Canadian Tire Motorsport Park played host to the WeatherTech 200, a Labour Day weekend classic that delivered a packed field, new track records and plenty of action. Marc-Antoine Camirand came out on top in the 51-lap thriller after a tumultuous afternoon.

The weekend opened with Alex Tagliani setting the pace in practice aboard his No. 80 St-Hubert / UPS / Bet GRW / DryShine Chevrolet prepared by Theetge Motorsports. Later in the day, Andrew Ranger stormed to the E3 Spark Plugs Pole Award, posting a new track record of 1:20.915 in his No. 27 GM Paillé Chevrolet. Kyle Steckly was just 0.021 seconds back, securing a front-row start in the No. 22 MBS Motorsports / Sierra Excavating / APC Chevrolet. The Top 7 effectively broke last year’s track record that was held by Kevin Lacroix.

Under clear skies, 27 NASCAR Canada drivers roared to the green flag for the WeatherTech 200. Ranger maintained his lead early on, while the order shuffled behind him. Starting fourth, Tagliani wasted no time pressuring Gary Klutt in the No. 59 Autologic / Hofmann Plastics Dodge.

Trouble came early with three full-course cautions slowing the opening stage of the race. Pit strategy quickly became a defining factor, as leaders pitted at different times. On one restart, Sam Fellows found himself out front in the No. 87 AER / PolySleep Chevrolet, followed by Darryll Timmers commanding the No. 85 Kendal Hills Supply / Switch Tire Dodge, with Mathieu Kingsbury in the No. 9 Duroking / BFL Canada Chevrolet, Alex Guenette aboard the No. 39 GL Électricité-Automatisations / Bet GRW Chevrolet and Simon Charbonneau in the No. 88 TransGestion / NAPA / IAI Experts-Conseils Chevrolet rounding out the top five.

In a daring Turn 1 move, Guenette, Kingsbury, and Charbonneau slipped past Timmers. Guenette, running second, began chipping away at Fellows’ lead, while Charbonneau had his hands full with Connor Bell in the No. 3 Dymon / Komcan / Eastrock / Peck’s / NBS Chevrolet. Bell eventually got the better of him to take over third.

Behind them, Charbonneau came under pressure from Klutt, Tagliani, Camirand and Ranger, all charging hard to rejoin the top five. Up front, Fellows continued to stretch his advantage, holding a five-second cushion over Guenette in second and Bell in third, each spaced out by a comfortable margin.

Meanwhile, Paillé Racing drivers Ranger and Marc-Antoine Camirand, running sixth and seventh, began swapping positions as they clawed their way back toward the leaders.

Another caution slowed the field, setting up a restart on lap 44 of the 51-lap event. With elbows out, Fellows held the lead, while Guenette went off track and into the grass, losing several positions. Bell came under pressure from Gary Klutt, who completed the pass by the end of the lap, with Camirand following through to grab third. Moments later, yet another caution waved, leaving the crowd hungry for more action.

The stage was set for a two-lap shootout: Fellows still out front, Camirand in second, Bell third, Tagliani fourth and Ranger rounding out the top five.

Contact came in Turn 5 as Fellows and Camirand battled hard for the lead. On a last-ditch effort, Camirand forced his way to the front, taking the win in dramatic fashion, with Connor Bell crossing the line second and Fellows salvaging third. Alex Tagliani and Andrew Ranger rounded out the Top 5.

“I am really proud of the team again,” said Marc-Antoine Camirand. “The No. 96 brought the win back to CTMP. We managed the race very well. I stayed patient, but with three laps to go, I was much faster than the No. 87. I had planned to make the pass in Turn 8, but he was a little slow through 3 and 4, so I took the opportunity in 5B.”

“It’s been a lot of fun so far,” stated Connor Bell. “We had a strong race. During the first red flag we lost the clutch, so we had to be pushed by the truck a couple of times in pit lane. I didn’t think we could still run without a clutch, but we made it work. Thanks to my team—we had the right strategy, great stops, and smart calls.”

“I think that was our win,” said Sam Fellows. “I’m so proud of the team. It’s emotional to do well here and it means so much at this track.”