SerpApi.Org
TROIS-RIVIÈRES, Quebec - The first half of the 2026 NASCAR Canada season offered plenty of promise for Louis-Philippe Dumoulin, but the three-time series champion believes his best opportunities may still lie ahead.
As the series heads west to Edmonton International Raceway this weekend, Dumoulin sits third in the championship standings and within striking distance of second place despite a frustrating outing at Calabogie Motorsports Park that left him wanting more.
With seven races scheduled over the next eight weekends, the championship fight is entering its most demanding phase, and Dumoulin believes his No. 47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare | Omnifab team is positioned to capitalize.
“We’ve made tremendous progress with our oval-track car,” Dumoulin said. “I’m confident we can once again battle for podium finishes in both evening races.”
Calabogie served as a snapshot of Dumoulin’s season so far: strong speed, competitive pace and just enough bad luck to prevent a breakthrough victory.
The veteran Quebec driver entered the weekend encouraged after posting the third- and fifth-fastest practice times among the 28-car field.
“At Calabogie, we had excellent speed during Friday’s practice sessions,” Dumoulin said. “I was very confident heading into the rest of the weekend.”
Rain, however, altered the course of the event.
After qualifying was canceled, changing track conditions dramatically affected the balance of Dumoulin’s car. When the race began Sunday, the handling characteristics that had produced speed in practice had largely disappeared.
“We simply didn’t have the right setup for the track conditions we encountered,” Dumoulin said. “The car was pushing badly.”
Despite the setback, Dumoulin remained among the frontrunners while hoping extended green-flag runs would allow him to maximize the car’s potential.
Instead, cautions repeatedly interrupted the race.
“I’m disappointed for the fans that there were so many cautions, and for myself as well because longer green-flag runs would have made things easier for me behind the wheel,” he said.
When the race finally settled into a rhythm late, Dumoulin believed he had a legitimate chance at a top-five finish. That opportunity ended when contact from another competitor forced his car onto the grass while battling for position.
“I felt I had a legitimate shot at a top-five finish, but unfortunately the driver of the No. 48 car, who was two laps down, made contact with me and forced me onto the grass,” Dumoulin said.
The incident dropped him to a seventh-place finish.
Still, the damage to his championship hopes proved minimal.
The results through seven races have kept Dumoulin firmly in contention entering the second half of the season. His campaign includes a runner-up finish at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, a podium result at Riverside Speedway and consistent point-scoring performances that have positioned him third in the standings.
Now the focus shifts to Edmonton International Raceway, a quarter-mile oval where Dumoulin has traditionally excelled.
The 2018 winner at the Alberta facility has recorded multiple podium finishes there during his NASCAR Canada career and welcomes the return to oval racing.
“It’s a very small oval, but we usually have fewer competitors there than we do on the road courses, so traffic shouldn’t be too much of an issue,” Dumoulin said.
This year’s race format presents a new challenge.
After years of competing in a single 300-lap event, drivers will contest two separate 150-lap races Saturday evening.
While the shorter format reduces strategic complexity, Dumoulin believes his team’s recent oval-track gains should help position them near the front.
“I enjoy longer races because strategy plays a bigger role,” he said. “But we’ve made tremendous progress with our oval-track car.”
