TROIS-RIVIÈRES — Returning to the tight, concrete-lined street circuit that winds through downtown Trois-Rivières, Italian stock-car specialist Vittorio Ghirelli translated a strong qualifying day into a measured top-10 finish in Sunday’s Le 45 Tours CarGurus NASCAR Canada Series feature.
Preparation in Quebec paid off
The two-time NASCAR Euro Series V8GP champion arrived in the region after a summer focused on preparing for the event. A shakedown session at Autodrome Montmagny helped him adapt to NASCAR Canada machinery before the Grand Prix weekend began — a point his crew cited as central to their race plan.
Driving the No. 50 Chevrolet Camaro on the 2.448-kilometre downtown circuit, Ghirelli turned a lap of 1:08.638 in qualifying to secure seventh on the grid. That time put him less than four-tenths of a second behind Kevin Lacroix’s pole time.
“What a wonderful qualifying. Second in our group and we were P7 overall. I’m really grateful for the results. It’s not easy to compete with these guys. The team is happy and we’re happy.”
Strategy over aggression
The weekend’s format also included the debut of the Omnifab Sprints — two 15-lap qualifying races that set the starting order for Sunday’s main event. Rather than aggressively hunting positions in those sprints, Ghirelli and his team opted to prioritise equipment preservation.
- Objective in sprints: protect tyres, brakes and overall equipment.
- Result in sprints: a top-five finish, meeting the team’s conservative target.
- Sunday feature: steady performance and controlled approach led to a 10th-place finish.
That patient approach was designed to maximise the Camaro’s condition for the feature race, and ultimately paid dividends in terms of race-day reliability and consistent pace amid the close-quarters street racing that characterises Trois-Rivières.
Numbers at a glance
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Car | No. 50 Chevrolet Camaro |
| Qualifying lap | 1:08.638 |
| Qualifying position | 7th |
| Feature finish | 10th |
For Ghirelli, the result represented a measure of redemption following a difficult conclusion to his 2025 appearance at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières. The performance in 2026 reinforced his standing as a driver capable of adapting to a broad range of stock-car formats and circuits.
Local race organisers and fans continue to witness the internationalisation of the Trois-Rivières event, as competitors from Europe and elsewhere bring different approaches and experience to the unique demands of street-circuit racing. For visiting drivers like Ghirelli, time spent at regional tracks such as Autodrome Montmagny can be decisive in mastering the braking zones and tight lines required on the downtown circuit.
While the headline result was a top-10 finish rather than a podium, the measured strategy and equipment management highlighted a pragmatic path for teams bridging transatlantic series — balancing outright speed in qualifying with longer-term race durability.
As the NASCAR Canada Series continues its season, performances like Ghirelli’s at Trois-Rivières underline how international talents are factoring into national championship dynamics and how the Grand Prix remains a test of both precision and patience.
