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Louis-Philippe Dumoulin's Newfoundland race comes to an abrupt end
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Louis-Philippe Dumoulin's Newfoundland race comes to an abrupt end

june 26, 2022

Event

PRO*LINE 225 - ⅜ mile - NASCAR Pinty's Series

Track

Eastbound International Speedway (Avondale, Newfoundland and Labrador)

Broadcast

RDS & TSN (TBD)

Start / Finish

4th | 19th

Results

https://www.racing-reference.info/season-stats/2022/T/

Patience and adaptability defined the weekend experienced by Louis-Philippe Dumoulin and the #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare team, during the NASCAR Pinty's Series' first ever visit to the ⅜ mile oval track at Eastboud International Speedway.

On Saturday morning (June 25), rain forced a schedule change, combining practice and qualifying into a one-hour late morning session and changing the race start time to Sunday, June 26, at 11 a.m. (local time - 9:30 a.m. EST). "Looking at the track on Saturday morning, the configuration of the walls surprised me. The regulations here appear not to be the same as at the other tracks, it seemed a little dangerous and I told myself to stay away from the walls."

Starting 4th on the grid, based on the best times from the practice session, Louis-Philippe Dumoulin had a quick car for the race. "The car was handling very well at the start, as my crew had come up with great settings for the early part of the race as well as a good plan on what to change to also make it quick for the last part of the race and make the podium." explains the three-time series champion.

Sixth on the restart after the halfway point, things went sour as Louis-Philippe Dumoulin "rubbed the wall a little bit between turns 2 and 3, which caused a right rear flat. As I entered turn 3, the #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare car slid sideways. I tried to avoid the barrels that were positioned there, but without success, hit them hard and broke the rear suspension."

This incident on lap 120 abruptly ended Louis-Philippe Dumoulin's race. "The team will have a lot of damage to repair on the oval car when we get back to the shop. In the meantime, we are working hard on the street car to come back even stronger in Toronto," concluded the driver of the #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare car.

Practice and Qualifying

The #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare team had an unusual experience this weekend: racing at the easternmost tip of Canada. The drivers of the team rigs had to drive for over 25 hours and navigate the high seas on a ferry to get to Newfoundland.

The combined practice and qualifying session allowed Louis-Philippe Dumoulin to quickly come to grips with the oval track. "The Practice went well for us on the track that was unknown to most of the teams and that we all had to learn. It is fun to drive and I am sure that the race will be exciting. In terms of set-ups, we were conservative as we don't know how the track surface will change over the race distance with 22 cars dropping rubber and oil on it for 225 laps. My focus for the first half of the race will be to fine-tune the settings that should be applied to the suspension during the mid-race pit stop to improve the car for the final push."

Next events: an 8-race sprint over the next two months (see results table for details)

After the Newfoundland and Labrador race, the #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare team begins the most intense portion of the season: back in the shop, preparing the road course and oval cars for both the Toronto street course, the trio of oval races in Edmonton and Saskatoon, followed by the most important event of the year for Dumoulin Competition, the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières on the urban circuit, then the dirt oval race in Ohsweken, west of Toronto and the ICAR Mirabel reconfigured airport layout.

« Passion - Performance - Partnerships »

Photo Credit: Matthew Manor CSCG

ABOUT PARTNERS

WeatherTech is committed to designing, engineering and manufacturing the finest products possible for your vehicle, home and your pet. From the industry leading FloorLiner to the 100% non-toxic Pet Feeding System, WeatherTech has dedicated itself to exceed customer expectations of quality, craftsmanship and environmental sustainability for over 30 years. To see the full line of automotive, home and pet products that are guaranteed for life, visit weathertech.ca.

Groupe Bellemare is a 3rd generation family business that has been serving clients since 1959. Today, the company has more than 500 employees and provides them with an innovative work environment facilitating work-family balance and a healthy and safe quality of life. With over a half century of experience and its sustained R&D efforts, the Company offers high-quality products and services in areas as diverse as concrete, abrasives and minerals, dimensional load transportation, and recycling. Groupe Bellemare is also very involved in its industry and attaches great importance to its social and environmental role as a member of the business community. Groupe Bellemare makes a positive contribution to the quality of life of citizens in the communities it serves by supporting numerous social causes and promoting local purchasing through its responsible procurement practices. groupebellemare.com

Dumoulin Competition. Jean-François and Louis-Philippe Dumoulin founded the Dumoulin Competition Race Team in 2009. Working with financial, marketing, logistics and sports management experts, they built up a solid business structure. Dumoulin Competition prepares its own race cars in-house since 2016. Their motto: "Passion - Performance - Partnerships" expresses their will to perform on the track and offer their partners maximum visibility and profitability in return for their commitment. Their vision: To become Canada's leader in motorsports through on-track performance, an entrepreneurial spirit and human values. dumoulincompetition.com

2022 RESULTS
Summary - Highlights in Louis-Philippe Dumoulin's Career
NASCAR Pinty's Series
  • 2021: Pinty's Series Champion (1 victory, 3 podiums, 4 top-5 et 9 top-10 finishes in 10 events). Second championship with cars entirely prepared by Dumoulin Competition. Saw his name added for the third time to the NASCAR Hall of Fame (Charlotte, NC) / Wins "Driver of the Year" and "Best Performing Driver" awards.
  • Inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame (2020) for his outstanding contribution.
  • In 2020, the sanitary situation forced the NASCAR Pinty's Series to present only 6 races in the "Pinty's FanCave Challenge". Louis-Philippe Dumoulin scored 1 win and 3 top-5 finishes.
  • 2019: Third in driver and owner championships (2 wins, 4 podium, and eight top-5 finishes from 13 events).
  • 2018: Pinty's Series Champion (3 victories, 7 podiums, 2 poles, eight top-5 in 13 events). Saw his name added for the second time to the NASCAR Hall of Fame (Charlotte, NC) / Wins "Driver of the Year" and "Best Performing Driver" awards.
  • 2017: Fourth in the driver championship (3 podiums, nine top-5 and eleven top-10 finishes from 13 events).
  • 2016: Joint fourth in the driver championship (4 podiums, six top-5 and seven top-10 finishes from 12 events).
  • 2015: Fourth in the driver championship (2 podiums, six top-5 and nine top-10 finishes from 11 events).
  • 2014: Pinty's Series Champion (2 victories, 5 podiums and nine top-5 finish from 11 events). Saw his name added to the NASCAR Hall of Fame (Charlotte, NC) / Awarded the "Driver Of the Year", "Best Performing Driver" and "Gilles-Villeneuve" awards.
  • 2013: Fifth in the driver championship (2 victories, 3 podiums, four top-5s, six top-10s and five-time top-3 grid positions from 12 events).
  • 2012: Sixth in the driver championship (1 pole, three top-5 and seven top-10 finishes from 12 events).
  • 2011: Pinty's Series Rookie of the year.
Rallycross and Road Racing
  • 2015: Participated in FIA World Rallycross Championship round in Canada (Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières).
  • 2012: Second in class in the 12 Hours of Sebring (American Le Mans Series - GT3 Cup). The only Canadian driver on the podium.
  • 2004 to today: Front runner in the Grand-Am and Rolex Sports Car series, in Porsche, Ferrari and Daytona Prototype cars - Races in the 12 Hours of Sebring / and the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA events.
  • 2002: Champion in the Canadian Formula Ford Championship.
  • 2001: Awarded the ''Gilles-Villeneuve'' and ''Quartz'' trophies.
  • Records: Holder since 2002 of Formula Ford Series records for most victories (6) and most pole positions (7) in a single season.
WEBSITES / ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: