Jean-François Déry Holds on for 2013 Série ACT Championship
Jonathan Bouvrette Earns First Série ACT Victory in St-Eustache 200
Jonathan Bouvrette of Blainville, QC won the St-Eustache 200 at Autodrome St-Eustache on Sunday, September 15 in dominant fashion. He led well over half the race on his way to his first career Série ACT victory in the 2013 season finale. Jean-François Déry followed him across the line in second to claim the 2013 Série ACT Championship and a $20,000 point fund check.
Déry ran a smart and clean race to come home second and claim the 2013 Série ACT Championship by unofficially eight points. The Série ACT veteran used two victories during the season to secure his first career Série ACT title.
Dany Trepanier of St-Edouard, QC led in the early stages of the event until the suspension on his right front broke sending him into the wall in turns three and four on lap 58. That handed the lead to Bouvrette, who didn’t relinquish the top spot until the fourth caution flag of the event flew on lap 114. Under the caution period Bouvrette and the majority of the field headed to pit road for two fresh tires.
Alex Labbe gained six points on point leader Déry in the heats and entered the feature trailing by just nine points. He took advantage of the field pitting and stayed out while running in the second position. With Bouvrette visiting pit road, Labbe was handed the lead and earned an all important five points for leading a lap on the ensuing restart, shrinking Déry’s lead.
The strategy didn’t work out as Bouvrette was back in the lead with fresh tires in just two laps. Déry followed Bouvrette to the point and took over the second spot from Labbe. Without the new tires, Labbe faded back to mid-pack until the fifth and final caution on lap 130. He then pitted for tires, but had to work his way from the back of the pack.
Déry stayed glued to Bouvrette’s back bumper as the two worked lapped traffic over the final 70 lap green flag run. Labbe worked his way back up to fourth, but didn’t have enough to get around Patrick Laperle who was running third. Labbe made a last ditch effort on the final lap to get around Laperle with a bump-and-run move entering turn three. He was penalized one spot back to fourth with Laperle taking third. Etienne Cliche rounded out the top five.
Bouvrette was already invited to the 5th Annual Bond Auto ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway as an at-large invite. With his win he now secures the final qualifier bonus for an extra $500.
Stars of both the Quebec-based Série ACT and the U.S.-based ACT Tour will return to New Hampshire Motor Speedway next Sunday, September 21 for the 5th Annual Bond Auto ACT Invitational. The annual trip is part of an action-packed Saturday at the “Magic Mile.”
St-Eustache 200
Série ACT Unofficial Results
Autodrome St-Eustache – St-Eustache, QC
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Pos. (Start) Driver, Hometown, Laps Completed
1. (7) Jonathan Bouvrette, Blainville, QC, 200 Laps
2. (14) Jean-Francois Dery, Quebec, QC, 200 Laps
3. (12) Patrick Laperle, St-Denis, QC, 200 Laps
4. (11) Alex Labbe, St-Albert, QC, 200 Laps
5. (8) Etienne Cliche , Vallee-Jct., QC, 200 Laps
6. (5) Donald Theetge, Boischatel, QC, 200 Laps
7. (10) Stephane Descoste, Oka, QC, 199 Laps
8. (20) Maxime Plante, St-Hyacinthe, QC, 197 Laps
9. (17) Patrick Boyer, Quebec, QC, 197 Laps
10. (15) #Christopher Bedard, Montreal, QC, 194 Laps
11. (2) #Martin Goulet, Mascouche, QC, 191 Laps
12. (4) Claude Leclerc, Lanoraie,QC, 175 Laps
13. (9) Jean-Pierre Ouimet, Terrebonne, QC, 130 Laps
14. (19) Maxime Pelletier, Mascouche, QC, 127 Laps
15. (6) Dany Trepanier, St-Edouard, QC, 60 Laps
16. (13) Steve Munro, Carp, ON, 11 Laps
17. (16) Rejean Bissonnette, St-Adele, QC, 11 Laps
18. (18) Tim Kirby, Carleton Place, ON, 9 Laps
19. (1) Jacques Poulin, E. Broughton, QC, 1 Laps
20. (3) Paul Jean, Saint-Augustin, 1 Laps
Lap Leaders: Claude Leclerc, 1-5; Dany Trepanier, 6-58; Jonathan Bouvrette, 59-116; Alex Labbe, 117-118; Bouvrette, 119-200.
Time of Race: 1:28:12
Margin of Victory: .726 seconds
Cautions: 5 (laps 0, 9, 59, 114, 130)
Heat Winners: Paul Jean, Etienne Cliche, Alex Labbe
Sources: Serie ACT PR