2018 Flamboro Speedway

The APC United Late Model championship for Pro Late Models debuted in 2015. As evidenced by its growth, the Ontario series has proven to be very popular with competitors and fans.

The 2018 season kicked off on the Victoria Day Weekend at Sunset International Speedway. In June the teams would make their way to Flamboro Speedway, Peterborough Speedway and Delaware Speedway. The following month the series would make a second visit to Flamboro. In August the drivers and their crews would visit Sauble Speedway and return to Sunset. The penultimate round would be held a Jukasa Motor Speedway on the Labour Day weekend with the finale taking place at Delaware Speedway.

The series cars are constructed to specifications and rules common to most stock car series. The chassis is a tube frame covered with fiberglass bodies. Depending on the engine choice a car can weigh as much as 2800-lbs. Crate motors from General Motors (GM 604 & GM 602) and Ford (347) are used in the series. To regulate expenses, competitors use a spec tire from American Racer and Bilstein A2 shock absorbers. There are also rules which restrict the options available for transmissions, ignition components, body material, brakes, etc.

Cars that qualify in positions one to ten are inverted according to points and season attendance. Before each race, the cars are fitted with a new set of tires, receive a technical inspection and are impounded until the start of the event.

Round five at Flamboro Speedway marked the halfway point of the 2018 APC United Late Model season. Drivers would compete on the 1/3-mile semi-banked asphalt oval for 100-laps in the London Recreational Racing 100.

Inclement weather delayed the start of the London Recreation Racing 100 – once the racers got the Starter’s flag, the event ‘went off without a hitch.’ On the pole is the fastest qualifier, Ryan Kimball in the AP Racing Engines sponsored Chevrolet SS. Sharing the front row with Kimball was another Chevrolet driven by Shae Gemmell. Gemmell would take the lead before the first lap by passing Kimball on the outside.

The point’s leader, J.R. Fitzpatrick was fifth fastest in the qualifying session and started ninth in the twenty-five car field. Fitzpatrick raced with the leaders all evening and with eighty-laps to go, he passed Treyten Lapcevich for first place. He came under pressure from the early race leader, Shae Gemmell but was able to maintain the position and scored his second victory of 2018 at Flamboro Speedway.

Ryan Kimball driver of the No. 29 AP Racing Engines Chevrolet SS surprised most people in attendance at Flamboro by qualifying on the pole. It appeared that the 2017 series champion, Brandon Watson was the ‘man to beat’ in the time trials but Kimball bumped him with a time of 15.020-seconds. Kimball could not maintain the pace of the leaders and encountered issues during the race, he finished twenty-second.

On lap-43, Shawn Chenoweth the fourth place starter took the lead. The driver of the No. 89C Chevrolet would remain out front for the next thirty-five circuits. Unfortunately, for Chenoweth, his chance for a series fourth career victory ended on the lap-78 restart. Going into corner one, he was forced up the track by Shae Gemmell and then ‘freight trained’ by many of the front runners – he finished eighth.

The second place starter and early race leader, Shae Gemmell slides into Brandon Watson on the lap-77 restart. Gemmell led the first forty-three-laps before being passed by Shawn Chenoweth. He maintained contact with the leaders and with twenty-laps to go found himself in second. Gemmell pressured the race leader, J.R. Fitzpatrick but could not make the pass for the victory and settled for the runner-up spot.

It appeared that the 2018 APC Series Champion, Brandon Watson was ‘back on form.’ He was penalized in round one but scored back-to-back victories at Peterborough and Delaware. Watson was in second place on the lap-77 restart when he was hit by Shae Gemmell. Subsequent contact resulted in damage and caused Watson to slow down. On the following lap, he was rear-ended by Junior Farrelly and retired.

Young, Treyten Lapcevich scored his first top-three finish at the London Recreational Racing 100. Driving a Toyota Camry with backing from London Recreational Racing, Lapcevich qualified 6th and was gridded seventh for the start. The series 2017 MacMaster of Orangeville Rookie of the Year would lead two-laps before being passed by the eventual race winner, J.R. Fitzpatrick. Unable to hold off Shae Gemmell, he finished third.

The 2016 APC Series Champion, Andrew Gresel was gridded twelfth for the start of the London Recreational Racing 100. To date, Gresel had three top-five finishes – his best being a second in round one at Sunset International Speedway. He raced with the leaders during the event and was in fifth place at the checkered flag. Gresel left Flamboro third in points – forty-one markers behind the leader, J.R. Fitzpatrick.

Veteran stock car racer, Ken Schrader made his second APC Series appearance – his first was at Jukasa Motor Speedway in 2017. Schrader has almost thirty-years of NASCAR Cup experience and four victories to his credit. At Flamboro Speedway, he was entered in Steve Laking’s No. 44 Chevrolet. Schrader started twenty-second and despite contact with Jordan Sims, he finished in fifteenth place.

In the series last visit to Flamboro Speedway, Matt Pritiko finished third – his best result after four events. A clutch issue in practice limited Pritiko’s track time. Starting thirteenth, he worked his way through the field and joined the leaders. On lap-77, Pritiko made contact with the Chevrolet of Shawn McGlynn but did not lose a position. At the end of the contest, he was in fourth place.

FINISH	START	DRIVER	SPONSOR / CAR	RETIREMENTS
1	9	JR Fitzpatrick	Cambridge Rigging / Chevrolet	-
2	2	Shae Gremmell	Searles Motor Products Chevrolet / Chevrolet	-
3	7	Treyten Lapcevich	London Recreational Racing / Toyota Camry	-
4	13	Matt Pritiko	Wix Filters Canada / Toyota	-
5	12	Andrew Gresel	Gallinger Ford Lincoln / Ford Fusion	-
6	5	Billy Schwartzenburg	Spira Fire Protection / Ford Fusion	-
7	14	Jake Sheridan	Pride Seed/Vibrant Farms / Chevrolet	-
8	4	Shawn Chenoweth	London Recreational Racing / Chevrolet	-
9	15	Jamie Cox	London City Chrysler / Dodge	-
10	18	Mat Box	Transport Trailer Sales / Chevrolet	-
11	17	Shawn McGlynn	Meineke Car Care / Chevrolet	-
12	19	Hudson Nagy	Jukasa Motor Speedway / Chevrolet	-
13	21	Mark Burbridge	Hearth and Home / Chevrolet	-
14	16	Patrick Freel	Pennzoil/Air Liquide / Toyota Camry	-
15	22	Ken Schrader	Federated Auto / Chevrolet	-
16	6	Junior Farrelly	Tired Iron Equipment Services / Chevrolet	-
17	11	Tom Gibbons	Tom Gibbons Concrete / Chevrolet	-
18	3	Josh Stade	Tiremaster/MEI Paving / Ford Fusion	-
19	25	Paighton Jacobs	Country 104 / Chevrolet	-
20	8	Brandon Watson	Shear Metal Products / Ford	Did Not Finish
21	10	Jordan Sims	Sims Countertops / Ford	Did Not Finish
22	1	Ryan Kimball	AP Racing Engines / Chevrolet	Did Not Finish
23	20	Blair Wickett	Scotts Diesel Performance / Chevrolet	Did Not Finish
24	23	Brandon Verhoeven	McRobert Fuels / Chevrolet	Did Not Finish
25	24	Jade Franklin	Kings Marine / Chevrolet	Did Not Finish