Raphaël Lessard
Lessard atMartinsville Speedway in 2019
Born	(2001-07-05)July 5, 2001 (age 24) St-Joseph-de-Beauce,Quebec, Canada
Achievements	FirstFrench Canadian to win aNASCAR National Series race andNASCAR Camping World Truck Series race 2016CARS Super Late Model Tour Champion 2018Redbud 400 Winner 2021Tom Curley 250 Winner
Awards	2016CARS Super Late Model Tour Rookie of the Year
NASCARCraftsman Truck Series career
35 races run over 3 years
2021 position	28th
Best finish	12th (2020)
First race	2019TruNorth Global 250 (Martinsville)
Last race	2021WISE Power 200 (Kansas)
First win	2020Chevrolet Silverado 250 (Talladega)
Wins Top tens Poles 1 11 0
NASCARCanada Series career
18 races run over 6 years
Car no., team	No. 7 (Ed Hakonson Racing)
2025 position	40th
Best finish	27th (2019)
First race	2019 Budweiser 300 (Chaudiere)
Last race	2025Les 60 Tours Rousseau Métal (Trois-Rivières)
First win	2019 Budweiser 300 (Chaudiere)
Last win	2021 General Tire 125 (Sunset)
Wins Top tens Poles 3 11 0
Statistics up to date as of October 23, 2025.

Raphaël Lessard (pronounced "less-ard"; born July 5, 2001)^[1] is a Canadian professionalstock car racing driver. He currently competes part-time in theNASCAR Canada Series for Ed Hakonson Racing. He has also driven forVenturini Motorsports in theARCA Racing Series, andGMS Racing,Kyle Busch Motorsports andDGR-Crosley in theNASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Lessard started racing in an oldHonda Civic, winning his first race on the day of his twelfth birthday. He then ran Quebec sportsmans andsuper late models in Canada before moving to America.^[2]

His first American racing experience came in theCARS Super Late Model Tour, driving the 2015 season forToyota Racing Development andDavid Gilliland Racing.^[3]

In 2016, at age 15, and in grade 10, he became the second non-American to win theCARS Super Late Model series championship,^[4] the other beingMario Gosselin, also a Canadian from Quebec, who accomplished the feat in 1997.^[5] It was Lessard's first championship.^[4] He won four of ten races during the season, including the season finale atSouthern National Motorsports Park.^[4] Lessard continued withToyota andDavid Gilliland Racing to runlate model racing in large events like theWinchester 400,Snowball Derby and various PASS Late Model, CRA Racing Series andARCA 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 theARCA Racing Series in 2017 driving forVenturini Motorsports.^[8] He made the top ten in his second start atWinchester Speedway.^[9]

On February 15, 2019, it was announced that Lessard will drive three races in the No. 46Toyota Tundra forKyle Busch Motorsports in theNASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series.^[10] Lessard started 7th and finished 14th in his Truck Series debut at Martinsville.^[11] In June, he joinedDGR-Crosley's No. 17 truck for theIowa Speedway andCanadian 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 atTalladega Superspeedway when he was leading as the caution came out on the final lap, becoming the firstFrench Canadian to win in a NASCAR national series.^[14]

Lessard lost his KBM ride toJohn Hunter Nemechek in 2021 and subsequently moved toGMS 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 forSQR Development on a part-time basis in theNASCAR Xfinity Series throughout the2022. Team ownerJ. 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]

This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(October 2025)

Lessard would make his Pinty's Series debut at Autodrome Chaudière. He would go onto to win in his series debut.^{[citation needed]}

Lessard would sweep the first two races at Sunset.^{[citation needed]}

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.)

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

(key)

^* Season still in progress
¹ Ineligible for series points

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• ARCA Menards Series drivers
• Kyle Busch Motorsports drivers
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