2021 Flamboro Speedway - Pro Late Model

After two rainouts, Flamboro Speedway held its final round of the 2021 Grisdale Triple Crown for Pro Late Models.

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 final event was initially scheduled for October 3; however, rain forced the organizers to postpone. The next available date was October 16, but a wet forecast prevented racing. The contest was held the following day – albeit with two rain delays in the afternoon.

Heading into the finale, Shawn Chenoweth and Shae Gemmel led the standings, with Kyle Steckly trailing by six markers.

The Grisdale Late Model race was a one-hundred-lap contest around the 1/3-mile semi-banked asphalt oval during Flamboro Speedway’s annual Frostoberfest.

Twenty-four drivers line up for the start of the final round of the Grisdale Triple Crown for Pro Late Models at Flamboro Speedway. On the pole and pacing the field is the No. 31 Caldecott Chevrolet SS of Jade Franklin. Beside Franklin is Shane Maginnis driving the No. 13 Fernbrook Homes sponsored Chevrolet Camaro. The second row is occupied by title contenders Shawn Chenoweth and Kyle Steckly.

TRound one of the Grisdale Triple Crown was a disaster for JR Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick entered his newly constructed Chevrolet Camaro but was eliminated on the first lap. However, his fortunes had improved as of late. He was victorious in round seven of the APC Late Model Series at Sunset Speedway. Fitzpatrick driving the No. 41 Toyota Camry started in the sixth position and passed the leader on lap-80 for the win.

Finishing second and also experiencing a difficult season was Andrew Gresel. The 2016 APC Champion finished in the top ten during his first 2021 visit to Flamboro but was sixteenth and a lap down at the second event. The driver of the No. 81 Ford Mustang started in the tenth position. Gresel was in third when JR Fitzpatrick passed the leader, Kyle Steckly. He followed Fitzpatrick and went by Steckly on the same lap.

The Late Model rookie, Kyle Steckly, has had an impressive season. Steckly won the first APC race he entered and also secured the class championship at Flamboro. He joined the final round of the Grisdale Triple Crown in third place with a mathematical chance of taking the honours. Steckly was the fastest qualifier and started fourth. He led laps-67-80 but was unable to hold off Fitzpatrick and Gresel and finished third.

The first significant incident of the race occurred in corner one on the eighth lap. The drivers involved included Rick Burbridge, Eric Dalla Riva, Josh Stade, Kevin Albers and Shae Gemmell. The cars of Stade and Albers were unable to make the restart. Dalla Riva would be involved in another accident later in the race. Triple Crown hopeful Gemmell had to pit for repairs and restart from the rear.

Shae Gemmell entered the final Grisdale Triple Crown event tied with Shawn Chenoweth. Gemmell started eleventh and was caught up in the incident that eliminated a couple of cars on lap-8. Restarting at the back of the field, he moved forward in the No. 3 Ford Mustang. Gemmell was behind Chenoweth when Chenoweth spun with four laps remaining. Now in eighth-place, he scored the points needed to capture the crown.

Grisdale Triple Crown contender Shawn Chenoweth entered the final weekend tied with Shae Gemmell. Kyle Steckly was in the running, but the crown would go to Chenoweth or Gemmell, barring a disaster. All they had to do was finish ahead of the other contender. For most of the race, the advantage went to Chenoweth; however, a spin on lap-96 gave the upper hand to Gemmell. Chenoweth finished behind Gemmell in tenth.

Starting on the outside of the front row was Shane Maginnis. Maginnis was piloting the No. 13 Fernbrook Homes sponsored Chevrolet Camaro. He jumped into an early lead and dominated much of the contest. On lap-67, Maginnis hit the wall on Flamboro’s back straight and damaged the car. He retired from the race and was classified with a seventeenth-place finish.

JR Fitzpatrick may have won the battle but not the war that honour went to Shae Gemmell. During the race, his main rival for the crown, Shawn Chenoweth, was in contention for the win. Gemmell fell to the rear of the field when he had to pit after an incident early in the race. He moved up the order and a spin by Chenoweth with fourth laps to go gave Gemmell the upper hand and this year’s Grisdale championship.

FINISH	START	DRIVER	SPONSOR / CAR	LAPS
1	6	JR Fitzpatrick	Cambridge Rigging/Equipment Express / Toyota Camry	100
2	10	Andrew Gresel	Gallinger Capital/Image Wraps / Ford Mustang	100
3	4	Kyle Steckly	Qwick Wick/AW Millwrights / Chevrolet Camaro	100
4	8	Rick Spencer-Walt	Auto Trim / Chevrolet Camaro	100
5	15	Connor James	SSG Gloves / Chevrolet SS	100
6	14	Billy Schwartzenburg	Hy-Grade Steel Roofing / Ford	100
7	1	Jade Franklin	Caldecott / Chevrolet SS	100
8	11	Shae Gemmell	North Country Property / Ford Mustang	100
9	17	Tyler Di Venanzo	Retail Design Group/MRC Wireless / Chevrolet	100
10	3	Shawn Chenoweth	London Recreation Racing / Chevrolet Camaro	100
11	19	Jamie Klumper	Cataly's Lubricants / Toyota Camry	100
12	16	Colton Everingham	Seaton Structures / Toyota Camry	96
13	13	Eric Dalla Riva	Shaw Motorsports / Chevrolet SS	95
14	9	Jake Gilbert	PRO Concrete & Paving / Chevrolet	95
15	18	David Gallinger	Gallinger Capital / Ford	95
16	22	Kyle Woods	Driven / Chevrolet SS	95
17	2	Shane Maginnis	Fernbrook Homes / Chevrolet Camaro	69
18	20	Tyler Mackenzie	Great American Chrome Shop / Chevrolet SS	64
19	21	Ty Cavallin	Beckett Tree Service / Chevrolet SS	39
20	23	Brett Rodwell	Hunter Transport / Chevrolet SS	32
21	4	Kevin Albers	Wasteco / Chevrolet Camaro	8
22	7	Rick Burbridge	Double D Racing / Chevrolet	8
23	12	Josh Stade	Nicol Insurance / Toyota Camry	8
24	24	Dario Capirchio	DLP Motorsports / Chevrolet	0