Alexandre Gingras of Quebec, QC halted Donald Theetge’s recent dominance at the 5/8ths mile Circuit Ste-Croix stock car oval Sunday in the Série ACT Castrol’s fifth event of the season.  Gingras, who started sixth on the grid, took the lead for the second and final time on the 19^th circuit of the Stock Car Mania 100 and cruised to an easy win over Theetge from Boischatel, QC.  Val Belair, Quebec’s, Jean-François Déry was third.  Patrick Laperle from St-Denis, QC and Karl Allard of St-Felicien, QC completed the top five.

Gingras, the winner two weeks ago in the Toromont CAT 100 at Ottawa, Ontario’s Capital City Speedway, seemed a bit surprised at his win, “My car didn’t change all day – it never got any better or worse.  I knew Donald’s car was strong.  My plan was to put as much distance between myself and the others as I could.  If there had been a caution, I don’t think I could have held him off,” he explained.

The only time Gingras lost the lead was on the lone restart following a lap 17 caution for Kevin Roberge’s blown motor.  On the restart, Theetge lined up alongside leader Gingras.  Theetge, the 2006 Série ACT Castrol champion nosed his car ahead to lead the 18^th circuit.  Gingras surged back to the front as Theetge admittedly overdrove through the third and fourth turns.   Déry capitalized on the mistake and powered into second, a position he held until the 66^th lap when Theetge returned the favor.

“Once I made the mistake I called to my crew chief and said, ‘I’m going to let them go, there will be a

Alexandre Gingras (27) powers down the long Circuit Ste-Croix backstretch as second place Jean-Francois Dery (21), Donald Theetge(80) and Karl Allard (48) prepare to pass Martin Lacombe

Dany Ouellet, the outside polesitter was the only other driver to lead the race.  He was out front for the first eight circuits.

Sylvain Lacombe from Terrebonne, QC was sixth, Marc-Andre Cliché of Vallee-Jonction, Jacques Poulin from East Broughton, Montreal’s Claude Leclerc and Yvon Bedard from St-Nicolas, Qc rounded out the top ten.

The Kenyon Racing Products Hard Charger Award went to Karl Allard while the Race Basics Hard Luck Award went to rookie competitor Eric St-Gelais.  In addition to his purse winnings Gingras also earned awards from Racing Electronics and Five Star RaceCar Bodies.  Yvon Bedard took home the VDL Fuel Systems Award.

Déry, the Série ACT Castrol’s point leader entering Sunday’s race maintains his position atop the standings even though he did not qualify for the bonus point semi-feature and his two closest rivals did.  Déry’s margin has been cut to an unofficial 18 points.  Gingras’ victory moved him into second (410-392) up from fifth.  Allard is third with 384 points.

The Serie ACT Castrol’s next event, the PRO FAB 100 is set for Friday, June 29 at the Autodrome Chaudiere, a 1/3 mile high banked oval in Vallee-Jonction, Qc. 

Official Finish of the Série ACT Castrol’s Stock Car Manis 100 – Sun., June 26, 2007 at Circuit Ste-Croix,  Ste-Croix, Qc showing finish position, (start position), driver, hometown, laps complete and reason out, if any:

1. (6) Alexandre Gingras, Quebec, Qc, 100

2. (10) Donald Theetge, Boischatel, Qc, 100

3. (12) Jean-François Déry, Val-Belair, Qc, 100

4. (13) Patrick Laperle, St-Denis, Qc, 100

5. (14) Karl Allard, St-Felicien, Qc, 100

6. (11) Sylvain Lacombe, Terrebonne, QC, 100

7. (4) Marc-Andre Cliche, Vallee-Jonction, Qc, 100

8. (5) Jacques Poulin, East Broughton, Qc, 100

9. (3) Claude Leclerc, Lanouraie, Qc, 100

10. (8) Yvon Bedard, St-Nicolas, Qc, 100

11. (7) Daniel Bergeron,  St-Benoit, Qc, 99

12. (9) Martin Lacombe, Terrebonne, Qc, 99

13. (17) Steven Boissonneault, Lyster, Qc, 99

14. (2) Dany Ouellet, La Pocatiere, Qc, 98

15. (16) Rejean Blanchet, St-Tite-des-Caps, Qc, 98

16. (18) Stephane Legault, Lery, Qc, 98

17. (19) Jonathan Desbiens, Levis, 97

18. (15) Stephane Durand, Quebec, Qc, 97

19. (1) Kevin Roberge, Levis, Qc, 16, Engine