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| October 03, 2005 |
| FBMW: Lacroix Road Atlanta Report |
Braselton, Georgia (September 30) – A doubtful decision by the technical steward caused point leader Kevin Lacroix to start the last race from the back of the starting grid instead of the 6th place he had qualified in, taking away almost every chance to race for the title with Richard Philippe. Nevertheless, the 16-year old Canadian driver retaliated with a fine race and finished in sixth, running short of laps that could have given him a chance to contend for the title. A very disappointed Lacroix ends on a sour note a season where he dominated the standings 12 out of 14 rounds.
“Starting from 6th place in the last round and having to finish ahead of Philippe was already no small task," declared Kevin. "My car passed tech every time all season, and now for the last race of the season, when I am tied in the points with one round to go, one of the two bushings that holds the plywood to the tub is one millimeter too thin! This race track has some bumps and more speed bumps in many corners which cause the car to bottom. I don’t gain any advantage. Even if we appealed, I was put back in last place. It would have taken a miracle to win the championship. I’m very disappointed to complete the series in second this way.”
Kevin took his #22 UniSelect single seater to the track for practice Wednesday with sessions on dry and wet track. “By the end of the day, for the first qualifying session we had all the possible setups: I did very quick laps and one of them was good enough for pole.”
“In the race, my only worry was finishing in front of Philippe. Near the end of the race, we were battling together and I passed for fourth place. That gave both of us the same number of points but I had an edge with one more victory going into the final and decisive round.”
Knowing he was in a delicate situation, Kevin went to work and set out a blistering pace, going from last place to sixth in the race. He ran out of laps while Philippe had no pressure and finished ahead to clinch the title by nine points. “I was second in the warm-up and knew I could fight for the championship if I started from 6th place. But I was denied such.”
Kevin still had good words for his team. “I must thank my crew and my sponsors. Because of them, I could always rely on a fast car and represent them with panache. I don’t think I will take part in the World finale in Bahrain in December. I have to be positive now and think about next season.”
Named the Rising Star among kart drivers in 2004 by Super Kart Illustrated Magazine, Kevin Lacroix was a 2005 Formula BMW USA scholar, the best entry level professional racing series in America, Europe and Asia. He took part in Formula BMW USA in 2005 with the support of sponsors that have trusted him for many years: Uni-Select network, SKF MotorSports, Raybestos, Tenneco, Pennzoil, Auto Parts Plus and Lacroix Auto Parts. His web site can be visited at http://www.kevinlacroix.com .
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