LUCAMA, N.C. :: Raphael Lessard wrapped up a dominant season with a fitting conclusion, claiming his fourth Championship Auto Racing Series (CARS) Super Late Model Tour victory while being awarded the series championship.
“David Gilliland Racing has worked so hard for this,” Lessard said following the race. “I have worked so hard for this. I can’t thank David Gilliland Racing enough. They give me an awesome car everywhere we go.”
The youngster from St. Joseph, Quebec scored four wins, seven podium finishes, and eight top fives over the course of a breakout season for David Gilliland Racing. With an insurmountable points lead entering the 125-lap finale at Lucama, North Carolina, the #PlayItSafe250 served as a victory lap for Lessard and his team.
“I don’t know what to say,” Lessard admitted. “It’s my first championship ever. To get it in my first year in CARS Tour is awesome.”
However, it was anything but a leisurely cruise. Lessard started seventh in the 125-lap event, but worked his way through the field and survived a hectic final restart to take home the victory.
On that restart, Lessard washed up the racetrack into the door of Brandon Setzer, which created a bottleneck and inflicted minor cosmetic damage to a few cars. Lessard was quick to apologize for his role in the incident in victory lane.
“I don’t know what happened with Setzer, the number six,” Lessard said. “I didn’t mean to do that. I don’t race like that. I always try to race as clean as I can. It just happened, and I was driving the car. He did amazing, though, he finished second, and second in the championship. Congratulations to Brandon Setzer, he did an awesome job, also.”
After a strong showing in New Smyrna during the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing to start 2016, Lessard came to Southern National for the CARS Tour opener and finished third. He followed it up with a runner-up finish to Christopher Bell in a thrilling battle at Orange County Speedway before taking his first CARS win at Hickory Motor Speedway.
Since then, Lessard had scored victories at both Concord Speedway and Myrtle Beach Speedway, showing an ability to succeed on a variety of circuits.
“It is awesome,” Lessard said reflecting on the variety of tracks he visited this season. “Concord is one of my favorite tracks, with the dogleg. It’s amazing. I always have a good car. It’s easier when you have a good car, and a good crew chief like Seth Smith. Everyone at David Gilliland Racing is the best. I can’t thank everyone enough.”
With the championship in hand, Lessard plans on continuing to run more Super Late Model events moving forward, starting with the upcoming Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway.
“I’ll be running the Snowball Derby, for sure,” Lessard said about his future plans. “I think I’m going to go next year in the Super Late Model again, but I’m going to try all the big races. The Rattler, [CRA] Speedfest, Winchester 400, All-American 400, all those races. The best drivers are there. When you race with the best, you become the best, so that’s what we’re going to try to do.”
