Quebec stock car driver heads to Daytona

Raphaël Lessard hopes to make some noise at the upcoming Daytona International Speedway Road Course in Daytona Beach, Florida on August 16.
The 19-year-old stock car driver is competing in his second NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (NGROTS) start on a road course. His first road course came at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in Bowmanville, Ontario.
“It’s something way different than what I’m used to. I love it, though. You can be aggressive. The downshifting and upshifting are awesome. You are always doing something and trying to push it harder and harder,” he said during a recent Q&A.
This is Lessard’s first full-time season in the NGROTS. He has recorded an average starting position of 13.7 and an average finishing position of 17.3. Lessard posted a career-best seventh-place finish last week at Michigan International Speedway.
Driving for the No. 4 Mobil 1 and Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM), Lessard currently ranks 14th NGROTS points standings and fifth in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings. He is supported by veteran crew chief Mike Hillman Jr.

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