My 2009 GP3R pictures.

It took me a week to gather all my pictures from the 40th edition of the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres but they are finally here and ready to be posted.

The whole weekend was perfect for racing fans. It was sunny and very hot for the entire weekend. The crowd was gathered on the site to take pictures of the cars and take pictures with the drivers who were very accessible this year.

The most popular pilots were Jacques Villeneuve, Alexandre Tagliani, Andrew Ranger and Patrice Brisebois. The four drivers were running in the NASCAR Canadian Tire series. Ranger took the checkered flag at the end of the weekend, his second consecutive victory in Trois-Rivieres.

I had a blast this year. I was ready to take many great pictures and I did just that. I was fortunate on a couple of occasions and the results are very satisfying. I botched only a few ones during the whole weekend.

I took pictures of the main cars and drivers of this last weekend. A lot of NASCAR and Koni challenge cars along with a few Mazda series cars and then a couple of the best looking touring cars. I even took shots of the best looking cars of the parking lot and a couple of shots of gorgeous womens that were passing by.

I am particulary proud of my pictures of Jacques Villeneuve, Andrew Ranger and Alexandre Tagliani. The trio was very accessible for the fans. I was fortunate enough to meet Andrew Ranger and exchange with him for a few minutes on Friday. The pilots were signing autographs, smiling and posing for the racing fans all weekend long.

This weekend the NASCAR Nationwide series is running in Montreal for the NAPA 200. The same drivers are present to this event along with a couple of regular Nationwide drivers such as Patrick Carpentier and Kyle Busch.

The weather unfortunatly could cause problems as heavy raining is forecasted for the whole weekend. Last year, the NAPA 200 NASCAR race was also shortened because of rain.

2009 GP3R: Andrew Ranger wins for a second time.

The main event of this 2009 Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres was exciting from start to finish. At the end, Andrew Ranger crossed the finish line in first place and won for a second year in a row in Trois-Rivieres.

The fans gathered around the circuit were in for an exciting event as Alexandre Tagliani, Andrew Ranger and Jacques Villeneuve were respectively starting for the pole, third and fifth place.

After exchanging the lead with pole sitter Alexandre Tagliani during the first half of the event, Ranger saw Tagliani's engine fail at the exit of turn three of lap 18 and took the lead until the end of the race. Some serious pressure at the end of the race came from the car No. 95 driven by the young Anthony Simone who finished in second place. DJ Kennington finished in third place.

Andrew Ranger extended his lead atop of the NASCAR Canada championship. His closest opponent, Scott Steckley retired himself from the race when his transmission failed on lap 12.

As for Jacques Villeneuve, he wasn't able to follow the pace set by the leaders and settled for a fourth place finish. His car wasn't competitive during the restarts and forced the former Formula One champion to protect his position.

Congratulations Andrew for your second win in a row at Trois-Rivieres.

(Pictures: Andrew Ranger, Overtime!)

GP3R 2009: Andrew Ranger going for two in a row.

The main event of the 40th edition of the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres promises a lot of action. The NASCAR Canada race scheduled for tomorrow will be very disputed from start to finish.

Yesterday morning, I was lucky enough to briefly meet last year's winner, Andrew Ranger. The young and talented driver from Roxton Pond, Quebec looked in a great mood and in a good physical shape.

Ranger shook my hand as if I was an important reporter and once again this year he accepted to take a minute of his time to talk with me and posed with me. As my ''special photograph'' took the shot, I said: ''Second win in a row!''

By saying this, I knew that Andrew would feel a bit uncomfortable. And he did.

His victory in last year's race caught everyone by surprise. Sitting in third place for the major lenght of the race, Ranger took the lead during the last corner of the final lap when the second place car took out the leader in a desperate overtaking attempt.

The NASCAR Canada series is a very competitive one and many drivers have a legitimate chance to win it all. Winning at Trois-Rivieres in these race cars is not an easy task. You need a good starting position, a good setup, a great line and a bit of luck. Any hesitation or mistake results in a collision in the fences.

Andrew Ranger is well aware of this, he knows that repeating won't be easy, especially with the opposition this year. The pressure will be coming from both the inside and outside. The former Formula One champion and fan favorite, Jacques Villeneuve, will be seating in the Number 7 Wal-Mart/Tide Ford.

I can hardly wait for tomorrow.

(Picture: Andrew Ranger and yours truly, Overtime!)