Raphaël Lessard (pronounced "less-ard"; born July 5, 2001) is a Canadian professional stock car racing driver. He currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Euro Series, driving the No. 11 Ford for Alumitec Racing and part-time in the NASCAR Canada Series, driving the No. 7 Dodge for DJK Racing. He has also driven for Venturini Motorsports in the ARCA Racing Series, and GMS Racing, Kyle Busch Motorsports and DGR-Crosley in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Racing career Early career Lessard started racing in an old Honda Civic, winning his first race on the day of his 12th birthday. He then ran Quebec sportsmans and super late models in Canada before moving to America.

CARS Tour 2015 Lessard's first American racing experience came in the CARS Super Late Model Tour, driving the 2015 season for Toyota Racing Development and David Gilliland Racing.

2016 In 2016, at age 15, and in grade 10, Lessard became the second non-American to win the CARS Super Late Model series championship, the other being Mario Gosselin, also a Canadian from Quebec, who accomplished the feat in 1997. It was Lessard's first championship. He won four of ten races during the season, including the season finale at Southern National Motorsports Park. Lessard continued with Toyota and David Gilliland Racing to run late model racing in large events like the Winchester 400, Snowball Derby and various PASS Late Model, CRA Racing Series and ARCA Racing Series events.

2017 To start off 2017, Lessard was disqualified from an April PASS race for intentionally wrecking other drivers, illegally passing under yellow, and inappropriate actions by his crew.

ARCA Racing Series 2017 Lessard debuted in the ARCA Racing Series in 2017 driving for Venturini Motorsports. He made the top-ten in his second start at Winchester Speedway.

NASCAR Truck Series 2019 On February 15, 2019, it was announced that Lessard would drive three races in the No. 46 Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series. Lessard started seventh and finished 14th in his Truck Series debut at Martinsville. In June, he joined DGR-Crosley's No. 17 truck for the Iowa Speedway and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park races.

2020 In 2020, Lessard joined KBM for the full Truck season in the No. 4 Tundra. Despite missing the playoffs, he won his first career Truck race at Talladega Superspeedway when he was leading as the caution came out on the final lap, becoming the first French Canadian to win in a NASCAR national series.

2021 Lessard lost his KBM ride to John Hunter Nemechek in 2021 and subsequently moved to GMS Racing to drive the No. 24. The plans initially outlined a 12-race schedule before it was increased to the full season. However, funding troubles forced him out of the truck after seven races.

Xfinity Series 2022 Lessard was scheduled to drive the No. 87 for SQR Development on a part-time basis in the NASCAR Xfinity Series throughout the 2022. Team owner J. C. Stout was unable to field the team due to "personal reasons", leaving Lessard without a ride. Stout had been arrested in January 2022 for criminal contempt after a pattern of erratic behavior.

Canada Series

2019 Lessard made his Pinty's Series debut at Autodrome Chaudière. He went on to win in his series debut.

2021 Lessard swept the first two races at Sunset.

Personal life Lessard's father was a race car driver, but sold his cars to help move Raphaël's racing career.

Motorsports career results SeasonSeriesTeamRacesWinsTop 5Top 10PointsPosition2016CARS Super Late Model TourDavid Gilliland104893071st2017CARS Super Late Model TourDavid Gilliland613413510thARCA Racing SeriesVenturini Motorsports300137051st2018CARS Super Late Model TourKyle Busch Motorsports81452034th2019ARCA Menards SeriesKBR Development302361527thNASCAR Pinty's SeriesDumoulin Competition21128527thNASCAR K&N Pro Series EastBill McAnally Racing10013534thNASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck SeriesKyle Busch Motorsports300013532ndDGR-Crosley20022020NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck SeriesKyle Busch Motorsports2314756312th2021NASCAR Pinty's SeriesWight Motorsports322212521stNASCAR Camping World Truck SeriesGMS Racing701215028th2022NASCAR Pinty's SeriesEd Hakonson Racing802426817th2023NASCAR Pinty's SeriesDuroking Autosport20004547th2024NASCAR Canada SeriesWight Motorsports Inc.20129928thInnovation Auto Sport10002025NASCAR Canada SeriesEd Hakonson Racing10114040th2026NASCAR Canada SeriesDJK Racing10113949th

NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Camping World Truck Series NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Pts Ref 2019 Kyle Busch Motorsports 46 Toyota DAY ATL LVS MAR14 TEX DOV11 KAN CLT TEX BRI12 32nd 135 DGR-Crosley 17 Toyota IOW9 GTW CHI KEN POC ELD MCH 54 MSP10 LVS TAL MAR PHO HOM 2020 Kyle Busch Motorsports 4 Toyota DAY20 LVS30 CLT15 ATL18 HOM11 POC37 KEN13 TEX12 KAN16 KAN11 MCH7 DRC3 DOV19 GTW6 DAR6 RCH26 BRI18 LVS20 TAL1 KAN33 TEX4 MAR20 PHO5 12th 563 2021 GMS Racing 24 Chevy DAY23 DRC26 LVS30 ATL39 BRI3 RCH23 KAN8 DAR COA CLT TEX NSH POC KNX GLN GTW DAR BRI LVS TAL MAR PHO 28th 150

K&N Pro Series East NASCAR K&N Pro Series East results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pts Ref 2019 Bill McAnally Racing 50 Toyota NSM BRI9 SBO SBO MEM NHA IOW GLN BRI GTW NHA DOV 34th 35

Canada Series NASCAR Canada Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1314 Pts Ref 2019 Dumoulin Compétition 07 Dodge MSP JUK ACD1* TOR SAS SAS EIR CTR7 RIS MSP ASE NHA JUK 27th 85 2021 Wight Motorsports 80 Chevy SUN1 SUN1* CTR14 ICAR MSP MSP FLA FLA DEL DEL 21st 125 2022 Ed Hakonson Racing 8 SUN MSP ACD AVE TOR EDM SAS SAS CTR OSK ICAR MSP DEL 17th 268 2023Duroking Autosport12DodgeSUNMSPACDAVETOREIRSASSAS CTROSKOSK ICARMSPDEL47th452024Innovation Auto Sport48MSP ACDAVERISRISOSKSASEIR28th99Wight Motorsports Inc.7Chevy CTRICARMSPDELDodge AMS2025Ed Hakonson RacingChevyMSPRISEDMSASCMPACD CTRICARMSPDELDELAMS40th402026DJK RacingDodgeMSPACDACDRISAMSAMSCMPEIREIR CTRMARICARMSPDEL49th39

ARCA Menards Series (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.) ARCA Menards Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Pts Ref 2017 Venturini Motorsports 25 Toyota DAY NSH33 SLM13 TAL TOL ELK POC MCH MAD IOW IRP POC WIN10 ISF ROA DSF SLM CHI KEN KAN 51st 370 2019 KBR Development 19 Chevy DAY FIF8 SLM TAL NSH TOL CLT 27th 615 28 POC4 MCH MAD GTW CHI ELK IOW POC5 ISF DSF SLM IRP KAN

CARS Super Late Model Tour (key) CARS Super Late Model Tour results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pts Ref 2016 David Gilliland 99 Ford SNM3 ROU2 HCY1 TCM7 GRE5 ROU11 CON1* MYB1 HCY3 SNM1 1st 307 2017 CON DOM DOM HCY4 HCY1* AND25 ROU TCM ROU9 HCY CON SBO5 10th 135 99L BRI15 2018 Kyle Busch Motorsports 51L Toyota MYB6 BRI1* 4th 203 51 NSH19 ROU4 HCY12 AND4 HCY15 18 ROU5 SBO

Season still in progress Ineligible for series points

References

External links

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