2023 Triple 50 - Flamboro Speedway

On the last weekend of July, Flamboro Speedway held a special event called the Gold Rush 123.

The Grisdale Triple Crown consisted of three fifty-lap contests. Points were awarded for each race based on finishing position. First place earned 50 points, second 49 points, third 48 points and so on. The driver with the highest point total at the end of the final race would be the overall winner.

There were some additional rules for this event:

The first race was a dice draw invert of the qualifying order. Races two and three were an invert of all lead lap cars.
It was a four-tire contest, with all tires being impounded by Grisdales.
The new 'Choose Rule' was not implemented.

The Late Model class cars are constructed to specifications and controls common to most stock car series. The chassis is a steel tube frame covered with a fiberglass body. A car can weigh as much as 2800-lbs depending on the engine choice. Unlike the popular APC series, this event allowed teams to compete with crate engines or built motors. There are also rules which restrict the options available for transmissions, ignition components, body material, brakes, etc.

The Grisdale Triple Crown was three fifty-lap contests around Flamboro Speedway's 1/3-mile semi-banked asphalt oval.

The pace lap for the final fifty-lap race of the Grisdale Triple Crown. The No. 84 Cambridge Rigging / ATV Depot Chevrolet SS of J.R. Fitzpatrick is on the pole. Next to Fitzpatrick is Cory Luciano, driving the No. 94 Real Landscaping Plus Ford Mustang. The No. 03 PRO Concrete & Paving Chevrolet SS of Jake Gilbert is lined up behind the leaders. Beside Gilbert is Rick Burbridge driving the Fleming Automotive Chevrolet SS.

This year's United Late Model champion, Kyle Steckly, was entered in the No. 22 Chevrolet SS. Steckly started the first contest in the fifth spot. During the race, he was passed by Chase Pinsonneault but claimed three places before the checker to finish third. Steckly was gridded eleventh in the next event but charged to the victory. In the finale, he chased J.R. Fitzpatrick to a second-place result. With a total of 147-points, he earned the crown.

Flamboro's first special Pro Late Model event of 2023 was the Gold Rush 123. At that event, Chase Pinsonneault, driving the No. 22P FCF Custom Fab Chevrolet Camaro, qualified on the pole and led early in the contest. Pinsonneault was quick when he arrived at the Grisdale Triple Crown. In each of the three rounds, he finished in the top three and started back as far as twelfth place. Earning 145–points meant that Pinsonneault was the runner-up.

J.R. Fitzpatrick won this year's Pro Late Model track championship at Flamboro, driving Chris Howse's No. 55 Chevrolet SS. In the first practice session on Sunday, a stuck throttle severely damaged the car. The team returned to the shop and retrieved the No. 84 Cambridge Rigging / ATV Depot Chevrolet SS. In addition to fourth and seventh-place finishes, Fitzpatrick won the finale and was classified third overall.

APC regular Blair Wickett drove the No. 97 Ry-Matt Mini Storage Chevrolet Camaro. Wickett started race one on the outside of the front but immediately jumped into the lead. He would go flag-to-flag for the victory. Unfortunately, Wickett finished fifteenth after starting thirteenth in the second contest. He was a no-show for the feature and collected enough points to finish ninth in the Grisdale Triple Crown.

The No. 46 KRM Medweld Ford Fusion was campaigned by Billy Zardo this year at Sunset Speedway. However, his brother, Lane, drove the Ford at the Grisdale Triple Crown. Zardo, who has a lot of track time at Flamboro, was quick. He started thirteenth in race one and finished seventh. In the next round, Zardo was second, followed by a fourth place. His consistency paid off with a fourth place in the Grisdale Triple Crown.

The No. 2 Fleming Automotive / Double D Racing Chevrolet SS was driven by Rick Burbridge, a Flamboro Speedway regular. Burbridge competed in the Gold Rush 123 and both rounds of the APC United Late Models held at Flamboro. His best result in these events was a sixth-place when the United Late Models made a second visit. Burbridge finished fifth at the Grisdale Triple Crown after earning fourth, fifth and ninth place finishes.

It's been an excellent season for Kyle Steckly. He won this year's championship after finishing second in last year's APC United Late Model series. In fact, his first APC victory came at Flamboro Speedway, which was also his first series start. Steckly also made waves in this year's NASCAR Pinty's Series. At the finale, he qualified on the pole and led until the suspension failed. It seemed a good bet that he would win the Grisdale Triple Crown.

FINISH	START	DRIVER	SPONSOR / CAR	LAPS
1	2	Blair Wickett	Ry-Matt Mini Storage / Chevrolet Camaro	50
2	7	Chase Pinsonneault	FCF Custom Fab / Chevrolet Camaro	50
3	5	Kyle Steckly	APC Auto Parts Centres / Chevrolet SS	50
4	6	J.R. Fitzpatrick	Cambridge Rigging/ATV Depot / Chevrolet SS	50
5	3	Cole Quinton	Stage it with Style / Ford Mustang	50
6	8	Billy Schwartzenburg	Spira Fire Protection / Ford Fusion	50
7	13	Lane Zardo	KRM Medweld / Ford Fusion	50
8	1	Jake Gilbert	PRO Concrete & Paving / Chevrolet	50
9	10	Rick Burbridge	Fleming Automotive / Chevrolet SS	50
10	11	Shawn Chenoweth	London Recreation Racing / Chevrolet Camaro	50
11	12	Tom Gibbons	Tom Gibbons Concrete Finishing / Chevrolet Camaro	50
12	14	Cory Luciano	Real Landscaping Plus / Ford Mustang	50
13	4	Steve Laking	Laking Motorsports / Chevrolet SS	50
14	17	Paul Maltese	RCC Sports / Chevrolet SS	50
15	16	David Gallinger	Gallinger Realty Holdings / Ford Fusion	41
16	9	Kevin Albers	Wastco / Chevrolet Camaro	23
17	15	Gary Elliott	Quaker State / Chevrolet SS	23
18	18	Jonah Bell	Keen Truck & Trailer Repair / Chevrolet SS	21

FINISH	START	DRIVER	SPONSOR / CAR	LAPS
1	11	Kyle Steckly	APC Auto Parts Centres / Chevrolet SS	50
2	7	Lane Zardo	KRM Medweld / Ford Fusion	50
3	12	Chase Pinsonneault	FCF Custom Fab / Chevrolet Camaro	50
4	5	Rick Burbridge	Fleming Automotive / Chevrolet SS	50
5	6	Jake Gilbert	PRO Concrete & Paving / Chevrolet	50
6	2	Cory Luciano	Real Landscaping Plus / Ford Mustang	50
7	10	J.R. Fitzpatrick	Cambridge Rigging/ATV Depot / Chevrolet SS	50
8	17	Paul Maltese	RCC Sports / Chevrolet SS	50
9	15	David Gallinger	Gallinger Realty Holdings / Ford Fusion	41
10	3	Tom Gibbons	Tom Gibbons Concrete Finishing / Chevrolet Camaro	45
11	16	Jonah Bell	Keen Truck & Trailer Repair / Chevrolet SS	45
12	1	Steve Laking	Laking Motorsports / Chevrolet SS	42
13	4	Shawn Chenoweth	London Recreation Racing / Chevrolet Camaro	42
14	16	Kevin Albers	Wastco / Chevrolet Camaro	42
15	13	Blair Wickett	Ry-Matt Mini Storage / Chevrolet Camaro	40
16	8	Billy Schwartzenburg	Spira Fire Protection / Ford Fusion	40
17	9	Cole Quinton	Stage it with Style / Ford Mustang	39
18	18	Gary Elliott	Quaker State / Chevrolet SS	32

FINISH	START	DRIVER	SPONSOR / CAR	LAPS
1	1	J.R. Fitzpatrick	Cambridge Rigging/ATV Depot / Chevrolet SS	50
2	8	Kyle Steckly	APC Auto Parts Centres / Chevrolet SS	50
3	5	Chase Pinsonneault	FCF Custom Fab / Chevrolet Camaro	50
4	7	Lane Zardo	KRM Medweld / Ford Fusion	50
5	4	Rick Burbridge	Fleming Automotive / Chevrolet SS	50
6	3	Jake Gilbert	PRO Concrete & Paving / Chevrolet	50
7	12	Gary Elliott	Quaker State / Chevrolet SS	50
8	2	Cory Luciano	Real Landscaping Plus / Ford Mustang	29
9	11	David Gallinger	Gallinger Realty Holdings / Ford Fusion	20
10	9	Jonah Bell	Keen Truck & Trailer Repair / Chevrolet SS	19
11	10	Paul Maltese	RCC Sports / Chevrolet SS	13
12	13	Cole Quinton	Stage it with Style / Ford Mustang	1
13	6	Tom Gibbons	Tom Gibbons Concrete Finishing / Chevrolet Camaro	0