The Championship Dream Lives On at Autodrome Montmagny: It Comes Down to Three Drivers
The smell of burning rubber mixed with high-stakes competition fills the air as the 2025 NASCAR Canada Series season reaches its heart-stopping conclusion. After months of wheel-to-wheel racing, engine failures, and triumph, everything comes down to 250 laps at Autodrome Montmagny. Three seasoned veterans are locked in a battle that has my pulse racing just thinking about it.
You can feel the electricity in the garage area. Crew chiefs are triple-checking every bolt, drivers are walking the track with their spotters, and families are making their way to Quebec knowing that Sunday afternoon will crown a champion. This is what racing is all about – raw emotion, years of preparation, and the kind of pressure that either makes you or breaks you.
Marc-Antoine Camirand’s Historic Opportunity
Leading the charge into Autodrome Montmagny is Marc-Antoine Camirand, sitting pretty with 451 points in his No. 96 Paillé Racing Chevrolet. The man is chasing something that has never been done before in NASCAR Canada Series history: back-to-back championships. Think about that for a moment. All these years, all these incredible drivers, and nobody has managed to repeat as champion.
“A 14-point lead isn’t huge, but it’s comfortable,” Camirand shared, though I can hear the cautious optimism in his voice. “We’ve already tested at Autodrome Montmagny, and we’re heading there in a good position. We just need to be smart during the race.”
Smart is exactly what this team has been all season long. Watching Camirand navigate those road course challenges earlier this year was poetry in motion. His car setup, his tire management, and his ability to find speed when it mattered most all built the foundation for this championship run.
However, what really gets fans reeling about this whole situation is the pressure. Camirand knows the history books are watching. Every NASCAR Canada Series fan will remember 2025 as either the year somebody finally won consecutive titles or the year it slipped away at the final hour at Autodrome Montmagny.
D.J. Kennington’s Championship Hunger
Sitting 14 points back is D.J. Kennington in the No. 17 Castrol Edge/Brimstone Games/CIM Metals Dodge, and let me tell you something about D.J. This is a driver who knows how to win when it counts. With championships in 2010 and 2012 already on his resume, he understands the mental game that comes with championship racing.
“That’s part of being a championship team, you have to prepare every week. You can’t just win one or three races,” Kennington explained, and those words carry the weight of experience. “We’ve had a very consistent, solid season. We approach every race the same way: finish every race and make the best of what you’ve got.”
What impressed me most about Kennington’s season was his victory at Riverside International Speedway. Imagine a brand-new race car, built over the winter months with countless hours of labor and love, and then watching it cross the finish line first. That kind of validation doesn’t just boost confidence and it ignites a fire that burns deep in your gut.
“To see that car win was huge, a real confidence builder for us,” Kennington recalled, and I could practically feel his excitement through the phone. “Our road course program has gotten so much better, too. It gets the team excited and makes everyone want to keep pushing for success.”
Andrew Ranger’s Redemption Story
Then there’s Andrew Ranger, 19 points back in his No. 27 Paillé Racing Chevrolet, and this guy’s story sends chills down your spine every time you think about it. Three championships in 2007, 2009, and 2019 speak to a career filled with incredible highs, but the road back to championship contention hasn’t been easy.
His win at GP3R this season wasn’t just another victory. It was vindication. After struggling through some tough years, watching Ranger climb out of that race car with his family rushing to victory lane reminded every single person at Autodrome Montmagny why we love this sport so much.
“I’m going to Autodrome Montmagny to focus on my race this weekend,” Ranger stated with the kind of determination that comes from knowing you’ve been counted out before. “I’ll go for the win, but also for a strong result to finish the season on a high note.”
The man is honest about his season, too. “We had a pretty good season, but a bit of bad luck here and there cost us some points. We missed a bit of luck in races like Saskatoon, but if you’re still fighting for the championship at the end of the season, it means you’ve had a great season.”
Race Weekend at Autodrome Montmagny
Saturday’s practice session at 12:15 p.m. ET will give us our first real glimpse of how these three teams stack up on Autodrome Montmagny’s demanding 3/8-mile oval. The qualifying session at 3:45 p.m. could very well determine the championship and track position matters, especially when the pressure is crushing down on everyone’s shoulders.
Sunday’s XPN 250 at Autodrome Montmagny goes green at 1 p.m. ET, and I’m telling you right now, those 250 laps are going to feel like an eternity for these drivers and their teams. Every corner, every pass, every caution flag could shift the championship momentum.
The beauty of Autodrome Montmagny lies in its unforgiving nature. There’s no hiding, no managing your way to a championship. You’ve got to race, you’ve got to be smart, and you’ve got to handle the pressure when 20,000 fans are on their feet screaming.
