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The second annual Canadian Short Track Nationals for Pro Late Model competitors was held at Jukasa Motor Speedway during the first weekend of September.
To attract more entrants, the track provided a total purse of $300,000 with $75,000 going to the winner.
The event attracted over sixty Pro Late Model teams from across Canada and the United States.
Rules for this event were similar to those used by the successful APC series. These purpose-built race cars utilise a tube frame chassis covered with fiberglass or plastic bodies. The most common body styles used by teams are from Chevrolet, Ford, Toyota and Dodge. 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 the only engines eligible for the event. The Pro Late Model race saw forty-drivers compete on the 5/8-mile oval for two-hundred-fifty-laps. There was a break to allow teams to refuel and make changes to the car. The contest was initially scheduled to take place Sunday evening, but rain moved in during the delay for the second Heat Race forcing officials to postpone the event until Monday.
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The top-sixteen starters were set using qualifying times. The remainder of the field would be established by the results from four-heat races and the last chance contest. On the pole for the feature was the Lemieux Builders Chevrolet SS driven by Eddie MacDonald. Sharing the front row with MacDonald was the reigning APC champion, JR Fitzpatrick in a Ford Mustang. Behind the top two are Brian Campbell and Albert Francis. |
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Georgia’s, Bubba Pollard is ‘two for two’ at the Canadian Short Track Nationals. In 2018, Pollard started sixth and methodically worked his way to the front when it counted and grabbed the victory. This year, Pollard qualified fifth quickest in the No. 26 Harrison’s Workwear sponsored Ford Fusion. His speed wasn’t evident until the last half of the contest when he moved into the lead for the final time on lap-237. |
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Eddie MacDonald, driving the No. 17MA Chevrolet SS was the fastest qualifier. MacDonald led much of the race but in the waning laps, he was no match for Bubba Pollard. He crossed the finish line in second place. Unfortunately, he failed to negotiate the all-important lap-251 through tech. Chief technically inspector, Ricky Brooks discovered the wrong rev-limiter chip in the ignition box and MacDonald was disqualified. |
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After the disqualification of Eddie MacDonald, the current APC points leader, Matt Pritiko was elevated to a runner-up finish. Pritiko qualified in the top-sixteen and started the contest in the eleventh position. On lap-114, he survived a major incident in corner four which involved Cole Powell, Johnny VanDoorn and eliminated last year’s third-place finisher, Brian Campbell. Pritiko made the pass for second place on lap-231. |
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Last year’s APC Late Model champion, JR Fitzpatrick earned an automatic berth into the Canadian Short Track Nationals after winning a qualifying race at Flamboro Speedway. The guaranteed starting position didn’t prevent Fitzpatrick from trying to secure the pole and in his attempt, he qualified second quickest. Driving the No. 84 Ford Mustang, Fitzpatrick could not maintain the pace of Bubba Pollard and Matt Pritiko and finished third. |
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Heat Race Two only lasted two-laps before the event had to be red-flagged. The front-runners, Jordan Howse and William Hale, made heavy contact with each other and then hit the turn one wall. Neither driver was injured in the incident but a dispute on the track led to an alteration forcing track officials to separate the two drivers. Spectators got two sporting events for the price of one ticket – a Late Model race and amateur boxing. |
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The winner of the first Heat Race was Taylor Holdaway. Holdaway was the first driver to miss the top-sixteen qualifying cut-off. He was just 0.014-seconds slower than Cole Powell. In his Heat Race, Holdaway led flag-to-flag. He started the feature in seventeenth and ran as high as twelfth but lost three-laps the event. At the finish, the driver of the No. 41 Toyota Camry was in twenty-third place. |
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Chris Davidson was victorious in Heat Race Three. Davidson was twenty-second quickest during the top-sixteen shoot-out and missed a guaranteed starting spot by a mere 0.100-seconds. Driving the No. 14D Chevrolet SS with support from Davidson Electric Company, he was gridded in nineteenth place for the feature. Davidson made good progress during the event and finished on the lead lap in the tenth position. |
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Taking the win in the final Heat Race was Chris Reid. Reid was another competitor that just failed to secure a starting spot during the qualifying session – missing the sixteenth position by 0.074-seconds. He was gridded in the twentieth spot for the start of the Canadian Short Track Nationals. Reid delivered a consistent performance behind the wheel of the No. 31 Ford Mustang and was in twelfth place at the checkered flag. |
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The field prepares to exit the final turn at Jukasa Motor Speedway for the start of the Last Chance Race. On the pole is the No. 03 Chevrolet of Ray Morneau who would fail to make the feature. Starting on the outside of the front row is APC competitor, Shae Gemmell who has been having problems in the last half of the year. His luck may have changed after starting the main in thirty-seventh place and finishing seventeenth. |
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The winner of the second annual Canadian Short Track Nationals at Jukasa Motor Speedway, Bubba Pollard holds the trophy before receiving the $75,000 cheque. To Pollard’s right are the facility owners, Jerry Montour and Kenny Hill. On the opposite side of Pollard is Jukasa’s General Manager, Alex Nagy. |
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| FINISH | START | DRIVER | SPONSOR / CAR | LAPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Bubba Pollard | Harrison’s Workwear / Ford Fusion | 250 |
| 2 | 11 | Matt Pritiko | Global Warranty / Toyota Camry | 250 |
| 3 | 2 | JR Fitzpatrick | Cambridge Rigging / Ford Mustang | 250 |
| 4 | 12 | Colin Garrett | Propel GPS / Chevrolet | 250 |
| 5 | 7 | Brandon Watson | Shear Metal Products / Chevrolet | 250 |
| 6 | 34 | Derek Ramstrom | Ramstroms Service Center / Chevrolet | 250 |
| 7 | 15 | Patrick Laperle | Frameco / Ford Fusion | 250 |
| 8 | 27 | Dawson Fletcher | FireAde / Toyota Camry | 250 |
| 9 | 31 | Andrew Gresel | Sauble Falls Tent & Trailer Park / Ford Fusion | 250 |
| 10 | 19 | Chris Davidson | Davidson Electric Company / Chevrolet | 250 |
| 11 | 14 | Jo Lawrence | Pennzoil / Dodge | 250 |
| 12 | 20 | Chris Reid | Ella Mae Energy Services / Ford Mustang | 250 |
| 13 | 16 | Cole Powell | The Tricar Group / Ford Fusion | 250 |
| 14 | 23 | Nicholas Naugle | Brycon Construction Limited / Chevrolet | 250 |
| 15 | 13 | Treyten Lapcevich | Mohawk Farms / Toyota Camry | 249 |
| 16 | 10 | Jordan Sims | Sims Counter Tops / Ford Fusion | 249 |
| 17 | 37 | Shae Gemmell | Auto Parts Centers / Chevrolet SS | 248 |
| 18 | 29 | Connor Okrzesik | Metro Glass / Toyota Camry | 248 |
| 19 | 36 | Dale Shaw | Wellington Systems / Chevrolet | 248 |
| 20 | 38 | Johnny Clark | COM / Chevrolet Camaro | 248 |
| 21 | 33 | Kelly Admiraal | Swan Rentals / Chevrolet | 248 |
| 22 | 30 | Matthew Shirley | R&R Rentals / Chevrolet SS | 248 |
| 23 | 17 | Taylor Holdaway | Holdaway Automotive / Toyota Camry | 247 |
| 24 | 21 | Steve Laking | Spira Fire Protection / Chevrolet SS | 247 |
| 25 | 24 | Kyle Reid | Robby’s Towing / Chevrolet SS | 246 |
| 26 | 28 | Joshua Stade | Tiremaster / Toyota Camry | 246 |
| 27 | 39 | Gary Adriaensen | Dowler-Karn Fuels / Chevrolet SS | 243 |
| 28 | 41 | Jaden Chapman | Refined Fool Brewing / Chevrolet SS | 241 |
| 29 | 40 | Kevin Dyck | Wheaton GM / Chevrolet | 234 |
| 30 | 9 | Johnny VanDoorn | TK Racing / Chevrolet SS | 221 |
| 31 | 26 | Donald Theetge | McColl Racing / Ford Fusion | 219 |
| 32 | 22 | Derek Griffith | LCM Motorsports/ Tyngsboro Motors / Chevrolet | 217 |
| 33 | 35 | Shane Maginnis | High Reach Cranes / Chevrolet | 196 |
| 34 | 8 | Raphael Lessard | FRL Express / Toyota Camry | 136 |
| 35 | 6 | Cayden Lapcevich | Ron O’Brien Remax / Chevrolet | 115 |
| 36 | 3 | Brian Campbell | Daily Deals Food Outlet / Ford Fusion | 101 |
| 37 | 4 | Albert Francis | Francis Engineering / Chevrolet | 71 |
| 38 | 18 | Jake Sheridan | Pride Seeds / Chevrolet SS | 50 |
| 39 | 32 | Harold Fair | Ross Mortgage / Chevrolet SS | 27 |
| 40 | 25 | Sammy Smith | TMC / Toyota Camry | 0 |
| DSQ | 1 | Eddie MacDonald | Lemieux Builders / Chevrolet SS | - |
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