Alex Tagliani Gives Team 80 Theetge Motorsport Its First-Ever Road Course Victory at Calabogie
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Calabogie, ON, July 20, 2026 – Alex Tagliani gives Team 80 Theetge Motorsport its first-ever road course victory this weekend at Calabogie Motorsports Park after an intense battle that kept fans on the edge of their seats from start to finish.
Starting from second on the grid, Tagliani wasted no time challenging the #96 car, making a pass in Turn 3. However, a caution flag moments later nullified the move, reverting the field to the previous lap's running order and putting Tagliani back into second place for the restart.
Once the race resumed, the battle for the lead intensified. Alex continued to pressure the #96 before making the decisive pass through Quarry Corner to take over first place. "I misjudged the second passing attempt, and there was contact with the #96 in the final corner. Then I tried again a third time, and that one was clean. You know the saying, 'He took the lead and never looked back'? Well, let me tell you: I was definitely looking in my mirrors," Tagliani joked. "Because Kevin Lacroix in the #74 was right there, and from that point on we were basically trading qualifying laps."
The duel became a showcase of precision, consistency and outright speed. The gap constantly fluctuated between three car lengths and half a car length as both drivers extracted every ounce of performance from their machines.
The race was then red-flagged because of an oil spill on the track. A large amount of Speedy Dry was applied before the restart, making conditions extremely slippery. Tagliani briefly went off course but managed to recover without surrendering the lead. "That little excursion definitely woke me up," said Tagliani, who adds: "I underestimated how much Speedy Dry had been put down, and there was absolutely no grip. Thanks to Kevin, I was able to get back on track without any trouble. He kept me on my toes the entire time he was behind me. It really was qualifying lap after qualifying lap. The intensity was unbelievable. Our cars were very evenly matched—he was quicker in some sections, I was quicker in others, and I was just trying to maintain enough of a gap."
Late in the race, the #39 car joined the battle after making contact with the #74, creating yet another challenge for the race leader. "When the #39 got into the fight, I knew he was going to do everything he could to win," Tagliani explained. "The gap came down to 1.6 seconds, so I pushed again on the final lap to stretch it back to around two seconds. From there, we were able to manage it all the way to the finish" mentions Tag.
The victory carried special significance after Tagliani narrowly missed a win earlier this season at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. "First of all, I'm grateful that Donald Theetge trusted me with his car and his team," Tagliani added. "I'm incredibly proud of the entire group because they truly deserve this. After Mosport, where we were in position to win on the final lap, it was a tough one to swallow. We had to wait a long time before coming back here, and with all the work Don McColl and the entire team put into this car, this was the perfect moment to give them this victory. It's something they already deserved last year."
For team owner Donald Theetge, the victory was just as emotional. "Wow, what a race," said Theetge. "It's incredibly emotional for me—not only as a driver, but today as a team owner—to experience a result like this. Looking at the lap times, Alex was absolutely outstanding today, exactly the way we know he's capable of being. Seeing the emotion on every team member's face... how could you not be emotional yourself?"
With the victory, Team 80 Theetge Motorsport remains second in the NASCAR Canada Owners' Championship standings. The team now heads west to Edmonton, where Tagliani will drive the No. 3 EHR entry before returning to the wheel of the #80 for the prestigious Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières (GP3R), August 7-9.
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