News

Raphael Lessard Scores Third Top-10 Across Last Four Races. SiriusXM Driver Finishes Sixth in First Start at World Wide Technology Raceway

august 30, 2020

Date: Aug. 30, 2020

Event: CarShield 200 presented by CK Power (Race 14 of 23)

Series: NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (NGROTS)

Location: World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway (1.25-mile oval)

Format: Three Stages; 55 laps/55 laps/50 laps

Start/Finish: 19th /6th (Running, completed 160 of 160 laps)

Winner: Sheldon Creed of GMS Racing (Chevrolet)

Making his first career start at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, Raphael Lessard scored his third top-10 finish of the 2020 season, all which have been recorded across the last four races. Raphael Lessard, who started 19th, was running fourth late in the 160-lap event but got shuffled back on a late restart and would end the day with a sixth-place result.

Stage One Recap:

  • Raphael Lessard started in the 19th position after a performance matrix based off finishing position from the previous race, ranking in owner points standings and the fastest lap from the previous race.
  • The first stage would stay green the entire way as the rookie driver worked his way up to finish the stage in the 12th

Stage Two Recap:

  • At the stage break, Raphael Lessard radioed to his crew that he was "tight, center off." Raphael Lessard came down pit road four tires, fuel, and adjustments. Under the modified pit road procedure for the event, Raphael Lessard would restart 12th. Under the choose rule, Raphael Lessard lined up in the fifth row on the bottom lane for the restart.
  • After one caution in the second stage, Raphael Lessard finished the stage in the ninth position scoring two stage points.

Final Stage:

  • During the stage caution, Raphael Lessard radioed to his crew that he was "tight center" in Turns Three and Four. After taking four tires and fuel, Raphael Lessard was scored ninth, but on the choose lap, the rookie driver took the top lane and would line up in the fifth row on the outside lane.
  • At the fourth caution on Lap 128, Raphael Lessard had worked his way up to the seventh position. At the restart, Raphael Lessard would line up in the fourth row on the outside lane.
  • After a 12-lap run, Raphael Lessard worked his way up to the fourth position. On the restart, the rookie lined up in the third row on the outside lane but would drop to seventh as the leader did not get going.
  • Raphael Lessard would finish in the sixth position to score his third top-10 finish of the 2020 season.

Raphael Lessard, driver of the No. 4 SiriusXM | Canac Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports:

This was your first time at World Wide Technology Raceway, how was your day?

"My race was pretty good. we were starting way back because of what happened at Dover last weekend. We started 19th, my goal was to go win this thing and make my way to the Playoffs and that's the goal for the next two races and the rest of the season. It was also to just pass them one at a time and just make my way up there. It was my first time here, so I was trying to learn the race track at beginning, and we were a little bit too tight at first, but it was hard because we couldn't make any strategy on pit road and have a different strategy to gain us position. It was everyone on the same strategy, so it was in the driver's hands to make moves on the racetrack. I think I did a pretty good job; my team at Kyle Busch Motorsports got my Toyota Tundra Sirius XM | Canac way, way better, and at the end I thought we were as good as the leader, but just needed a little bit more luck on that last restart. You know what, with the new rule this one is on me. I chose the top, and I made the mistake of choosing the top, but oh well. We're going to focus on the next one and I just can't thank everyone at SiriusXM, Canac and Mobil1 for making this happen and we're going to get them at Darlington (Raceway)."

CarShield 200 presented by CK Power Recap:

  • Sheldon Creed picked up his third-career victory beating Brett Moffitt by 0.881 seconds. Austin Hill, Sam Mayer, and Stewart Friesen rounded out the top-five
  • The race featured five cautions for a total of 23 laps. There were five lead changes among four drivers.

How Lessard's KBM Teammates Fared:

  • Christian Eckes, driver of the No. 18 Toyota, finished 32nd.
  • Chandler Smith, driver of the No. 51 Toyota, finished 24th.

NGROTS Championship Standings:

After 14 events, Lessard sits 13th in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series point standings. The rookie of the year candidate sits 211 tallies behind points leader Austin Hill and 73 points behind the 10th and final playoff spot with two regular season races remaining.

Next Race:

Raphael Lessard will be back behind the wheel of the No. 4 Tundra when the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series resumes action on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020, at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. Live coverage will be on RDS, FS1, Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM at 2 p.m. ET.

**Press Release prepared by Kyle Busch Motorsports

Photo Credit: Nigel Kinrade Photography