Good news, bad news for NASCAR Pinty’s Series fans.

The good news is that four-time champion Scott Steckly will make his first start since the 2015 season on Saturday night at Autodrome St. Eustache. The bad news is that he’s replacing his lead driver, Alex Tagliani, who enters the weekend fourth in the championship standings.

The Quebecois IndyCar and NASCAR veteran contracted a virus earlier in the week and did not get the green light from his doctors to race this weekend, according to a report in the Montreal Journal. Tagliani has undergone several tests in the hopes he could race.

“I was a victim of a minor myocarditis that worried me a lot,” he told the Journal de Montreal, translated from native French. “Fortunately, I was reassured that I would have no repeat symptoms. However, I was prescribed rest and especially a formal ban to drive my race car.”

Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle.

Tagliani is fourth in the championship standings and 27 points back. He had a chance to race for his first championship but this formally eliminates him from contention.

READ MORE: St. Eustache preview and entry list

Steckly is the owner of Tagliani’s No. 18 car, and the other two 22 Racing entries, driven by Marc-Antoine Camirand and Donald Theetge. The 47-year-old retired in 2015 following his fourth championship.

In 109 starts in the Canadian national stock car tour, Steckly has 19 victories including four in St. Eustache.