VICTORY AND ELEVENTH PLACE FOR LOUIS-PHILIPPE DUMOULIN AT THE CANADIAN TIRE MOTORSPORT PARK

A delaminated tire near the end of the race ruins his second race of the weekend

Clarington (Ontario, Canada), September 5, 2021 – Louis-Philippe Dumoulin and the #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare team were confident that they had a good car for the fast road course at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. From the start of the first race, the veteran driver showed consistency and determination. Each lap brought him closer to the lead, which he grabbed on lap 20 and held on to right to the end of the race. The second race of the weekend saw a lot more action for Louis-Philippe Dumoulin as he started third. Separate pit stops for fuel and tires dropped him to 15^th position. The Quebec driver worked his way up through the field to seventh, when a delaminated tire forced him to slow down in order to reach the end of the race without having to stop to change tires. He eventually ended up eleventh.

Summary of the weekend

Saturday, September 4 – Olymel 30

There was an almost feverish excitement from all the teams, officials and workers in the paddock on Saturday morning as the race trailer doors opened to signal the official start of the NASCAR Pinty’s Series race weekend. After finishing second in Saturday morning’s practice session, Louis-Philippe Dumoulin and the #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare team made some small suspension adjustments in preparation for Saturday afternoon qualifying.

“We improved the car for qualifying, but not enough to get the pole. We will start from the outside of the front row. That puts us on the outside for turn 1 and on the inside for turn 2, so we will be well placed for the rest of the first lap. With only 30 laps, today’s race will be short and intense, and we will certainly adapt our usual race strategy: drive smart to save the tires and make sure we have a fast car, even a winning car at the end of the race,” said Louis-Philippe Dumoulin.

In the race, Louis-Philippe Dumoulin served up a perfectly planned and executed no-fault performance. Starting second, he was able to keep the leader in his sights and pass him relatively easily on the 20^th lap of the 30-lap event. The #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare team race strategy worked once again, giving Louis-Philippe Dumoulin a fast machine to help him dominate the end of the race.

“The car performed well throughout the race and especially in the final laps. The #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare team worked very hard to set up the suspension just right it paid off. We were confident that we would pass the leader by the end of the race and did it when he ran into mechanical issues. There were three cautions late in the race and I had to work hard to get the tires back up to the correct operating temperature. Marc-Antoine Camirand caught up with me on the last lap and raced me cleanly to the checkered flag. This victory certainly hits the spot in my chase for the championship. Now we turn our attention to tomorrow’s 51-lap race,” said the winner just after the race.

Sunday, September 5 – Clarington 200

“The car was understeering yesterday (Saturday), not enough to prevent us from winning, but enough to affect our qualifying today (Sunday). We started third, 0.109 sec. behind the leader. Minor adjustments can be made during the pit stops for tires and fuel if we need it. We are confident of a podium finish – at least!” said Louis-Philippe Dumoulin before today’s race.

Third on the grid, the second race of the weekend did not go as well as the team would have liked.

“Today we went into the race looking for another win. Everything went well until the pit stop for a second set of tires around lap 16. We don’t know the reason, in fact I thought it was a slow puncture, however the left rear tire delaminated [around lap 38]. From then on, we had to be smart to finish the race and cross the finish line to collect championship points. It’s unfortunate, but it was essential to stay on track because if we had gone into the pits to change a tire, we would have lost more positions. There are five races left in the season, all on the oval, and I’m confident the team will do well,” concluded the driver of the #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare car.

Next Event

The #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare return next Sunday, September 12, to the short Flamboro Speedway 1/3-mile for a two-race program.

“Passion – Performance – Partnerships”

2021 RESULTS

ABOUT PARTNERS

WeatherTech is committed to designing, engineering and manufacturing the finest products possible for your vehicle, home and your pet. From the industry leading FloorLiner to the 100% non-toxic Pet Feeding System, WeatherTech has dedicated itself to exceed customer expectations of quality, craftsmanship and environmental sustainability for over 30 years. To see the full line of automotive, home and pet products that are guaranteed for life, visit weathertech.ca.

Groupe Bellemare is a 3^rd generation family business that has been serving clients since 1959. Today, the company has more than 500 employees and provides them with an innovative work environment facilitating work-family balance and a healthy and safe quality of life. With over a half century of experience and its sustained R&D efforts, the Company offers high-quality products and services in areas as diverse as concrete, abrasives and minerals, dimensional load transportation, and recycling. Groupe Bellemare is also very involved in its industry and attaches great importance to its social and environmental role as a member of the business community. Groupe Bellemare makes a positive contribution to the quality of life of citizens in the communities it serves by supporting numerous social causes and promoting local purchasing through its responsible procurement practices. groupebellemare.com

Dumoulin Competition. Jean-François and Louis-Philippe Dumoulin founded the Dumoulin Competition Race Team in 2009. Working with financial, marketing, logistics and sports management experts, they built up a solid business structure. Dumoulin Competition prepares its on race cars in-house since 2016. Their motto: “Passion – Performance – Partnerships” expresses their will to perform on the track and offer their partners maximum visibility and profitability in return for their commitment. Their vision: To become Canada’s leader in motorsports through track performance, entrepreneurial and human values dumoulincompetition.com

SUMMARY – HIGHLIGHTS IN LOUIS-PHILIPPE DUMOULIN’S CAREER

NASCAR Pinty’s Series

·         Inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame (2020) for his outstanding contribution.

·         In 2020, the sanitary situation forced the NASCAR Pinty’s Series to present only 6 races in the “Pinty’s FanCave Challenge”. Louis-Philippe Dumoulin scored 1 win and 3 top-5 finishes.

·         2019: Third in driver and owner championships (2 wins, 4 podium, and eight top-5 finishes from 13 events).

·         2018: Champion (3 victories, 7 podiums, 2 poles, eight top-5 in 13 events). Saw his name added for the second time to the NASCAR Hall of Fame (Charlotte, NC) / Wins“Driver of the Year” and “Best Performing Driver” awards.

·         2017: Fourth in the driver championship (3 podiums, nine top-5 and eleven top-10 finishes from 13 events).

·         2016: Joint fourthin the driver championship (4 podiums, six top-5 and seven top-10 finishes from 12 events).

·         2015: Fourth in the driver championship (2 podiums, six top-5 and nine top-10 finishes from 11 events).

·         2014: Champion (2 victories, 5 podiums and nine top-5 finish from 11 events). Saw his name added to the NASCAR Hall of Fame (Charlotte, NC) / Awarded the “Driver Of the Year”, “Best Performing Driver” and “Gilles-Villeneuve” awards.

·         2013: Fifth in the driver championship (2 victories, 3 podiums, four top-5s, six top-10s and five-time top-3 grid positions from 12 events).

·         2012: Sixth in the driver championship (1 pole, three top-5 and seven top-10 finishes from 12 events).

·         2011: Rookie of the year.

Rallying and Road Racing

·         2015: Participated in FIA World Rallycross Championship round in Canada (Grand Prix of Trois-Rivieres).

·         2012: Second in class in the 12 Hours of Sebring (American Le Mans Series – GT3 Cup). The only Canadian driver on the podium.

·         2004 to today: Front runner in the Grand-Am and Rolex Sports Car series, in Porsche, Ferrari and Daytona Prototype cars – Races in the 12 Hours of Sebring / and the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA events.

·         2002: Champion in the Canadian Formula Ford Championship.

·         2001: Awarded the ‘’Gilles-Villeneuve’’ and ‘’Quartz’’ trophies.

·         Records: Holder since 2002 of Formula Ford Series records for most victories (6) and most pole positions (7) in a single season.

WEBSITES / ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

WeatherTech Canada : weathertech.ca/behindtech

Groupe Bellemare : groupebellemare.com

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park : canadiantiremotorsportpark.com

Flamboro Speedway : www.flamborospeedway.ca/

Quebec Cancer Foundation : fqc.qc.ca

Gilles-Villeneuve Museum : museegillesvilleneuve.com

Festidrag développement : festidrag.com

Série Mini Sportsman Québec : seriesportsman.ca/mini-sportsman-calendrier

Dumoulin Compétition : dumoulincompetition.com

Série NASCAR Pinty’s : nascar.ca

Facebook: facebook.com/dumoulincompetition

Twitter: @DumoulinDC / @DumoulinLP / @jf_dumoulin

Youtube : youtube.com/user/dumoulincompetition

Instagram: @dumoulincompetition