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It appeared that the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus would prevent any racing in Ontario during the 2020 season.
However, Track Management at Jukasa Motor Speedway, Flamboro Speedway and Sauble Speedway, along with APC Series
Officials, were able to work with all levels of government to make events possible – albeit with a reduced list of events.
The APC United Late Model championship for Pro Late Models was scheduled to conduct ten rounds this year. However, the risk of the Coronavirus infecting participants and fans would require some significant adjustments. The calendar would be reduced to just five races over four weekends. The season would kick-off in early August at Jukasa Motor Speedway with the Dayco 75 presented by Pennzoil. The event was initially slated to include two contests on the same day, but a tire shortage prevented this from happening. The next race, called Stewart’s 100, presented by Quaker State, will be conducted at Sauble Speedway. Round three is hosted by Flamboro Speedway. The race will be sponsored by London Recreational Racing and presented by Shell Rotella. The series returns to Jukasa Motor Speedway for the final weekend of competition. There will be two contests – the Pennzoil presents the Spectra Premium 75 and the Jukasa 75. Due to the government’s limits on social gatherings, none of the events can be attended by fans. However, qualifying and the races can be viewed on Facebook or YouTube at GForce TV.net. The series rules remained 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. To regulate expenses, competitors use a spec tire from American Racer and Bilstein A2 shock absorbers. There are also rules which restrict the options available for transmissions, ignition components, body material, brakes, etc. To determine the starting order of the race, drivers participate in a qualify session. Positions one to ten are inverted according to points and season attendance is used to establish the final grid. Before each race, the cars are fitted with a new set of American Racer tires, receive a technical inspection and are impounded until the start of the event. Round three of the 2020 APC United Late Model Series was initially scheduled for Flamboro Speedway. However, the venue had to be changed and the London Recreational Racing 100 presented by Shell Rotella was held at Sunset Speedway. Competitors raced on the 0.333-mile banked oval for one-hundred-laps. |
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The start of round three for the 2020 APC United Late Model Series at Sunset Speedway. Starting on the pole and pacing the field is the No. 54 Mobil 1 / Shaw Motorsports Chevrolet SS of Danny Benedict. Beside Benedict is the 2016 APC champion, Andrew Gresel, driving the No. 81 Gallinger Capital sponsored Ford Mustang. In the second row is the Ford Fusion of Jake Sheridan and Josh Stade in a Toyota Camry. |
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Jo Lawrence battled with Brandon Watson in the first two rounds of the season. Lawrence was victorious at Jukasa and finished second at Sauble. Race three was another hard-fought contest between the title contenders. By the halfway point of the race, they were taking turns out front. In the final turn on the last lap, Lawrence bumped Watson for first place and dove underneath for the win. |
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Brandon Watson entered round three at Sunset with the points lead. Watson started the London Recreational Racing sponsored event in the ninth spot. He maneuvered his way to the front of the field and by lap-50 was contesting first place with Jo Lawrence. Watson led the final lap, but a ‘bump and run’ by Lawrence and a second impact caused Watson to spin and cross the finish-line backwards in the runner-up spot. |
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NASCAR race-winner, Pete Shepherd, joined the APC with the intention of competing in all rounds. Shepherd was coming to terms with the No. 22 APC Chevrolet Camaro and scored fifth and seventh place finishes in the first two races. At Sunset Speedway, he started sixth and chased the leaders late in the contest. Finishing third, Shepherd had the best view of the last lap incident between Lawrence and Watson. |
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A lot of patience and perseverance during the London Recreational Racing 100 paid off for Ryan Kimball. The driver of the No. 29 SMG Motorsports / APX Racewear Chevrolet was fourteenth fastest during the qualifying session. In the race, Kimball managed to avoid many of the incidents and moved to the front. After one-hundred-laps of racing, he crossed the finish line in the fourth position. |
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One of many drivers overdue for an APC victory and has come close on several occasions is Treyten Lapcevich. Lapcevich was quick during qualifying and set the third-fastest time. On lap-33 of the race, he hopes for a win this evening came to an end. The No. 3 Chevrolet SS of Shae Gemmell drove over the rear quarter panel of Lapcevich’s Toyota. His crew made repairs and he salvaged a fifth-place result. |
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To say Danny Benedict has experienced a ‘character building’ year is an understatement. In round one at Jukasa, the No. 54 Chevrolet suffered an engine issue after unloading the car. At the next event, a severed brake line during practice resulted in heavy damage to the vehicle. Starting on the pole at Sunset must have been some consolation for him and his crew. Sadly, an ill-handling vehicle led to an early retirement. |
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The reigning APC United Late Model Series, Matt Pritiko, started seventh are qualifying fifth fastest. It didn’t take long for the driver of the No. 21 Global Warranty sponsored Toyota Camry to join the leaders. He was in fourth-place on the lap-95 restart, but charged into the corner too fast and drove up the race track. Pritiko got ‘freight trained’ and fell down the order. He was in the ninth-place at the checkered flag. |
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One of many drivers to redeem himself at Sunset Speedway was Shawn Chenoweth. Chenoweth failed to finish the first two rounds of the 2020 APC season and started nineteenth in the twenty-five car field at Sunset Speedway. He set up the No. 89C LLR Chevrolet Camaro to be quick late in the contest. Despite being involved in some of the race’s incidents, Chenoweth advanced thirteen places and finished sixth. |
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The trophy presentation for the London Recreational Racing 100 presented by Shell Rotella at Sunset Speedway. Standing on the right side is the 2019 series Rookie of the Year and race winner, Jo Lawrence. With the victory, Lawrence heads into the final weekend at Jukasa Motor Speedway with a one-point lead. Standing on the left is the third-place finisher, Pete Shepherd. The runner-up, Brandon Watson, is absent. |
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| FINISH | START | DRIVER | SPONSOR / CAR | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Jo Lawrence | CANUSA Automotive Warehousing / Chevrolet Camaro | - |
| 2 | 9 | Brandon Watson | Shear Metal Products / Chevrolet Camaro | - |
| 3 | 6 | Pete Shepherd III | APC Auto Parts Centres / Chevrolet Camaro | - |
| 4 | 14 | Ryan Kimball | SMG Motorsports/APX Racewear / Chevrolet SS | - |
| 5 | 5 | Treyten Lapcevich | ACE Services/PFC Brakes / Toyota Camry | - |
| 6 | 19 | Shawn Chenoweth | London Recreation Racing / Chevrolet Camaro | - |
| 7 | 12 | Eric Dalla Riva | SDR Seating/Shaw Chassis / Chevrolet | - |
| 8 | 18 | Mat Box | Maple City Tire / Chevrolet | - |
| 9 | 7 | Matt Pritiko | Global Warranty/Axalta / Toyota Camry | - |
| 10 | 11 | Patrick Freel | Gen 7 Fuel Oneida/Ricco Foods / Chevrolet SS | - |
| 11 | 23 | Gary Adriaensen | London Drive Systems/Guild Electric / Chevrolet SS | - |
| 12 | 4 | Josh Stade | Nicol Insurance/MEI Paving / Toyota Camry | Did Not Finish |
| 13 | 20 | Tyler Di Venanzo | Retail Design Group/MRC Wireless / Chevrolet | - |
| 14 | 25 | Blair Wickett | JP Powder Coating/Shaw Chassis / Chevrolet Camaro | Did Not Finish |
| 15 | 21 | Shawn McGlynn | Latem Industries/International Finishing / Chevrolet | - |
| 16 | 16 | Jade Franklin | Academy Construction/Brody Enterprises / Chevrolet | - |
| 17 | 22 | Tom Gibbons | Gingrich Service Centre / Chevrolet | - |
| 18 | 10 | Nick Goetz | Great Lakes Concrete / Chevrolet | Did Not Finish |
| 19 | 2 | Andrew Gresel | Gallinger Capital/Hy-Grade Roofing / Ford Mustang | - |
| 20 | 13 | Shae Gremmell | North Country Property Maintenance / Chevrolet SS | Did Not Finish |
| 21 | 3 | Jake Sheridan | Pride Seed/Vibrant Farms / Ford Fusion | Did Not Finish |
| 22 | 1 | Danny Benedict | Mobil 1/Shaw Motorsports / Chevrolet SS | Did Not Finish |
| 23 | 17 | Ray Morneau | Xpress Group/Hallmark Memorial / Chevrolet SS | Did Not Finish |
| 24 | 15 | Dale Shaw | Wellington Systems / Chevrolet | Did Not Finish |
| 25 | 24 | Dwayne Baker | Zancor Homes/Nisco National Leasing / Ford Fusion | Did Not Finish |
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