| Raphaël Lessard | |
| Birth Date: | 5 July 2001 |
| Birth Place: | St-Joseph-de-Beauce, Quebec, Canada |
| Achievements: | First French Canadian to win a NASCAR National Series race and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race 2016 CARS Super Late Model Tour Champion 2018 Redbud 400 Winner 2021 Tom Curley 250 Winner |
| Awards: | 2016 CARS Super Late Model Tour Rookie of the Year |
| Total Truck Races: | 35 |
| Years In Truck: | 3 |
| Prev Truck Pos: | 28th |
| Prev Truck Year: | 2021 |
| Best Truck Pos: | 12th (2020) |
| First Truck Race: | 2019 TruNorth Global 250 (Martinsville) |
| Last Truck Race: | 2021 WISE Power 200 (Kansas) |
| First Truck Win: | 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 250 (Talladega) |
| Truck Wins: | 1 |
| Truck Top Tens: | 11 |
| Truck Poles: | 0 |
| Total Canada Races: | 8 |
| Years In Canada: | 3 |
| Prev Canada Pos: | 21st |
| Prev Canada Year: | 2021 |
| Best Canada Pos: | 27th (2019) |
| First Canada Race: | 2019 Budweiser 300 (Chaudiere) |
| Last Canada Race: | 2022 Pro-Line 225 (Newfoundland) |
| First Canada Win: | 2019 Budweiser 300 (Chaudiere) |
| Last Canada Win: | 2021 General Tire 125 (Sunset) |
| Canada Wins: | 3 |
| Canada Top Tens: | 7 |
| Canada Poles: | 0 |
| Updated: | December 29, 2021 |
Raphaël Lessard (pronounced "less-ard"; born July 5, 2001)[1] is a Canadian professional stock car racing driver. He currently competes part-time in the NASCAR Pinty's Series for Ed Hakonson Racing. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driving the No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado for GMS Racing. He has also driven for Venturini Motorsports in the ARCA Racing Series, and GMS Racing, Kyle Busch Motorsports and DGR-Crosley in the Truck Series.
Lessard started racing in an old Honda Civic, winning his first race on the day of his twelfth birthday. He then ran Quebec sportsmans and super late models in Canada before moving to America.[2]
His first American racing experience came in the CARS Super Late Model Tour, driving the 2015 season for Toyota Racing Development and David Gilliland Racing.[3]
In 2016, at age 15, and in grade 10, he became the second non-American to win the CARS Super Late Model series championship,[4] the other being Mario Gosselin, also a Canadian from Quebec, who accomplished the feat in 1997.[5] 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.[6]
To start off 2017 he was disqualified from an April PASS race for intentionally wrecking other drivers, illegally passing under yellow, and inappropriate actions by his crew.[7]
He debuted in the ARCA Racing Series in 2017 driving for Venturini Motorsports.[8] He made the top ten in his second start at Winchester Speedway.[9]
On February 15, 2019, it was announced that Lessard will drive three races in the No. 46 Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series.[10] Lessard started 7th and finished 14th in his Truck Series debut at Martinsville.[11] In June, he joined DGR-Crosley's No. 17 truck for the Iowa Speedway and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park races.[12]
In 2020, Lessard joined KBM for the full Truck season in the No. 4 Tundra.[13] 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.[14]
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.[15] [16] However, funding troubles forced him out of the truck after seven races.[17]
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.[18] Stout had been arrested in January 2022 for criminal contempt after a pattern of erratic behavior.[19]
Pinty’s Series
2019
Lessard would make his Pinty’s Series debut at Autodrome Chaudière. He would go onto to win in his Series debut.
2021
Lessard would sweep the first two races at Sunset.
Lessard's father was a race car driver but sold his cars to help move Raphaël's racing career.[20]
(key) (
Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)| 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 | MAR 14 | TEX | DOV 11 | KAN | CLT | TEX | BRI 12 | 32nd | 135 | [21] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DGR-Crosley | 17 | Toyota | IOW 9 | GTW | CHI | KEN | POC | ELD | MCH | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 54 | MSP 10 | LVS | TAL | MAR | PHO | HOM | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | Kyle Busch Motorsports | 4 | Toyota | DAY 20 | LVS 30 | CLT 15 | ATL 18 | HOM 11 | POC 37 | KEN 13 | TEX 12 | KAN 16 | KAN 11 | MCH 7 | DAY 3 | DOV 19 | GTW 6 | DAR 6 | RCH 26 | BRI 18 | LVS 20 | TAL 1 | KAN 33 | TEX 4 | MAR 20 | PHO 5 | 12th | 563 | [22] | |||||||||||||||
| 2021 | GMS Racing | 24 | Chevy | DAY 23 | DAY 26 | LVS 30 | ATL 39 | BRI 3 | RCH 23 | KAN 8 | DAR | COA | CLT | TEX | NSH | POC | KNX | GLN | GTW | DAR | BRI | LVS | TAL | MAR | PHO | 28th | 150 | [23] | ||||||||||||||||
| NASCAR Pinty's Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Pts | Ref | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Dumoulin Compétition | 07 | Dodge | MSP | JUK | ACD 1* | TOR | SAS | SAS | EIR | CTR 7 | RIS | MSP | ASE | NHA | JUK | 27th | 85 | [25] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Wight Motorsports | 80 | Chevy | SUN 1 | SUN 1* | CTR 14 | ICAR | MSP | MSP | FLA | FLA | DEL | DEL | 21st | 125 | [26] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ed Hakonson Racing | 8 | SUN | MSP | ACD | AVE | TOR | EDM | SAS | SAS | CTR | OSK | ICAR | MSP | DEL | 17th | 268 | [27] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(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 | NSH 33 | SLM 13 | TAL | TOL | ELK | POC | MCH | MAD | IOW | IRP | POC | WIN 10 | ISF | ROA | DSF | SLM | CHI | KEN | KAN | 51st | 370 | [28] | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | KBR Development | 19 | Chevy | DAY | FIF 8 | SLM | TAL | NSH | TOL | CLT | 27th | 615 | [29] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 28 | POC 4 | MCH | MAD | GTW | CHI | ELK | IOW | POC 5 | ISF | DSF | SLM | IRP | KAN | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Season still in progress
Ineligible for series points