcevich qualified the Tim Hortons sponsored Dodge tenth. The team was competing with heavy hearts and were not certain that they would make the event as Lapcevich’s father had passed away unexpectedly in April. During the race, he was able to move to the front and challenged L.P. Dumoulin for the win but fell short and settled for second. |
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Series veteran, Jason Hathaway drove the No. 3 Snap-On Tools/Rockstar Energy Drink Dodge Challenger. In the final practice session, Hathaway was sixth quickest. During qualifying his performance slipped and he qualified in the eleventh grid position. Hathaway had a solid performance and captured the last spot on the podium. |
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Scott Steckly was gridded third in the Canadian Tire/Johnsonville Dodge Challenger. Steckly moved into the top position on lap-11 but his lead was short-lived. On the thirteenth circuit, he had an accident at corner three which brought out the race’s first caution and eliminated him from the event. Steckly was classified twenty-fourth. |
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In 2013, Robin Buck was running a limited schedule which only included the two to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park events. As a road racing expert, Buck had probably logged more miles around the track than any other competitor in the field. His knowledge of the course was evident after he qualified seventh in the twenty-eight car field. At the conclusion of the fifty-one laps, Buck was fifth. |
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Ty Dillon, son of former driver Mike Dillon and grandson of NASCAR team owner, Richard Childress, drove the No. 4 Fitzpatrick Racing Chevrolet Impala SS. Dillon was competing full time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He used the opportunity to compete at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in preparation for the Truck event on the Labour Day weekend. Dillon started fourteenth and finished seventh. |
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Defending series champion, D.J. Kennington qualified the Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge Challenger fifth. It appears that Kennington had a difficult race but most of the damage was superficial and at the checkered flag he finished fourth. |
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L.P. Dumoulin, who got his start in open-wheel racing made his NASCAR debut in 2009. It wasn’t until 2012 that Dumoulin ran his first full season. When the race leader, J.R. Fitzpatrick retired on lap-7, Dumoulin assumed the lead. He lost first place as the teams cycled through their pit stops. Dumoulin moved back out front on lap-24 and led the remaining twenty-seven circuits to score his first series victory by a margin of 0.651-seconds. |
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| FINISH | START | DRIVERS | SPONSOR / CAR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | L.P. Dumoulin | WeatherTech Canada/Bellemare / Dodge | 51 | - |
| 2 | 10 | Jeff Lapcevich | Tim Hortons Dodge | 51 | - |
| 3 | 11 | Jason Hathaway | Snap-On Tools/Rockstar Energy Drink Dodge | 51 | - |
| 4 | 5 | D.J. Kennington | Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge | 51 | - |
| 5 | 7 | Robin Buck | Quaker State Dodge | 51 | - |
| 6 | 4 | Kerry Micks | Leland/BDI/Dickies Ford | 51 | - |
| 7 | 14 | Ty Dillon | Fitzpatrick Motorsports Chevrolet | 51 | - |
| 8 | 12 | Noel Dowler | EMCO/Praxair/Safety Kleen Dodge | 51 | - |
| 9 | 18 | Trevor Seibert | Lake Excavating/Emco Waterworks Dodge | 51 | - |
| 10 | 17 | Brad Graham | Holmar Plumbing Ford | 51 | - |
| 11 | 21 | Ryley Seibert | Lake Excavating/Emco Waterworks Dodge | 51 | - |
| 12 | 27 | Ray Courtemanche Jr. | La Cité de Mirabel Inc. Dodge | 51 | - |
| 13 | 24 | Hugo Vannini | VTI Motorsports Ford | 51 | - |
| 14 | 28 | David Thorndyke | LubeSource/Thorsons EVT Chevrolet | 51 | - |
| 15 | 15 | Jason White | Bowers & Wilkins Dodge | 51 | - |
| 16 | 22 | Ron Beauchamp, Jr. | Mopar/Exide/Pennzoil Dodge | 51 | - |
| 17 | 16 | Ryan Klutt | K-Line Chevrolet | 50 | - |
| 18 | 20 | Steve Mathews | Bill Mathews Motors Ford | 49 | - |
| 19 | 8 | Peter Klutt | Legendary Motorcar Chevrolet | 43 | Suspension |
| 20 | 13 | Martin Roy | Batteries Expert/Gamache Dodge | 37 | Off Track |
| 21 | 9 | Howie Scannell Jr. | IGPC Ethanol/K&B Auto Service Dodge | 22 | Rear End |
| 22 | 26 | Larry Jackson | K&K Insurance/Trailers by Jim Bray Dodge | 20 | Off Track |
| 23 | 19 | Daniel Bois | Thermal Technology Serv. Dodge | 16 | Rear End |
| 24 | 3 | Scott Steckly | Canadian Tire/Johnsonville Dodge | 12 | Accident |
| 25 | 23 | Joey McColm | Canada's Best Store Fixtures Dodge | 11 | Brakes |
| 26 | 6 | Alex Guennette | Motos Illimitées/DLGL Dodge | 10 | Engine |
| 27 | 1 | J.R. Fitzpatrick | Equipment Express Chevrolet | 7 | Drive Shaft |
| 28 | 25 | Derek White | VIP Poker Chevrolet | 5 | Engine |
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