The NASCAR Canada Series kicked off its 2026 season this weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park with a caution-filled CarGurus 200, where Gary Klutt turned pole position into victory, marking the start of a new era with updated regulations, new partners, and the debut of McCreary Tire as the series’ tire supplier.

Connor Bell in the No. 3 Dymon/Sangsin Brake/HGC/Fast Eddie Chevrolet set the pace in Saturday’s practice, while Gary Klutt, behind the wheel of the No. 71 AutologiQ/Kleen-Flo Dodge, secured the E3 Spark Plugs Pole Award in qualifying.

Sunday’s race saw early drama before the green flag, as Kevin Lacroix encountered issues on the pace laps. The No. 74 Carlyle Tools/NAPA Racing/Valvoline Chevrolet was forced to pit and rejoined later with several laps down.

At the front, Marc-Antoine Camirand, commanding the No. 96 GM Paillé/Chevrolet Canada Chevrolet, quickly challenged Klutt for the lead, while Alex Tagliani in the No. 80 St. Hubert/Bet GRW/UPS Store Chevrolet moved into the top three. Camirand eventually took over the top spot as battles intensified, with Kyle Steckly in the No. 22 Sierra Excavating/APC/Murphy Mtps/MBS Chevrolet and Alex Guenette driving the No. 39 DLGL/GL Électricité-Automatisations Chevrolet also muscled through the field.

The race featured multiple interruptions and shifting strategies throughout the field, beginning with an early full course yellow for Geoff Johnson in the No. 14 Curb Records/Darkhorse Trailers/Strode’s Ford. As the race unfolded, pit strategy brought several drivers into play, with Marc-Antoine Camirand, Andrew Ranger, Kyle Steckly, Louis-Philippe Dumoulin, and Gary Klutt all cycling through the front-running battle.

A series of late-race cautions reshaped the action-packed closing stage, including incidents involving Mathieu Kingsbury, Glenn Styres, L.P. Dumoulin, Alex Tagliani, Connor Bell, Larry Jackson, and others. A red flag was eventually displayed with 15 laps remaining for track cleanup, setting the tone for a chaotic final stretch.

With fewer than 10 laps to go, Camirand moved back to the lead, but additional contact and a multi-car incident in Turn 10 forced the race into NASCAR Overtime. On the first green-white-checkered attempt, Steckly and Tagliani battled side-by-side before a contact in Turn 2 brought out another caution.

On the final restart, Klutt lined up on the front row alongside Dumoulin. Steckly briefly challenged for the lead, but Klutt powered back to the front and pulled clear to secure the victory.

“It’s been a while since we’ve been able to convert a pole into a win here, so this one means a lot,” said Gary Klutt. “I wouldn’t be here without AutoLogic/Kleen-Flo/Hofmann Plastics/Superior Glove, and everyone who supports me. We had a good car, but it was a long race with a lot of attrition. Some things went our way, others didn’t. At one point, we got trapped further back than we should have with only two fresh tires, and from there it was all about fighting our way back to the front.”

“It’s great to be back on the podium here at CTMP. The WeatherTech No. 47 Omnifab/Bellemare Dodge was fast,” said L.P. Dumoulin. “I think we had a shot at the win at the end, but I didn’t see Gary coming. We were told they only had two left-side tires. He did a great job, though. We all raced well together and put on a good show at the finish with Steckly. I want to thank my fans, my team, my sponsors, and my family. Of course, we want wins, but the bigger goal is another championship, and we’re on the right track.”

“It’s frustrating, but I’m really proud of my MBS Motorsports guys, Sierra Excavating/APC/Murphy, and everyone who makes this possible,” said Kyle Steckly. “I truly thought we had this one. On those last few restarts, we just didn’t have the same power as the others, and I picked up some right-side damage at some point. It’s tough because we had a really fast car and the right strategy with fresh tires. In the end, it’s still a strong run for the team. We’ll keep pushing and come back in the fall.”

Connor Bell, driver of the No. 3 Dymon/Sangsin Brake/HGC/Fast Eddie Chevrolet, was named the JOSTENS Rookie of the Race.

The NASCAR Canada Series returns to action on June 6 at Autodrome Chaudière in Vallée-Jonction.