Unexpected Race Finish for Louis-Philippe Dumoulin at the Gp3r

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Louis-Philippe Dumoulin and his #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare team were thrilled to be back at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres and see thousands of fans around the urban track. The record-breaking heat wave made for a challenging weekend for the drivers and crew.

Louis-Philippe Dumoulin showed perseverance during the GP3R race, although his race was adversely affected by difficulties, both mechanical and sporting.

Starting from an ideal position for the 60-lap event, Louis-Philippe Dumoulin ruled at the first laps, taking second place with his brother Jean-Francois chasing him. An intense battle ensued, as is customary in the streets of Trois-Rivieres. However, Louis-Philippe Dumoulin was forced to return to the track at the back of the pack due to an unjustified penalty according to the team.

Later in the race, Louis-Philippe Dumoulin climbed back into the top-5 in a spectacular battle with the #18 car. While things calmed down mid-race, the end of the race was both disappointing for Louis-Philippe Dumoulin, and exciting for the spectators. Indeed, with 2 laps to go, Louis-Philippe Dumoulin was the victim of a race accident between the leader, Jean-Francois Dumoulin, and the #96 car. Before that, the fans could have hoped for a 100% podium from Dumoulin Competition entries.

“We had the car to win this weekend,” said Louis-Philippe Dumoulin. “We received a penalty during the race in a pit stop. I tried to pass the #18 car in the pits when it still had its gas can attached, and I didn’t want to start a fire on the left side of the car, as the gas was spilling on the hot brake disk system.”

Louis-Philippe goes on to say that “After that, we had a great battle and worked our way up the field aiming for the win. While my brother was in first place, I saw the #96 car push Jean-Francois into the wall, and then I went to the right as Jean-Francois was coming back. He crashed into me which caused me to go into the wall and break my rear end. There were only two laps left in the race and we decided to stay on track. However, when I was at full speed in the Depailler corner, the brake pedal went to the floor. I had no choice but to lean against the wall to slow down. In doing so, I ripped off the right rear wheel.”

The #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare car finished 14th and still retains some positives from his experience at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres; “the WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare car was very fast this weekend. This proves that our team is on top of its game. We have a team strong enough to win the championship. We wanted to finish at the front to get points, but it didn’t work out the way we planned.”

Practice and qualifying

Saturday practice was very satisfying for the first day of action at the GP3R as he was quickest of the session, in front of the mostly local crowd and his fans.

“I was very happy with the car and the performance of the #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare team so far,” said Dumoulin. “We could have had more speed, but that was a driver error. I should have pushed more in some corners.”

The qualifying session proved to be more difficult, as Louis-Philippe Dumoulin was not completely satisfied with the car’s set-up. “The tire pressure was a bit too low at the beginning of the session, and I didn’t manage to warm them up enough to take advantage of it,” he explained, despite setting the third fastest time in the session. “It’s not a bad time, but I’m sure we would have been able to get pole position, so it’s disappointing. However, we have a very good car and a great team. Our aim is to win and to get a good position in the championship.”

Next Race: Ohsweken Speedway – Dirt – August 16, 2022

For the first time in its history, the NASCAR Pinty’s Series will feature a dirt race on August 16th at Ohsweken Speedway. Louis-Philippe Dumoulin and the #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare team are looking forward to the challenge of getting to grips with this brand-new track surface and driving technique.

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Speedway Digest Staff
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