Toronto race report

TORONTO, ON In the past year, Jeff Lapcevich has been in contention to win at least two CASCAR Super Series races. But on both occasions - at Mosport Int'l Raceway and at the Vancouver Indy - victory somehow eluded the Fastline Motorsports Chevy driver.

But on Saturday afternoon at the Toronto Indy, Lapcevich would not be denied. After starting second on the grid for the 36-lap Avenue ACDelco 100, the Hamilton, ON driver grabbed the lead immediately and relinquished the position only rarely en route to the checkered flag.

In all, the talented road racer led all but nine tours of the 11-turn, temporary street course, and took the lead for the third and final time when he passed two-time CASCAR Toronto Indy winner Kevin Dowler, with just four laps to go.

Although Dowler was in a position to challenge Lapcevich over the final four laps, an opportunity to recover the lead cleanly never presented itself and the EMCO Taurus driver settled for a solid second-place result. The third and final podium position went to Dowler's Apollo Motorsports teammate, Trevor Seibert, who hails from Williams Lake, BC.

In victory lane, Lapcevich - who has collected multiple race wins and series championships during his road racing career - said that the Toronto Indy CASCAR win was the biggest achievement of his racing career. He also noted that he was happy to have won the race on his fiancee Sherry's birthday... because in his rush to get ready for the race, he hadn't gotten her a present.

Quebec racer Donald Theetge was fourth, ahead of Scott Steckly, who recently finished third at the Mosport road course race, in his Schick Pontiac.

The championship points chase was shaken up considerably following the Avenue ACDelco 100. Don Thomson Jr. entered the race weekend with a three-point lead over Kerry Micks in the Super Series point standings.

But a 27th-place finish, the result of being caught up in accident involving Peter Gibbons, dropped Thomson to second in the points, 39 points back of Micks. The UFCW driver led the points chase for much of the 2001 season and took the lead in the championship chase after a sixth-place finish in Toronto. The result was impressive considering Micks started 24th on Saturday.