CONCORD, N.C. :: Raphael Lessard scored his second career CARS Tour Super Late Model victory on Saturday night at Concord Speedway.
Lessard led the initial start and the final 74 laps in the race and pulled away to notch his first victory since Hickory in May. Lessard actually surrendered the top spot on Lap 5 after making contact with the wall. This allowed Quin Houff to get past him.
But Lessard took advantage of a restart on Lap 25 and overtook Houff form the outside and never looked back.
“We are very happy,” Lessard said. “My team prepared a good car. David Gilliland Racing gave me a good car. And my Toyota Camry was fast. These guys help me on everything. My crew chief Seth Smith gives me good feedback. This is just awesome.”
The only flaw in his day occurred on the fifth lap when as the leader, he took the high line around the dog leg and slapped the outside retaining wall. That’s what cost him the top spot ever so briefly.
“I was worried after,” Lessard said. “This is my first time at Concord. I took the outside line and it didn’t work very good. I tried to go full throttle. That wasn’t a good time. I thought I had a flat tire but it didn’t and we won. I’m very happy.”
Preston Peltier raced his way up to second while Houff finished third. Matt Craig and Lessard’s David Gilliland Racing teammate Tanner Thorson completed the top-five. The only other caution in the race came when Zane Smith, feeling ill, parked his car at pit entrance.
The complete results of the CARS Super Late Model race from Concord Speedway can be viewed below.
- Raphael Lessard
- Preston Peltier
- Quin Houff
- Matt Craig
- Tanner Thorson
- Joey Padgett
- Steve Wallace
- Ali Kern
- Brandon Setzer
- Christian Eckes
- Michael Pilla
- Brad Rogers
- Zane Smith
- Harrison Burton
- Jeff Batten
Marquis comes from St. Charles, Maryland and has a widespread background in journalism, having covered politics in Washington and Maryland as well as nearly every form of auto racing, including NASCAR, IndyCar, AMA Motocross and IHRA Drag Racing. Now living near Emerald Isle, North Carolina, Marquis covers Late Model Stock Cars and Super Late Models in the Carolinas and Virginia.
