Raphael Lessard Overcomes Mechanical Problems - Charges From 17th To 9th At Bristol
Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce (Quebec, Canada) - April 7th, 2019. Raphaël Lessard once again demonstrated his talent on Saturday at the Bristol Motor Speedway, behind the wheel of the Toyota #50 NAPA Belts & Hoses | FRL Express. Starting from the back of the grid (17th), Raphael charged through the pack up to an impressive 7th place by lap 104 of the 150-lap race. Faced with mechanical issues from Friday's practice sessions, the young driver rose to the challenge with flying colours on the fastest half-mile track in the world.
Driving a K&N car for the first time at Bristol Motor Speedway was no problem for Raphael Lessard, who already had some winning experience at Bristol in Super Late Model cars. Raphael Lessard has also demonstrated his quick adaptability to different cars that were new to him, as in an ARCA car and in a NASCAR Gander Outdoors Series truck earlier this season.
During the first practice session on Friday (April 5th), the car suffered from serious understeer going into corners 1 and 3, and oversteering coming out of corners 2 and 4, causing the loss of at least half a second over the full lap, a costly problem on this short and quick track. According to Raphael Lessard, the engine also lacked some power compared to the competition, which further complicated driving.
These issues did not allow Raphael Lessard to demonstrate his full potential during practice and qualifying. On Saturday (April 6th), the Bill McAnally Racing (BMR) team made some minor adjustments within the limits of the K&N Pro Series East rules, and to further complicate matters, Raphael Lessard was moved to the back of the starting grid by the K&N officials following a penalty to the team.
During the race, Raphaël Lessard showed his usual determination as he drove hard to draw the most performance out of the car. "I pushed 200 % from start to finish, always looking for the quickest lines as the track surface and racing conditions evolved from the top to the middle and bottom of the track. It worked as I was getting more and more speed from the car," said the young driver after the race. "When passing cars, I analyze and plan the manoeuvres to reduce lost time, driving behind the car to find a loophole and deciding how and where to overtake. If it doesn't work, I repeat the process or change tactics, without losing patience and concentration."
In the end, Raphael Lessard drove the car above its potential from start to finish, without unduly pushing people around or damaging his ride, a sign of growing professionalism from a young driver who is rapidly gaining in maturity and efficiency on the track.
After the race, Raphael Lessard said the he was happy with his race as he had gained valuable experience during the 150 laps on the track where he will drive in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series event on August 15th. "I really learned a lot: reading the evolution of trajectories from lap to lap, how to make a heavier car react more quickly, managing brake use and tire wear, adjusting to an engine with less power, losing as little time as possible in heavy traffic on a small track, and overtaking from the top groove as the others run the inside groove to protect their position. This was a satisfying and important day for me, and I will certainly be near the front next time here," concluded the proud and happy driver.
Raphael Lessard returns to the track on May 3rd at the Dover International Speedway for a NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race, with the Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) team.
Read the complete press release here
Photo Credit: Danny Hanson
