Driver Raphaël Lessard “joins” the Lions de Trois-Rivières!
Driver Raphaël Lessard "joins" the Lions de Trois-Rivières!
Trois-Rivières, August 7 2024 – Twenty-three-year-old driver Raphaël Lessard will be donning the Lions de Trois-Rivières' colours… but not on the ice! Rather, he'll be driving at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières (GP3R) taking place this weekend (August 9 to 11). He'll be piloting car No. 7 during the NASCAR Pinty's Series main event; Lessard's car will sport the Lions' colours and logo during Sunday's race.
The Spire connection!
When he assumed ownership of the Lions de Trois-Rivières, Jeff Dickerson said he wanted to become involved in the local Trois-Rivières community and strengthen his ties with GP3R: This announcement is proof positive of that ambition.
"We are extremely proud having Raphaël Lessard drive the No. 7 car sporting the Lions de Trois-Rivières' colours in the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières. This collaboration between Spire Motorsports and the Lions de Trois-Rivières symbolizes our combined commitment to support local talent and to strengthen our presence in the community. We have total confidence in Raphaël and are certain he will be a wonderful ambassador for our two organizations on the track." – Jeff Dickerson Lions' owner and Spire Motorsports' co-owner.
"We knew that with Spire Sports assuming ownership of the Lions, it would result in the team becoming a greater part of the fabric of the Trois-Rivières community. The partnership between our event, the Lions and Raphaël Lessard – who is the only Quebecer to have won a national NASCAR series race – is a case in point. The Lions are not only enabling us to watch Raphaël perform on the track, but he'll be doing so in a car that is capable of taking the chequered flag!" - Dominic Fugère, GP3R's general manager.
"We are very proud to support Raphaël Lessard – an exceptional Quebec talent – at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières. Getting to see our logo and colours in an event of this magnitude reinforces our commitment to the community and our desire to promote local talent. We wish Raphaël all the success in the world and look forward to seeing him perform on the track." - Alex Cousineau Lions' Vice-President, Business Development and Assistant General Manager.
A promising young driver
Still only in his early 20s, Lessard already has an impressive curriculum vitae: He was the first Quebecer to win a Nascar National Series event, winning the Love's RV 250 Stop at the legendary Talladega Superspeedway in 2020.
Lessard will be making his fourth appearance on the GP3R track in the NASCAR Pinty's series. He's raced in a total of eight NASCAR Canada Pinty's series events, and 35 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Lessard participated in the NASCAR Canada race – as well as the Chevrolet Urban Challenge race – during last year's GP3R. Although mechanical failure prevented him from completing the NASCAR race, the Urban Challenge was an entirely different matter as he brought home the chequered flag. Lessard will be out to defend his title this year.
About the Lions de Trois-Rivières
The Lions de Trois-Rivières joined the ECHL for the 2021-22 season. Owned by the Spire Hockey group since the end of April 2024, the team plays its home games at Colisée Vidéotron and is affiliated with the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League (AHL).
About the ECHL
Formed in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 27 teams in 20 states and on Canadian province for its 36th season in 2023-24. There have been 740 players who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League after starting their careers in the ECHL, including 13 who have made their NHL debut in the 2022-23 season. The ECHL had affiliations with 28 of the 32 NHL teams in 2022-23, marking the 26th consecutive season that the league has affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available on its website at ECHL.com as well as on Twitter and Facebook.
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