Information NASCAR fans must know in final stretch of 2016 season

The NASCAR Pinty’s Series drivers are on route to Bowmanville for the Can-Am 200 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

Only three races remain in the 2016 NPS season. All three events left on the schedule are hosted by difficult and challenging race tracks. One road course and two ovals.

On September 4, Canada’s best stock car drivers will compete in a 51-lap race on a 3.96-kilometre road course. CTMP is known for high speeds and blind turns. Every year, Canada’s best road course racers circle these events on their calendar.

What you need to know:

Road Course Specialist

#27 Andrew Ranger

4 Races

2 Wins

4 Top-5 finishes

*Worst finish of 2nd

Master of the Oval

#76 Cayden Lapcevich

5 Races

2 Wins

5 Top-5 finishes

*Worst finish of 3rd

#76 Cayden Lapcevich

After nine events, 16-year-old Cayden Lapcevich holds a 12-point lead over two-time champion Andrew Ranger. Lapcevich began 2016 with three Top-5 finishes in a row. In the seventh race, Lapcevich became the youngest winner in NPS history.

After another consistent Top-10 finish in Trois-Rivieres, Lapcevich would win yet another NPS race. This time, it was the Bumper To Bumper 300 at Riverside International Raceway. His consistency and determination have made 2016 a year drivers dream of.

2016 Statistics (After 9 of 12 Races)

2 Wins

6 Top-5 finishes*

9 Top-10 finishes*

1 Pole

*Leads all drivers

#27 Andrew Ranger

On August 20, at Riverside International Raceway, Andrew Ranger finished outside the top-10 for the first time this season. One mediocre finish allowed Cayden Lapcevich to open up a 12-point lead over Ranger and the MOPAR team.

If you’re a fan of Andrew Ranger, keep in mind, the next race track the NPS visits is Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. A track where Ranger claimed victory, earlier in 2016, and multiple times in his career.

2016 Statistics (After 9 of 12 Races)

2 Wins

5 Top-5 finishes

8 Top-10 finishes

2 Poles

#18 Alex Tagliani

Ever since Scott Steckly stopped racing, the main focus was to win an owners championship with the number 18 car. The main driver, Alex Tagliani, has a busy schedule for 2016.

Tagliani missed the first race of 2016 to participate in the Indy 500 event. Despite not collecting points from the NPS race at CTMP, he sits 32 points behind Lapcevich in third in the standings.

The 42-year-old from Lachenaie, Quebec has made up for missing the Clarington 200 greatly. In his eight starts in 2016, Tagliani earned three wins, including the Grand Prix of Toronto, and six top-5 finishes.

2016 Statistics (After 9 of 12 Races)

8 Starts

3 Wins*

6 Top-5 finishes

8 Top-10 finishes

*Leads all drivers

#47 L.P. Dumoulin

The 2014 NASCAR Pinty’s Series champion has been separated only by finger tips from victory multiple times this year.

In 2016, L.P. Dumoulin has led lots of laps and consistently runs inside the top-five in the races. The “bad luck bug” has bit the WeatherTech.ca team more than once. But, these race teams don’t tend to back down from a challenge.

On three occasions, the man from Trois-Rivieres finished second. Two of those three, Dumoulin finished second to the 16-year-old Cayden Lapcevich. L.P. Dumoulin and number 47 team have the car and talent to make a late charge for the 2016 NASCAR Pinty’s Series championship.

In the Clarington 200, the first race of 2016, L.P. Dumoulin was running inside the Top-5 before getting spun out very late in the event. On September 4, you can bet the driver of the number 47 car will be hungry for a win. After all, Dumoulin has tasted victory at CTMP before.

2016 Statistics (After 9 of 12 Races)

0 wins

4 Top 5 finishes

5 Top 10 finishes

#74 Kevin Lacroix

What an incredible rookie season it’s been for Kevin Lacroix. After not earning the finish he believed he deserved in race one, the Clarington 200, Lacroix and his team responded with four top-10 finishes in a row.

Fast forward to race 8 of 2016 in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Lacroix wins his third career NASCAR Pinty’s Series race. With only 15 races under his belt, Lacroix has tallied very impressive numbers. The 27-year-old from St-Eustache, Quebec has three wins, six top-five finishes, and nine top-10 finishes.

In this sport, the more experience obtained and knowledge learned, the chances of using your talent to its full potential. Watching young drivers like Kevin Lacroix, Cayden Lapcevich, and Gary Klutt win races suggests one thing; the future for NASCAR in Canada is bright.

2016 Statistics (After 9 of 12 Races)

1 Win

4 Top-5 finishes

7 Top-10 finishes

2 Poles