St-Eustache, QC – Patrick Laperle of St-Denis, QC held off a hard charging Karl Allard over the final 10 laps of the Série ACT Castrol St-Eustache 300 at Autodrome St-Eustache on Sunday, September 18. Laperle led for the majority of the event and unofficially locks up the 2011 Série ACT Castrol title.
Laperle started in the eleventh position and worked his way to the front with the help of seven cautions by lap 79. He would lead the next 98 circuits before pitting out of the lead for tires and fuel on lap 176. With fresh tires it took him just 35 laps to work his way back to the point.
Allard started in the third position and led early while battling with Sylvain Lacombe. He relinquished the lead on lap 211 to Laperle on fresher tires. Allard chose to hold off and pit for his fresh tires on the lap 240 caution. After working his way back towards the front, Allard took the final restart on lap 281 as the fourth car on the track but in the second position.
After clearing the two lap cars several laps later, Allard reached Laperle’s bumper with less than 10 laps to go. The two fought hard over the remaining laps with Allard fighting to make a hole on the inside line, but making several lifts so as not to wreck Laperle. Entering turn three on the final lap, Allard once again got into Laperle and sent him sideways up the track. With a clear lane on the inside, Allard again chose to lift and let Laperle gather the car back up. Laperle would straighten the car out and take the win followed by Allard in second.
Dany Trepanier would take the third position followed by Stephane Descoste and Sylvain Lacombe. Lacombe was the final car on the lead lap after driving under both Laperle and Allard in the last lap battle. Patrick Hamel, Jonathan Bouvrette, Claude Leclerc, Valerie Chiasson and Patrick Cliche rounded out the top ten.
The 300 lap event saw 16 cautions and was completed in two hours and fifteen minutes. Twenty-six cars were on hand for the event and they all started the feature. Five cars completed all 300 circuits and fifteen cars were on the track for the checkers.
Several of the Série ACT Castrol competitors will head to the U.S. next weekend for the third annual ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 24. The following weekend will be another non-point counting event with the 49th running of the People’s United Bank Milk Bowl at Thunder Road in Barre, VT on Saturday, October 1 and Sunday, October 2.
The 2011 Série ACT Castrol season will then come to a close on Saturday, October 8 with the Fall Foliage 200 at Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, NY. It will be a combination event with the ACT Late Model Tour. The day will also feature the final Bond/WIX Tiger Tour 100 lap event and a 50 lap Airborne Renegade race.
St-Eustache 300 Unofficial Results
Série ACT Castrol
Autodrome St-Eustache – St-Eustache, QC
Pos. (Start) Driver, Hometown, Laps Completed
1. (11) Patrick Laperle, St-Denis-sur-Richelieu, QC, 300 Laps
2. (3) Karl Allard, Quebec, QC, 300 Laps
3. (4) Dany Trepanier, St-Edouard, QC, 300 Laps
4. (18) Stephane Descoste, Oka, QC, 300 Laps
5. (13) Sylvain Lacombe, Terrebonne, QC, 300 Laps
6. (2) Patrick Hamel, St-Edouard, QC, 298 Laps
7. (7) Jonathan Bouvrette, Blainville, QC, 297 Laps
8. (16) Claude Leclerc, Lanoraie, QC, 297 Laps
9. (24) Valerie Chiasson, Le Gardeur, QC, 297 Laps
10. (5) Patrick Cliche, St-Jean-Chrysostome, QC, 295 Laps
11. (22) #Yannick Tremblay, Chicoutimi, QC, 295 Laps
12. (6) Martin Goulet, Jr., Mascouche, QC, 292 Laps
13. (15) Brandon White, Kahnawake, QC, 283 Laps
14. (9) David Michaud, Ste-Anne-des-Plaines, QC, 279 Laps
15. (10) Donald Theetge, Boischatel, QC, 258 Laps
16. (8) Jacques Poulin, East Broughton, QC, 203 Laps
17. (14) Martin Goulet, Mascouche, QC, 158 Laps
18. (26) Maxime Pelletier, Mascouche, QC, 154 Laps
19. (12) Gaetan Lauzier, St-Pacome, QC, 138 Laps
20. (1) Steven Boissonneault, Lyster, QC, 123 Laps
21. (21) Philippe Jeannotte, Brossard, QC, 122 Laps
22. (25) Jacques Guinette, Lavac, QC, 83 Laps
23. (17) Martin Lacombe, Terrebonne, QC, 60 Laps
24. (23) Dave Baldwin, Carleton Place, ON, 40 Laps
25. (19) Jean-Francois Dery, Quebec, QC, 14 Laps
26. (20) Gaetan Gaudreault, Quebec, QC, 10 Laps
Time of Race: 2:15:24
Margin of Victory: .260 seconds
Cautions: 16 (Laps 11, 16, 28, 30, 41, 63, 73, 97, 123, 137, 158, 175, 240, 246, 276, 281)
Leaders: Steve Boissonneault, 1-20; Karl Allard, 21-62; Sylvain Lacombe, 63-75; Allard, 76-78; Patrick Laperle, 79-176; S. Lacombe, 177-180; Allard, 181-210; Laperle, 211-300.