2025 Sunset Speedway - APC United Late Model

2025 marks the eleventh season of the very successful United Racing Series.

The 2025 APC United Late Model championship kicks off on the Victoria Day weekend at Sunset Speedway with a race called the Dayco 100. In early June, the teams make the first of two stops at Flamboro Speedway. In the middle of June, the Spectra Premium 100 is held at Peterborough Speedway. On the Canada Day weekend, drivers compete at Delaware Speedway in the AC Delco 100. The next race sees the championship make its final appearance at Flamboro Speedway for the London Recreational Racing 100. The Mid-Summer Classic 100 is conducted in early August at Sauble Speedway. Teams return to Sauble for round seven, called the Stewarts & Kubota 100. The penultimate event of 2025 is at Sunset Speedway during the Labour Day Weekend. Titles are determined on September 27 at Delaware Speedway during the Castrol Great Canadian 300.

The series rules remain unchanged from last season, with the cars constructed to specifications and controls common to most stock car series. The chassis is a tube frame covered with fiberglass bodies. 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 used in the series. Competitors use a spec tire from American Racer and Bilstein A2 shock absorbers to regulate expenses. There are also rules restricting the options for transmissions, ignition components, body material, brakes, etc.

To determine the starting order of the race, drivers participate in a qualifying session. The five fastest qualifiers selected starting positions one through five during a random draw. Before each race, the cars receive a technical inspection and are impounded until the start of the event.

A new restart procedure was introduced in 2023 by series officials for the APC United Late Model and Dayco Super Stock divisions called the 'choose rule.' On restarts, competitors are allowed to choose their lane. Their selection may be determined by the condition of the track, how many cars are ahead of them, or the handling of their vehicle. If a driver changes their choice after the designated 'choose spot,' they must start from the rear of the field.

The NTN BCA Bearings Triple Crown is returning for this season. The three marquee events are held June 7 at Flamboro Speedway, August 30 at Sunset Speedway, and September 27 at Delaware Speedway. The three-race mini-series has a prize fund of $15,000. First place pays $3,500, second $2,500, third $2,000, and fourth through tenth $1,000.

The 2025 APC United Late Model championship opening round for Pro Late Models was held at Sunset Speedway. Drivers competed in the Dayco 100, a one-hundred-lap contest around the 0.333-mile banked asphalt oval.

The race was originally scheduled for Saturday on the Victoria Day weekend. However, inclement weather was forecast, so the decision was made to run the event on Sunday.

Nineteen APC United Late Model competitors line up on Sunset Speedway's back straight for round one of the 2025 championship. Pacing the field is the pole-sitter, Billy Zardo, in the No. 46 KRM Medweld Ford Fusion. Starting beside Zardo is the No. 18 Spira-sponsored Chevrolet SS driven by Cole Quinton. Row two is occupied by Dale Shaw in the No. 83 Shaw Motorsports Chevrolet SS and the No. 17 MEI Paving Toyota Camry of Josh Stade.

Josh Stade's luck has changed at Sunset Speedway. He has come close to winning many times, but only to have an issue. However, he captured victory during last year's second stop at Sunset and won this season's Steve Slaughter Classic. Stade was the fastest qualifier in the No. 17 MEI Paving Toyota Camry and was gridded fourth for the race. He moved to the lead early and held off challenges from Dale Shaw and Shawn Chenoweth to grab first place.

Finishing in the runner-up position and driving the No. 83 Shaw Motorsports prepared Chevrolet SS was Dale Shaw. Shaw started on the outside of the front row after qualifying third fast. He never fell out of the top five during the Dayco 100. Shaw battled with the winner, Josh Stade and Shawn Chenoweth. The handling of his Chevrolet improved late in the race, and Shaw began putting pressure on Stade. However, unable to make the pass and finished second.

Last year, Shawn Chenoweth captured wins in the Dayco Super Stock and Ontario Outlaw Super Late Model series. However, he was not enjoying the same success with his Late Model program. During the offseason, he replaced his Camaro with a car that last year's APC champion, Kyle Steckly, owned. The investment paid off. Chenoweth started eighth in the Dayco 100 and led in the No. 89C LRR Chevrolet SS before finishing third.

Last year, in round one at Sunset Speedway, APC United Late Model veteran Jr. Farrelly scored his first series victory, and on Sunday evening, it appeared that he may collect his second. Farrelly qualified twelfth fastest in the No. 72 Berne-sponsored Chevrolet SS. The car's performance improved in the race, and by the race's midpoint, he was in fourth place. Farrelly was able to hold the position until the checkered flag.

Shae Gemmell finished third in last year's championship with a victory at Flamboro. He qualified seventh fastest for the 2025 season opener at Sunset, driving the No. 3 Auto Parts Centres Chevrolet SS. Gemmell was in the fifth position, just beyond the race's halfway mark. However, he was in a five-way fight late in the contest that included Treyten Lapcevich, Erik Dalla Riva, Jo Lawrence and Connor Pritiko. Gemmell succeeded in finishing fifth.

It was a busy but disappointing weekend for Kyle Steckly. In addition to the APC opener, he was entered in the NASCAR Canada Series at CTMP. Steckly qualified on the pole at CTMP, but he retired from the race after thirteen laps. A change in the APC schedule due to rain forced him to miss Sunday's practice and qualifying. Steckly started at the rear, and unfortunately, an incident early in the contest resulted in a fifteenth-place result.

The top three finishers for round one of the 2025 APC United Late Model championship at Sunset Speedway. In the center is the winner of the Dayco 100, Josh Stade. After years of frustration at Sunset, Stade has been victorious in his last three outings at the track. Standing on the right is track regular and the APC series 2015 champion, Dale Shaw, who finished second. The final spot is occupied by the third-place finisher, Shaw Chenoweth.

FINISH	START	DRIVER	SPONSOR / CAR	LAPS
1	4	Josh Stade	Canadian Flat Roof Systems / Toyota Camry	100
2	3	Dale Shaw	Shaw Motorsports / Chevrolet SS	100
3	8	Shawn Chenoweth	London Recreation Racing / Chevrolet SS	100
4	12	Jr Farrelly	Berne / Chevrolet SS	100
5	7	Shae Gemmell	APC Auto Parts Centres / Chevrolet SS	100
6	19	Treyten Lapcevich	Glenn Styres Racing / Toyota Camry	100
7	6	Erik Dalla Riva	SDR Seating/Eibach / Toyota Camry	100
8	13	Jo Lawrence	Elite Property Group / Chevrolet Camaro	100
9	5	Connor Pritiko	Domus Developments / Chevrolet Camaro	100
10	13	Jake Sheridan	Vibrent Farms / Ford Mustang	100
11	10	Tyler Di Venanzo	HUDCO / Chevrolet Camaro	100
12	9	Cory Luciano	Real Landscaping Plus / Ford Mustang	100
13	17	Cory McAllister	NTN/BCA / Chevrolet SS	100
14	15	Kendra Adams	Mobil 1 / Chevrolet Camaro	100
15	18	Kyle Steckly	APC Auto Parts Centres / Ford Mustang	99
16	2	Cole Quinton	Spira / Chevrolet SS	92
17	1	Billy Zardo	KRM Medweld / Ford Fusion	60
18	16	Mike Bentley	Bennet Construction Group / Chevrolet Camaro	60
19	14	Taylor Holdaway	Holdaway Automotive / Chevrolet SS	55

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