NASCAR Canada: 2025 Season Opener Set For Action At CTMP

Bowmanville, ON – NASCAR Canada is back, and the 2025 season kicks off in full force at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) with the highly-anticipated Clarington 200 on May 18th. Fans can expect a thrilling weekend, as the grid features a mix of returning champions, seasoned veterans and rising stars ready to push their limits.

Defending champion Marc-Antoine Camirand returns in the No. 96 Paillé Racing Chevrolet, looking to carry the momentum from his 2024 title-winning season. Among his fiercest challengers will be Kevin Lacroix in the No. 74, last year’s runner-up and pole-position leader, with five poles in 2024. Andrew Ranger, No. 27 Paillé Racing driver, a three-time series champion, and veterans D.J. Kennington, driver of the No. 17 Castrol Edge Dodge, and Louis-Philippe Dumoulin, No. 47 WeatherTech Canada/Omnifab driver, who rounded out the top-five in last year’s standings, will also be ones to watch.

Adding to the excitement are two newcomers: American sensation Ryan Vargas, who joins the series in the No. 28 Critical Path Security Canada Dodge Challenge with DJK Racing, after a full-time season in the NASCAR Euro Series, and GT racing driver Josh Hurley, making his series debut in the No. 24 BC Race Cars Chevrolet.

Also in the spotlight is Gary Klutt, with the No. 59 Legendary Motorcar Company Dodge, who grabbed pole position at CTMP last season. Hometown driver Sam Fellows will be looking for a podium, a feat he came close to achieving while commanding the No. 87 AER/POLYSLEEP Chevrolet machine in last year’s WeatherTech Canada 200.

A strong contingent of returning drivers round out the grid, including crowd favourite Alex Tagliani, sharing the No. 80 St-Hubert/The UPS Store/Impression Mirabel/Dryshine/Grand Royal Wôlinak/BetGRW.com/Vulcain/Garoy Construction car with Donald Theetge this season. Young talents Alex Guénette, in the No. 39 GL Électricité Automatisation Chevrolet, and Jean-Philippe Bergeron, in the No. 1 ERACER Drink/JC Perreault Ford, are set to make their presence felt, while Simon Charbonneau embarks on his second part-time season in the No. 88 TransGestion/NAPA St-Jérôme Chevrolet.

EHR will be represented by Jason Hathaway, driver of the No. 3 Fast Eddie/Leland Industries Chevrolet, and Danny Chisholm, in the No. 8 Jani King Chevrolet. MBS Motorsports also fields a strong lineup, with Kyle Steckly in the No. 22 car and Domenic Scrivo driving the No. 69 Sierra Excavating Chevrolet.

“There’s an incredible energy heading into the 2025 season,” said Alan Labrosse, NASCAR Canada General Manager. “The mix of young talents, returning champions, and fan-favourite veterans sets the stage for one exciting season.”

Saturday’s on-track activities will start at 12:30 p.m. for Practice, followed by Qualifying at 4:45 p.m. Sunday’s Clarington 200 will take place at 2 p.m. Catch all the action live on REV TV, TVA Sports and tape-delayed broadcasts on TSN.

About NASCAR

Celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2023, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Mexico Series and the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 12 countries and more than 30 U.S. states. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).