Chad Bryant Racing’s Treyten Lapcevich put on a clinic Saturday night at Florence (S.C.) Motor Speedway holding off a hungry pack of challengers, including Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Doug Barnes Jr. to win the prestigious South Carolina 400.
The Canadian-born driver, who also has dual Canadian-American citizenship and drives under the Allrem Racing program, made history on Saturday night by winning that race.
The 250-lap race certainly brought headlines galore, but Lapcevich overcame a mid-race starting position to rocket through the field and earn his young career’s most significant Late Model victory.
After winning his qualifying heat earlier in the evening, Lapcevich’s No. 77 Evirum |Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship Chevrolet rolled from the 24th place starting position and quickly went to work driving through the field.
By Lap 50, the zMAX CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car Tour standout had climbed inside the top 15 and continued to post some of the quickest lap times on the track.
Less than 30 laps later, the Canadian had hustled inside the top-10 and quickly caught his competition for the top five. By Lap 85, Lapcevich controlled third, and on a restart at Lap 95, he muscled his No. 77 Evirum |Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship Chevrolet into the race lead.
Behind Lapcevich, Earnhardt, who started last in the field, also showcased a car as quick as the No. 77 Chad Bryant Racing entry, but Lapcevich was able to keep the NASCAR icon behind him at the caution for the halfway break at Lap 125.
On the restart to kick off the second half, Lapcevich quickly escaped the scene of any potential challenge for the control of the race lead.
Despite a couple of late-race restarts and a shift in challengers as Earnhardt retired from the race with a fuel pump issue about 30 laps from the checkered flag – none of that mattered.
Barnes, who inherited the runner-up spot, could not track down Lapcevich in race traffic, ensuring the 20-year-old impressive drive to make history and become the first international driver to win the South Carolina 400 in its 32 years of existence.
With his triumph, Lapcevich’s North of the Border victory returned Chad Bryant Racing to Victory Lane at Florence Motor Speedway as victors of the South Carolina 400 for the third time after 2024 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion Ty Majeski captured the crown back-to-back in 2020 and 2021.
“It’s all thanks to the Chad Bryant Racing team,” said Lapcevich in Victory Lane. “They brought me an awesome car. All weekend, I haven’t been too confident, honestly. Chad (Bryant) and the team kept me in this.
“Huge thanks to EVIRUM and Bare Knuckles Fighting Championship. I honestly would not be here without their support. Huge thanks to my family.
“I’ve got a lot of people watching back home in Canada, so I appreciate the support. I appreciate Florence Motor Speedway for putting this awesome event on. I can’t believe it, honestly.”
After his triumphant capture of the NASCAR Canada Series title in 2023, Lapcevhich shifted his focus to the CARS Tour and ventured into some marquee Late Model Stock events in the Southeastern United States, showcasing his versatile skills.
The path of his unique journey paid dividends on Saturday by adding his most prominent Late Model win to his resume.
“I’ve been pretty lucky with the opportunities I’ve been given,” continued Lapcevich. “My parents started me out in this racing thing, this journey. There have been some highs and some lows, and we’ve had some people come on board and really push us to the next level.”
Based on how the weekend was going before the green flag dropped in the iconic event, Lapcevich wasn’t sure Victory Lane was possible.
“If you had told me this morning we’d end up in victory lane, I would have told you that you’re crazy,” added Lapcevich.
“They believed in me; I believe in them. A whole lot of trust built there, and we were able to get it done.”
Lapcevich’s plans for the 2025 racing season will be announced in due course.
For more on Treyten Lapcevich, like him on Facebook (treyten.lapcevich) and follow him on Instagram(@treytenlapcevich) and X | Twitter (@TreytenL).
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