Jean-Philippe Bergeron finishes the World Asphalt Championships in New Smyrna with three of the best 6

From February 5 to 13, the 55th World Asphalt Championship was held at New Smyrna Speedway, near Daytona, Florida. Once again this year, the caliber of the registered drivers was extremely high, and Jean-Philippe Bergeron, the only registered person in Quebec, completed promising races during these seven events compiled in 9 days.

To compete in the 2021 edition, driver from Saint-Donat, in Lanaudière, retained the services of Race Car Solutions, a Florida-based team that specifically deals with high-end vehicle setup and driver development. Jean-Philippe started the week aboard the Pro Late Model 51. He qualified for the first time 15 and 17 in the first two races. However, he literally struggled with the car to finish 14th both times.

The car made available to the young driver in Quebec was clearly affected by mechanical problems that did not allow Jean-Philippe to gain more speed and stability from it. It was necessary to change the platform … Then Bergeron took command of No.15 from the same team, for the following events. “This is where racing really started! I had a good car and now I’m ready to drive forward,” said the person who finished the race at the top of the championship. At the time of writing, we are still waiting for the official results, but before the last race, Bergeron was in fifth place out of 36 registered drivers.

The World Asphalt Racing Championships is known to be fierce. Most of the registered pilots are among the best in their class in the United States. “There was no doubt letting me be intimidated. I took my place, seized the best overtaking opportunities and put the car back practically intact in every race … except for last night,” says the driver. In fact, during this race, Cody Swanson and Conner Jones were fighting for first place. And they led the race as if there was no tomorrow, at the expense of the other competitors, which resulted in a doubling of clashes.One of the victims of this battle was Jean-Philippe, having hit 17 laps from the end as he was developing into seventh and could hope to finish fifth. He had fully recovered from 23rd place after the pit was halted and had to settle for the final 16.

Overall, Jean-Philippe Bergeron finished this 7-race marathon with two top 5, 6th, 10th, 2nd 14th and 16th. Jean-Philippe admired his maturity, talent and great adaptability. “I am amazed at how much experience the youngster gained in one week! We had so many cars on the track during this tournament and Jean Philip represented us really well. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him racing on the American tracks in the near future,” says Jimmy Skinner, owner of Race Car Solutions .

The 22-year-old traded with team owners that have cars in all areas of American automobiles, from Pro Late Models to the NASCAR Cup. “Without realizing it, this week’s competition opened the doors for us. Jean-Philippe was special,” says his father, Marc Bergeron. Without naming them, he claims to have had discussions with owners of different teams. “We’re not closing the door. We’ll see where all of this takes us, once COVID is over.”

The 2021 World Asphalt Championships saw wins from Jet Nuland (Races 1, 2 and 6), Conner Jones (Races 3 and 4), Cody Swanson (6) and Stephen Nass (7). To get complete results, click here.

Jean-Philippe Bergeron is currently in his final year of undergraduate studies aiming to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Graduate School of Technology (ETS) in Montreal. Although it would be easy to indulge 100% in motorsport driving, he understands that few drivers make a living in this area. That is why he is keen to finish his studies and participate in the family business of Prolon Controls, which specializes in controlling devices for commercial heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. The fact remains that racing remains his primary passion and that he intends to develop as much as possible: “Jean-Philippe is very disciplined. Every morning, he would run and study until noon, then leave for the pilot meeting and the day of his race,” his mother says proudly. She concluded by saying: “I would like her father and I to accompany her to the end of her passion.”

Back in Quebec, Jean-Philippe, who took his first steps in karting at the age of 13, will compete with the family team Brolon Racing for the LMS Championship at Autodrome Monagny and Autodrome Chaudhaire de Valle-Junction which will begin on May 15 and 22, respectively. Fans will also be able to follow the pilot’s performance throughout the 2021 season at Festidrag.TV. Click here for links The social networking site Facebook or Youtube From this program, also on air on the TéléMag network.