Ashley McCubbin | SpeedwayMedia.comFor race no. 8 of the 12 race schedule, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will be heading to Circuit de Trois-Rivieres for the CP3R 100. This marks the fourth road course for the Canadian Tire Series drivers this year and fifth time they’ve been to this particular track in series history.In three of the past four races on the 1.530-mile temporary road course, Andrew Ranger has come out victorious. The 24-year old has led 47 laps in route to those three wins, along with a second place in 2007 to Kerry Micks. Ranger is one of the best road course racers as in 17 series career starts, he has only finished outside the top three just twice. The two-time series champion has also won nine of the last 12 road course races he has entered, including Toronto this year.
The one driver looking to knock him off the top who has struggled this year is part-time NASCAR Nationwide Series driver J.R. Fitzpatrick.
Back at Toronto last month, Fitzpatrick was set to restart second to Ranger on the restart when he had to pit due to a flat tire.
“That’s how it has been – completely frustrating,” the 23-year old said. “Those two laps would have been completely wild. I don’t know how it would have turned out, but it would have been fun for everybody.”
No matter where Fitzpatrick seems to go run this year, there seems to be struggles as this past weekend while the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series was off, he competed at Sunset Speedway on Sunday where he was forced to pit in the 50 lap feature with a flat tire.
“I definitely want to beat him and end his winning streak at Trois-Rivieres,” Fitzpatrick said. “I need to get our season turned around and that would be a great place to start.”
The two drivers have butt heads on many times, always putting on a show for the fans, but Fitzpatrick says he’s not ready to share a win this weekend.
“We push each other – no doubt,” Fitzpatrick said. “It seems like we are always near each other on the race track which causes each of us to go that much harder. There is no give from either of us.”
The other driver who could possibly knock Ranger off of his throne is Kerry Micks, who won the first race at Trios-Rivieres. Last year, he finished second to Ranger while finishing ninth and sixth the previous two years.
While the focus will be on who can take the win, some people will be watching the championship chase closely.
After finishing 20th at Saskatoon, Scott Steckly now only sits 20 points ahead of defending champion D.J. Kennington.
Steckly’s best finish at Trois-Rivieres is a second that came in 2008, to go with the eighth and sixth place finishes from 2007 and 2010. However, in 2009, he finished 27th. Steckly is going for his second series championship after picking up two wins this year already – Motoplex Speedway and Mosport Speedway.
Meanwhile, Kennington has had a lot of success at Trois-Rivieres as he has inished in the top five in his last three starts there.
