TROIS-RIVIERES, Quebec — Andrew Ranger took advantage of an opportunity and won the GP3R 100 after race-leader Scott Steckly and J.R. Fitzpatrick got tangled up in the final lap of Sunday’s NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres.
The caution flag waved with just over a lap remaining in the event when Kent Nuhn’s car suffered a flat right-front tire, setting up a green-white-checkered finish. Ranger, running in third, slipped through a hole created when Fitzpatrick made contact with Steckly in turn nine of the 10-turn, 1.53-mile temporary road course.
Fitzpatrick started on the pole and led the first 28 laps before Steckly was able to make the pass in turn one while Fitzpatrick was dealing with lapped traffic. Steckly had moved out to a comfortable lead, but the late caution erased that margin setting up the thrilling finish.
Ranger, a Quebec native, sent the very partisan, capacity crowd in Trois-Rivieres home happy. Winning was not the only good news for Ranger on Sunday. Earlier in the day, he learned that he will be behind the wheel of a NASCAR Nationwide Series car from the Fitz Motorsports stable for seven races this season after making his debut in the car in Montreal.
“It’s been a great day for me,” said Ranger. “(Fitzpatrick and Steckly) left the door open and I took advantage. After being so close last season, it was great to get a win here in front of these awesome fans.”
A season ago, Kerry Micks beat Ranger to the finish line by just .012 second.
Steckly was able to gather up his car in the final turn and finish second, his seventh podium finish in nine events this season. Jason Hathaway slipped by Fitzpatrick for third as did D.J. Kennington in fourth. Fitzpatrick settled for fifth.
The finish:
Andrew Ranger, Scott Steckly, Jason Hathaway, D.J. Kennington, J.R. Fitzpatrick, Jim Lapcevich, Jean Francois Dumoulin, Kerry Micks, John Gaunt, Brad Graham, Peter Gibbons, Peter Klutt, Don Thomson, Jr., Andre Coursol, David Thorndyke, Jason White, Alex Tagliani, Kent Nuhn, Mark Dilley, Dave Whitlock, Ron Beauchamp, Jr., Derek Lynch, Robin Buck, Pierre Bourque, Dave Connelly, Anthony Simone, Jarrad Whissell.