Holding onto a win only to have it ripped away is a different kind of heartbreak, something sports fans are currently seeing in the Paris Olympics. But something similar echoed in the CARS Tour over the past weekend. Canadian driver Treyten Lapcevich thought he claimed a major milestone in his American motorsport journey, only to have it snatched away. This was similar to the events at Hickory on July 28. However, this time controversy erupted when Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s series made their decision a full two days later, leaving the winning team understandably furious.

Lapcevich put on a stellar show at North Wilkesboro, navigating through mid-race wrecks and a near crash to clinch the victory. But his triumph was short-lived. A post-race inspection revealed a questionable auto part on his car, and now the damage is done. Lapcevich’s championship hopes are looking bleak, and the disappointment is palpable.

The rookie racer penalized two days after the celebration

The Saturday’s rescheduled Window World 125 had all the markers of an exhilarating race. Still, Treyten Lapcevich could not get enough of the hair-raising moments – he was involved in a lap 9 pile-up that witnessed several competitors bunching up and hitting the wall. Then the Chad Bryant Racing driver almost skidded out of control due to leaking oil from a peer’s vehicle. However, Lapcevich regained control by lap 68 and fended off a charging Corey Heim to win. But curiously, his team owner, Chad Bryant, was denied access to the Victory Lane celebrations.

That was just the first marker of things going wrong. Two days later, CARS Tour officials brought the axe down on Lapcevich’s newfound glory, citing that the officials were made aware of an unapproved part on his No. 77 car after the race.

zMAX CARS Tour resembled NASCAR’s late verdicts, as an official release stated: “Upon further investigation with CARS Tour technical officials and the team’s owner, Chad Bryant, it has been verified that the unapproved part was indeed on the car throughout the event. Lapcevich’s team, Chad Bryant Racing, admitted to misinterpreting the rule as it is printed and CARS Tour management accepted that explanation.”

The statement from zMAX CARS further read, “As a result, Lapcevich has been disqualified and the finishing order will be amended to show second-place, Corey Heim, receiving the first-place payout. The purse distribution for the rest of the finishing order will be adjusted accordingly.

Corey Heim currently leads the Truck Series with five wins, and this marked Heim’s third CARS Tour victory. Additionally, Nelson Motorsports’ Connor Hall was penalized one lap after the race for using a tire that was not impounded.

Chad Bryant, who was denied the chance to approach the driver in the car he owns after the race, was unhappy over the decision.

His statement read, “It was a miscommunication between series officials and the team. I’m disappointed with CARS Tour’s decision and in the coming days, we do plan to file appeal. In my 30 years of motorsports, Chad Bryant as an employee or an entity has never been disqualified from any motorsports event ever.” This was the second race in a row in the CARS Tour where a decision was overturned after the race was concluded.

The race at Hickory Motor Speedway initially saw Ryan Millington emerge winner in a tense final lap. However, after a review, Millington was penalized over contact with Conor Hall, who was sent spinning into the pit wall. This handed Bassett, Jr. his first win in the series. But there was more drama. Connor Hall’s finishing position was still up for debate.

Hall was not on the podium at first, but then he was asked to head to the front stretch as the third-place finisher. But after some deliberation and discussions, Hall was relegated to the 13th position, the reason being the last-lap caution flag.

But just like in Lapcevich’s case CARS Tour officials took two days to come up with the final official results and handed Hall a third-place finish.

Meanwhile, in contrast with his team owner’s mild stance, Treyten Lapcevich took a hot-headed approach to the CARS Tour penalty.

Lapcevich takes Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s series to task

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Treyten Lapcevich already owned a glittering resume before crossing over the American border. The Canadian native hauled multiple trophies in his hometown, winning seven of 14 races on his way to the 2023 NASCAR Canada title. He joined Chad Bryant Racing as a full-time racer this season, hoping to acclimatize himself with US motorsports.

Lapcevich held a heart heavy with ambitions, which soared gleefully when he crossed the finish line at North Wilkesboro. So when Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s series took away his bubbly victory, Lapcevich was furious: “I will say, we plan to fight this one out until the end.”

He let his emotions be apparent on social media, as he released a harsher statement. His words reflected a two-sided angle to the incident. “On Saturday, the tech director shook our hands and congratulated us, and on Monday we received a call stating the potential of our disqualification due to something another competitor raised a concern about. I’m at the shop every single day working alongside these guys, and I know what has gone into this. The press release reads as though we misinterpreted the rules,” then he boldly declared, “but I will assure everyone that that is a lie.”

Evidently, despite celebrating his win on August 6, the Canadian motorsports athlete is having a hard time accepting his American racing rookie year fate. Let us wait and see if Lapcevich’s appeal against the penalty works out.