2020 Flamboro Speedway

On the first Saturday in October, Flamboro Speedway held its annual Frostoberfest, which ended the season of regular racing. A payout of over $34,000 attracted strong fields for the Pure Stock, Mini Stock, Super Stock and Late Model divisions.

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, Flamboro track management had to enforce pandemic protocols and limit fan attendance, but they succeeded in delivering an exciting event.

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. Depending on the engine choice, a car can weigh as much as 2800-lbs. 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.

Unlike the APC series, the starting line-up was not inverted and the grid was set by the fastest qualifying time of each driver.

The Frostoberfest Late Model race was a seventy-five-lap contest around the 1/3-mile semi-banked asphalt oval. The total purse was $14,625, with the winner collecting a cheque for $2,000.

The start of the seventy-five-lap Late Model contest was delayed by rain. Once the event got underway, the front row consisted of the fastest qualifier, Jake Sheridan, in the Pride Seed / Vibrant Farms sponsored Chevrolet. On the outside of Sheridan is the 2018 APC champion, JR Fitzpatrick, driving the Cambridge Rigging Chevrolet. Behind the leaders are the Toyota of Treyten Lapcevich and Jake Gilbert in a Chevrolet.

Heads up driving gave Jade Franklin the win and the $2,000 payday that went with the victory. Franklin qualified sixth fastest driving the No. 31 Chevrolet SS. He remained in contention during the race. On lap-55, the race leader, JR Fitzpatrick, spun. Most of the field slowed to avoid Fitzpatrick and anticipating a yellow. Franklin used the opportunity to grab first place and he held the spot for the remainder of the contest.

APC United Late Model series regular, Shane Maginnis, drove the No. 13 Frenbrook Homes sponsored Chevrolet Camaro. Maginnis was gridded fifth for the Frostoberfest event but moved to the front early. On lap-55, he was running second but made contact with the leader, JR Fitzpatrick, causing Fitzpatrick to spin. Maginnis lost several positions but fought his way back to finish in the runner-up position.

The turning point of the race came on lap-55. The second-fastest qualifier, JR Fitzpatrick, in the No. 84 in the Cambridge Rigging Chevrolet, was leading when he was tapped by the Chevrolet Camaro of Shane Maginnis. The contact caused Fitzpatrick to spin and with no caution, he fell to the sixth position. Some aggressive driving moved Fitzpatrick up the race order and at the checkered flag, he was in fourth place.

Another APC United Late Model regular, Jake Sheridan, entered the Flamboro event. Sheridan was the fastest qualifier and recorded a time of 14.904-seconds. At the start of the race, the driver of the No. 52 Pride Seed / Vibrant Farms sponsored Chevrolet dropped to second place. He remained in contact will the leaders, but Sheridan had to battle back from the lap-54 caution to cross the finish line in third place.

Kyle Steckly, the son of four-time Canadian NASCAR champion, Scott Steckly, made his Late Model debut during the Frostoberfest weekend at Flamboro Speedway. The younger, Steckly, has enjoyed success in the Mini Stock ranks. Arrangements were made for him to compete in a Chevrolet out of the DJ Kennington stables. Steckly qualified eleventh fastest and ran as high as ninth place before finishing in the sixteenth position.

The new APC United Late Model Champion, Jo Lawrence, had a busy weekend. Lawrence competed in the Late Model and Super Stock races. In the Super Stock contest, he started nineteenth and finished in the seventh position. Lawrence did not do as well in the Late Model event. He qualified thirteenth fastest in a Chevrolet, usually piloted by Jaden Chapman. Unfortunately, Lawrence’s race ended on lap-54.

It has been a miserable season for Shawn Chenoweth. The only ‘bright spot’ was a sixth-place finish at Sunset Speedway. At Flamboro, there was a bonus offer for drivers that relinquished their qualifying position to start at the rear of the field. They would collect additional money if they won the race. Chenoweth accepted the challenge. In a competitive group of twenty-four drivers, he finished in the tenth position.

The 2020 Frostoberfest top-three Late Model finishers at Flamboro Speedway. In the center is the winner, Jade Franklin, who collected $2,000 for his victory in the seventy-five-lap contest. On the left side is the runner-up, Shane Maginnis. Maginnis earned $1,500 for his second-place result. Third was worth $1,000 and collected by Jake Sheridan.

FINISH	START	DRIVER	SPONSOR / CAR	LAPS
1	6	Jade Franklin	Praxair / Chevrolet SS	75
2	5	Shane Maginnis	Frenbrook Homes / Chevrolet Camaro	75
3	1	Jake Sheridan	Pride Seed/Vibrant Farms / Chevrolet	75
4	2	JR Fitzpatrick	Cambridge Rigging/Equipment Express / Chevrolet	75
5	7	Blair Wickett	JP Powder Coating / Chevrolet	75
6	3	Treyten Lapcevich	ACE Services / Toyota Camry	75
7	8	Shae Gremmell	North Country Property / Chevrolet SS	75
8	9	DJ Kennington	Castrol Edge / Dodge	75
9	18	Chris Howse	Modern Crane / Chevrolet	75
10	14	Shawn Chenoweth	London Recreation Racing / Chevrolet Camaro	75
11	12	Brandon McFerran	Wellington Systems / Chevrolet	75
12	10	Josh Stade	Tiremaster/MEI Paving / Toyota Camry	75
13	16	Tom Gibbons	Tom Gibbons Concrete Finishing / Chevrolet	75
14	20	Miles Tyson	TBA / Chevrolet SS	73
15	19	Mike Westwood	Grisdale Racing Products / Chevrolet	72
16	11	Kyle Steckly	Qwick Wick / Chevrolet	70
17	22	Wally Wilson	Have1.com / Chevrolet	67
18	4	Jake Gilbert	PRO Concrete & Paving / Chevrolet	67
19	21	David Gallinger	Gallinger Capital / Ford	56
20	13	Jo Lawrence	Ackwood Auto Parts / Chevrolet	55
21	15	Dustin Mombourquette	Auto Trim of Barrie / Chevrolet	48
22	16	Shawn McGlynn	Latem Industries / Chevrolet	43
23	23	Brett Rodwell	Hunter Transport / Chevrolet Impala SS	22
24	24	Don Reinhart	Reinhart Auctions / Dodge	4
-	20	Kevin Albers	Wasteco / Chevrolet Camaro	DNS