Alex Labbe confident for Atlanta challenge

Labbe, last year’s champion of the Canadian NASCAR Pinty’s Series was running in eighth place when his Chevrolet ran out of gas in the final moments of the NASCAR Xfinity race at Daytona last Saturday.

A rookie in the Xfinity series, Labbe is driving the No. 36 Can-Am/Kappa/Cyclops Gear/Wholey Seafood 2018 Chevrolet of DGM Racing.

The 24-year-old is coming to grips with the 1.54-mile Atlanta oval by spending several hours e-driving it on his high tech simulator. Constructed in 1959, the track features banking in the turns of 24 degrees in the turns and 5 degrees on the straightaways.

“I raced twice on mile-and-a-half tracks that are similarly banked,” Labbe told Motorsport.com. “The shape of the Atlanta track is also quite unique. It is also (one of) the oldest tracks on the schedule. It’s very fast but it is also very abrasive. We’ll lose a lot of grip during the race as the tires will suffer badly. It’s also very bumpy and very rough. It’s a very different challenge from Daytona.

“I think I’ll like this track, because it kind of suits my style. You need to be smooth with the steering wheel and be delicate when pressing on the accelerator as you start to exit each corner. It will be a very good challenge and I’m ready for it.”

The NASCAR Xfinity field will get two practice sessions on Friday. The drivers will then qualify on Saturday morning and the 163-lap Rinnai 250 will go green at 2 p.m. in the afternoon.