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FRUSTRATING DAY FOR LOUIS-PHILIPPE DUMOULIN AT ANTIGONISH
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FRUSTRATING DAY FOR LOUIS-PHILIPPE DUMOULIN AT ANTIGONISH

august 20, 2017

NASCAR Pinty's Series: tenth race

Every member of the #47 WeatherTechCanada / Groupe Bellemare team was expecting great things from this race that was run on Sunday, on the one third banked oval of the Riverside International Speedway, near Antigonish (NS). After starting 8th on the grid (determined by his best time in the Saturday practice session), Louis-Philippe Dumoulin had started a successful climb back up to the lead pack, when he was pushed into the outside wall in turn 2 wall on lap 76. The ensuing damage turned out to be extensive, so much so that it forced the #47 WeatherTech Canada / Groupe Bellemare team to retire the car before the end of the race.

On Saturday, NASCAR Pinty's Series officials had been forced to give in to the rainy weather. Qualifying had been called off and the race moved to a Sunday 1pm start. In addition, the race grid was determined by the best laps turned in by each driver during the Saturday afternoon practice session.

Right from the start of the race, Louis-Philippe was on a good pace and on his way forward in his #47 WeatherTech Canada / Groupe Bellemare racer, at least until the lap 76 bump from a competitor that pushed into the wall hard. The car was badly damaged, with a destroyed rear suspension and damaged components in the differential.

Despite multiple visits to the pits and one behind the hauler to make it easier to work on the car, and all the hard work from the team members in very difficult conditions - think very hot part - it became obvious that the car could not be fixed properly before the end of the race. The only option was to retire the car from the race, leaving it 14th with 213 of the 300 laps completed.

After the race, Louis-Philippe Dumoulin was looking towards the best of a bad situation: "The car was running very well until the accident. The extensive damage forced us to eventually retire the car after trying everything we knew to fix it. This has cost us a lot of Championship points, but there is some good news as the car keeps on improving race after race, and we still have three races left in 2017 to score as many points as possible and move up the Championship rankings."

Eleventh event of the season: Canadian Tire Motorsport Park - September 2-3, 2017

This upcoming September 2-3 weekend, the #47 WeatherTech Canada / Groupe Bellemare team will be on-track at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park road circuit. This event is synonymous with success for Louis-Philippe Dumoulin.

"Passion - Performance - Partnerships"

Photo : Matthew Murnaghan

ABOUT PARTNERS

WeatherTech Canada designs, develops and produces high quality, digitally custom fit automotive accessories; including FloorLiners, All-Weather Floor Mats, Cargo Liners, TechLiners and No-Drill Mudflaps. Engineers use the newest technology available to measure the geometric complexity of the vehicle ensuring a constantly perfect fit. WeatherTech… Where Technology and All Weather Protection meet! weathertech.ca

Groupe Bellemare: Competitive and dynamic, Thomas Bellemare's innovative and growing family team is ready to take on any challenge. With support from senior members and a qualified team of managers, the third-generation Bellemares are reaching new heights. Built upon a solid past, the company moves forward with an exceptional team of experts and seeks a select group of clients. Our clients continue to benefit from our wide variety of services that target a large number of sectors. As a result, our visibility is constantly on the rise. Working with the Bellemare team has become a measure of success. Start off right by choosing a winning team! groupebellemare.com

WEBSITES / ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

SUMMARY - HIGHLIGHTS IN LOUIS-PHILIPPE DUMOULIN'S CAREER
  • In 2016, he finished exequo with the fourth position of the NASCAR Pinty's Series (4 podiums and six top-5 in 12 events).
  • In 2015, he finishes the NASCAR Pinty's championship in fourth place (2 podiums and six top-5s in eleven events.)
  • 2014 champion of the NASCAR Pinty's series: 5 podiums and 2 victories, as well as 9 top-5s in eleven events. It is the first time that a team made up entirely of Quebecers wins this championship. (Prep. team: King Autosport, managed by Martin Roy).
  • Won the Gilles Villeneuve Trophy in 2014 and 2001. This trophy symbolizes the fighting spirit and on-track excellence of a Quebec-native driver throughout the season that just ended. It is the first time that a recipient of the Trophy wins it twice throughout their career.
  • Won, in 2013, the only Ontarian event to this day made up of an all-Quebecer podium(Canadian Tire Motorsport Park - NCATS series);
  • The only Canadian who climbed on the podium in 2012 during the prestigious event of the 12 hours of Sebring (2nd place - American Le Mans Series - GT3 Cup - WeatherTech Racing Team);
  • Won the title of rookie of the year in 2011 in the NASCAR Canadian Tire series despite having only participated in 8 races out of 13 (scoring four top-10s and two top-5s);
  • Crowned Canadian champion in Formula Ford 1600 in 2002;
  • He still owns the record in Formule Ford 1600 for the highest amount of victories and pole positions in one season (2002).