While Autodrome Chaudière is the de facto home base of the American-Canadian Tour’s Canadian contingent, American drivers have managed to neutralize the home-track advantage of the tough Quebecers.
Last Sunday, Jimmy Renfrew, Jr. added to that record.
Renfrew fought off Dany Trépanier to claim victory in the rain-delayed Claude Leclerc 150, becoming the second American to win the Tour’s tribute to Quebec’s long-tenured “Ironman.”
Even racing in “La Belle Province” was not immune from the inclement weather that has plagued the Northeast in 2023. With rain expected on Saturday, speedway and series officials nudged the race to Sunday, putting the ACT Tour feature atop the day’s itinerary to accommodate the long trips home for the American visitors.
William Larue and defending race winner Jonathan Bouvrette brought the 30-car field to the green flag. Renfrew quickly carved his way to third, pouncing on the frontrunners on restarts and wresting the top spot from Bouvrette by halfway.
Trépanier worked his way past Larue and Bouvrette to challenge Renfrew, giving the Candia, N.H. racer fits on restarts. But in a door-to-door show of force, the 2015 Série ACT champion had met an equal.
With traffic closing in, Trépanier could not intimidate Renfrew, who held on for his second career ACT Tour win in his first trip to Chaudière.
Defending ACT Tour champion DJ Shaw, one of only a few drivers to make the Chaudière trip a year ago, outraced Bouvrette in the final laps to come home a strong third. Bouvrette settled for fourth, with Mathieu Kingsbury fifth at the line.
Canadian contenders rounded out the top ten, with Larue finishing sixth ahead of Maxime Gauvreau, Steve Côté, former NASCAR Truck Series race winner Raphael Lessard, and veteran racer Jean-François Déry.
Tour title contender Derek Gluchacki was 11th, the fourth-best ACT Tour full-timer in the rundown.
Claude Leclerc, the race’s namesake, finished 19th in his first Tour start of 2023. A six-time winner in ACT’s NASCAR North and Pro Stock iterations, the 81-year-old remains active in the Tour ranks despite a COVID-enforced absence in 2020 and 2021.
The global pandemic’s effects on the Claude Leclerc 150 were far less apparent this year. Lingering travel restrictions kept many American teams from attempting the ACT Tour’s two Canadian events, virtually assuring Shaw of his championship barely halfway through the season. With those restrictions largely relaxed, nine American teams were in attendance at Chaudière. Cam Huntress was the only driver to attempt all four prior races who did not make the trip.
And while Shaw’s unflinching consistency keeps him atop the points race, the battle for the championship remains healthy. Renfrew and Gabe Brown, both fielding Dale Shaw Race Cars chassis, are second and third, with Gluchacki fourth and three-time Thunder Road International Speedbowl champion Jason Corliss fifth. Of the top ten in points, only three do not have a Shaw chassis in their fleet. In a separate battle within the top ten, rookies Andrew Molleur, Tanner Woodard and Bryan Wall, Jr. are locked in a three-way fight for top rookie honors.
Despite his youth, Renfrew is far removed from the rookie race. A two-time winner with the Granite State Pro Stock Series, Renfrew has raced under the ACT banner since 2019, winning at Hudson Speedway in 2021. Renfrew’s four touring wins to date have all come at quarter-mile ovals.
Sunday’s win was far from an upset, then.
In fact, for Renfrew, it may have felt a bit overdue.
Unofficial Results
American-Canadian Tour Claude Leclerc 150
Autodrome Chaudière
1. (00NH) Jimmy Renfrew, Jr.
2. (19QC) Dany Trépanier
3. (04VT) DJ Shaw
4. (41QC) Jonathan Bouvrette
5. (9QC) Mathieu Kingsbury
6. (55QC) William Larue
7. (17QC) Maxime Gauvreau
8. (14QC) Steve Côté
9. (48QC) Raphael Lessard
10. (21TN) Jean-François Déry
11. (03MA) Derek Gluchacki
12. (60ME) Gabe Brown
13. (44QC) Patrick Cliché
14. (68NH) Tanner Woodard
15. (03QC) Sébastien Couture
16. (78QC) Michael Lavoie
17. (66VT) Jason Corliss
18. (33QC) Rémi Perreault
19. (11QC) Claude Leclerc
20. (31CT) Andrew Molleur
21. (21QC) Alexendre Tardif
22. (51QC) Jeff Côté
23. (77NH) Bryan Wall, Jr.
24. (57QC) Carl Poulin
25. (36NH) Erick Sands
26. (90QC) Zackary Fauteaux
27. (91QC) Patrick Laperle
28. (37QC) Marc Begin
29. (31QC) Steven Boissoneault
30. (15QC) Christopher Bedard
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