Kevin Lacroix takes top spot in qualifying for Cam-Am 200 season opener

The 2017 season for the NASCAR Pinty's Series is underway and Kevin Lacroix is feeling pretty confident after qualifying for Sunday's Can-Am 200 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

After finishing second to Tagliani in practice, Lacroix piloted his No. 74 car to the pole position after qualifying Saturday edging his fellow Quebec driver by 3/10 of a second with a fast lap of 1:22.810 seconds (106.900 mph) to Tagliani's 1:23.166 (106.443).

"Before qualifying, I felt so so with the car, but we tried one thing on the car and it looked like it worked and the car was good and I was very happy to get in two good laps," said Lacroix. "We're very confident for the race tomorrow. I don't know if we'll race in the rain or if it will be dry but I'm confident in the car either way."

L.P. Dumoulin followed in third with Gary Klutt fourth and Alex Labbe fifth giving Quebec drivers four of the five top starting positions.

Lacroix won last fall at CTMP in the most recent race for the Pinty's Series and said the track hasn't changed but conditions vary in the spring from the fall on the 2.459-mile course.

"The track is always the same, but the first race of the year with the last one is always a little bit different," Lacroix added. "When we run with the trucks we both run Goodyears and the tire compound works better for us than when we run the season opener and the other divisions race with Pirellis, Michelins and other tires so our times are a little slower." 

Andrew Ranger finished sixth with Anthony Simone, D.J. Kennington, Jason Hathaway and Christopher Bell completing the top 10.