Kevin Lacroix wins for the fourth time at Circuit ICAR, and for the third time this season, notching his first NASCAR Pinty’s win with his new NAPA Auto Parts colour scheme.

The driver of the  #74 Lacroix Tuning | NAPA Auto Parts | Valvoline car claimed his fourth victory on the 1.8 km Mirabel track after an action-packed race on Saturday, August 27.

Lacroix family’s five Lacroix Auto Parts stores announced it had joined the NAPA Canada network in July, but he had difficult first outings with the new paint scheme.

While he qualified first for the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières, early mechanical woes put him out of contention for the win. Aggressive driving hurt his results in the Ohsweken Speedway dirt race, a first for the series.

It looked like his speed on the track was not going to give him full benefit at the ICAR track as rain forced qualifying to be cancelled and set the grid in points championship order.

Lacroix started from the fifth position, which was not ideal considering he set the fastest time in the NASCAR Pinty’s ‘Hot Laps’ practice session held just before the event.

“I would have loved to have had the chance to get on the pole, but I was so determined that nothing stopped me when the green flag dropped,” explained Kevin Lacroix. From the start of the General Tire 125, he quickly climbed to the top spot after only seven laps.

A caution was given after about 20 laps, bringing the field closer together and breaking Lacroix’s lead of over 2 seconds. Although the drivers were jostling each other at Turn 1 on the restart, he did not lose the lead and soon regained a significant lead.

A second caution with 15 laps remaining gave Lacroix a challenge, as Andrew Ranger momentarily passed him. After regaining his position at the front of the field, the driver of the #74 car pulled another gap once again and then went on to take the win.

“I’m thrilled with this win,” said Kevin Lacroix. “I had a lot of partners on site, so I hope I gave them a good show! Our car was great; the team worked hard after the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières to get it back in shape.

Although it will be a tough hill to climb in the remaining two races, Lacroix is determined to improve his championship standing, and this win certainly helps. Happy with his victory, Kevin Lacroix concluded his day by saying that “if you ain’t first, you’re last,” with a laugh.