'I feel she was there': Cortney Lake's cousin wins Targa Bambina competition in her honour

The cousin of Cortney Lake won the Targa Newfoundland Bambina road competition Monday in honour of the woman police believe was killed.

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As a tribute to his cousin, Andrew Warren placed decals of Lake on his car for the competition along with the words "In loving memory."

"It was honestly the experience of a lifetime," Warren told CBC News.

"The main thing for me, honestly, was to win in Cortney's memory."

Warren, 27, is a general contractor on the Burin Peninsula. He, along with his good friend George Gouzvaris, beat the second place competitors by one second to take the title, according to a Targa Newfoundland press release.

As part of their win, the men get free registration to Targa's main event in September.

"[Gouzvaris is] my navigator, he's my co-pilot, he's my mechanic. He's the man," Warren said.

Warren was all set for the Targa Bambina competition until news of Lake's investigation being turned into one of homicide caused him to have second thoughts, he said.

He ultimately decided to dedicate his participation to her memory.

Warren's father and Lake's mother are first cousins and are very close, he said, adding his father was recently hospitalized and Lake's mom played a big part in his recovery.

"Cortney's mom, Lisa, has always been there so much for my side of the family … her mom is one of the most inspirational people I've ever met in my whole entire life. She's absolutely a saint in my eyes," he said.

Lake, 24, has been missing since June 7. The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary said its investigating her disappearance as a homicide.

Warren said he's not an emotional guy, but today had a little cry for himself.

"There was some help from above, put it that way," he said. 

"She was there. I feel she was there, 100 per cent."