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On Saturday, June 19, Flamboro Speedway held its first round of the 2021 Grisdale Triple Crown for Pro Late Models.
A total event purse of over $33,000 attracted strong fields for the Pure Stock, Mini Stock, Canadian Vintage Modified and Super Stock divisions.
With the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, Flamboro track management had to enforce pandemic protocols and could not permit fan attendance. Still, they succeeded in delivering an exciting event, which was covered by GForce TV. The Late Model class cars are constructed to specifications 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. The Grisdale Late Model race was a one-hundred-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. |
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The pace lap for round one of the 2021Grisdale Triple Crown at Flamboro Speedway. A rain delay forced race officials to set the starting grid by practice times. In addition, the top ten, based on speed, were inverted for the one-hundred-lap contest. On the pole is the No. 88 Spark Power / Castrol sponsored Dodge of Rick Verberne. On the outside of the front row is the Chevrolet Camaro of Shane Maginnis. |
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Treyten Lapcevich, driving the No. 32 Toyota Camry, was fourth fastest during the practice sessions and, as a result, started in the seventh position. Unlike many of the front runners, Lapcevich avoided the second lap incident on the backstretch. By the fifteenth circuit, he was in the top spot. After each caution, Lapcevich was able to pull away from the competition and grabbed the victory in round one of the Grisdale Triple Crown. |
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The familiar No. 89C London Recreational Racing Chevrolet Camaro was driven by Flamboro veteran Shawn Chenoweth. Chenoweth had a miserable 2020 race season. He was gridded third for the start of the one-hundred-lap race and moved to first place early in the contest. On lap-23, Chenoweth stopped at turn four and entered then pits. He returned to the back of the field and fought his way to a runner-up result. |
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Finishing third in round one of the 2021 Grisdale Triple Crown was Shae Gemmell. Gemmell was piloting the No. 3 North Country Property sponsored Ford Mustang. In recent years, he has campaigned a Chevrolet. Gemmell had the third quickest practice time and started in the eighth position. He avoided the lap-2 incident during the race and battled with Shawn Chenoweth before claiming a third-place result. |
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A lot of hard work completed over the winter came undone on lap-2 of the Grisdale Triple Crown. The leader, Rick Verberne, found himself sideways on the back straight. Seven of the twenty drivers in the field were impacted by the incident. Verberne, JR Fitzpatrick, James Horner, Josh Stade and Matt Box retired from the race. Also involved in the accident but able to continue were Kyle Steckly and Jade Franklin. |
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JR Fitzpatrick was entered in a newly constructed Chevrolet Camaro. The Camaro sponsored by Cambridge Rigging was sporting a number font similar to that found on Bob Senneker’s cars. The well-sorted Chevrolet of Fitzpatrick turned the fastest time in practice. With the quickest ten drivers being inverted, he started tenth, but his race ended on lap-2 when he was involved in the major incident on the backstretch. |
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The weekend before the Grisdale one-hundred-lap event, a practice day was held at Flamboro Speedway. On hand to shake down the No. 88 Spark Power / Castrol Dodge for former Super Stock competitor, Rick Verberne, was two-time NASCAR Pinty’s champion, DJ Kennington. With the tenth fastest time in practice, Verberne started on the pole. However, his race came to an end with the lap-2 accident. |
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Last year, Connor James participated in the abbreviated NASCAR Pinty’s Series, driving a Ford for Ed Hakonson Racing, with backing from SSG Gloves. James scored a season-high runner-up result in round two at Sunset Speedway. In 2021, his plans include entering the APC Late Model Championship with the No. 4 Toyota Camry prepared by Holdaway Motorsports. At Flamboro, James started eleventh and finished fourth. |
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The top-three finishers for round one of the 2021 Grisdale Triple Crown at Flamboro Speedway. Standing the center and winning by a margin of 4.293-seconds in Treyten Lapcevich. On the left is the runner-up finisher from London Recreational Racing, Shawn Chenoweth. Completing the proceedings is Shae Gemmel, who finished just 0.270-seconds behind Chenoweth. |
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| FINISH | START | DRIVER | SPONSOR / CAR | LAPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Treyten Lapcevich | ACE Services / Toyota Camry | 100 |
| 2 | 3 | Shawn Chenoweth | London Recreation Racing / Chevrolet Camaro | 100 |
| 3 | 8 | Shae Gemmell | North Country Property / Ford Mustang | 100 |
| 4 | 11 | Connor James | Holdaway Motorsports / Toyota Camry | 100 |
| 5 | 13 | Kevin Albers | Wasteco / Chevrolet Camaro | 100 |
| 6 | 14 | Ray Morneau | Xpress Group/Hallmark Memorial / Dodge | 100 |
| 7 | 4 | Jade Franklin | Caldecott / Chevrolet SS | 100 |
| 8 | 2 | Shane Maginnis | Frenbrook Homes / Chevrolet Camaro | 100 |
| 9 | 16 | Jake Gilbert | PRO Concrete & Paving / Chevrolet | 100 |
| 10 | 20 | Dario Capirchio | DLP Motorsports / Chevrolet SS | 100 |
| 11 | 17 | David Gallinger | Gallinger Capital / Ford | 100 |
| 12 | 9 | Kyle Steckly | Qwick Wick / Chevrolet Camaro | 87 |
| 13 | 15 | Shawn McGlynn | Latem Industries / Chevrolet | 86 |
| 14 | 5 | Jake Sheridan | Cameron Crane & Riggers / Ford Fusion | 62 |
| 15 | 19 | Kyle Woods | TBD / Chevrolet | 41 |
| 16 | 1 | Rick Verberne | Spark Power/Castrol / Dodge | 1 |
| 17 | 10 | JR Fitzpatrick | Cambridge Rigging/Equipment Express / Chevrolet Camaro | 1 |
| 18 | 6 | Josh Stade | Nicol Insurance / Toyota Camry | 1 |
| 19 | 12 | Matt Box | Maple City Tire / Chevrolet | 1 |
| 20 | 18 | James Horner | Custom Forming Walls / Chevrolet Camaro | 1 |
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