Photo Credit: Ashley McCubbin
In the inaugural event for the APC Auto Parts United Late Models of Ontario presented by Grisdales Race Products, Dwayne Baker would save his tires throughout the 100 lap feature en route to scoring the victory in the Canusa 100.
The afternoon would start off with time trials, which saw 2013 Dickies OSCAAR Outlaws presented by London Recreational Racing Champion Brandon Watson top the charts with a lap of 14.092 seconds behind the wheel of the No. 9 Shear Metal Products Late Model. Delaware Speedway regular Jamie Cox was second quickest at 14.109 seconds, followed by Mini Stock stand-out Billy Schwartzenburg at 14.190 seconds in his third ever pro late model event. 2014 Flamboro Speedway Champion Dale Shaw was fourth quickest (14.209), while Shawn Chewnoweth (14.225) rounded out the top-five. Mike Bentley was sixth quickest, followed by Dwayne Baker, Matt Box, Willie Reyns, Dan McHattie, Andrew Gresel and Josh Stade.
ULMOT rules are set for the top 18 drivers to automatically make the 100-lap feature, with the top 10 drawing for their starting spot. Meanwhile, the last eight spots on the grid were determined through a pair of b-mains that saw the top four transferring from each.
The first b-main didn’t go smoothly as Tom Gibbons would make contact with Shaun McWhirter, sending McWhirter for the spin in turn one. Chris Mitchell went on to snag the victory ahead of Steve Laking, Gibbons, Rick Burbridge, Trevor Collver, Steve Cashmore and McWhirter.
Cole Powell won the second b-main ahead of Shawn McGlynn, Jay Doerr, Mark Watson, Matt Lockwood and Kevin Allen.
With the invert and field set, it’d be Matt Box starting on pole in the No. 27 Transport Trailers Late Model ahead of Billy Schwartzenburg, Brandon Watson, Dwayne Baker, Dale Shaw, Mike Bentley, Jamie Cox, Shawn Chenoweth, Willie Reyns, Dan McHattie, Marvin Freiburger, Andrew Gresel, Nick Goetz, Matt Pritiko, Josh Stade, Cayden Lapcevich, Linc Brown, Jason Parker, Chris Mitchell, Cole Powell, Steve Laking, Shawn McGlynn, Tom Gibbons, Jay Doerr, Rick Burbridge and Mark Watson.
During driver introductions, ImageWraps.ca owner Craig Kamrath would give out the Best Appearing Late Model Award to Shawn Chenoweth. Each ULMOT race this year, ImageWraps.ca will be handing out the award.
Box would grab the early advantage while Schwartzenburg and Brandon Watson battled for the second spot. Schwartzenburg would get the position, tracking down Box for the lead and getting underneath him. The pair would battle back and forth ahead of the field as Watson held down third ahead of Baker and Bentley. Bentley would get alongside Baker for fourth as the caution flew on lap eight for Laking around while McGlynn had a flat tire. The previous lap, Goetz took a trip through the turn one grass so perhaps the damage to McGlynn came from that, or the aftermath of that.
With 92 laps to go, Schwartzenburg would restart as the leader behind the wheel of the No. 86 Spira Fire Protection, Fleet Image, Artik Ice, Cambridge Source for Sports, Chetty’s Hot Sauce, Conestoga Roofing, Dave Frank’s Photos, Dominion Sure Seal, Eastside Auto Service, Erb & Erb Insurance Brokers, Wix Filters and Gunk Late Model. Box would restart second ahead of Brandon Watson, Bentley, Baker, Chenoweth, Shaw, Cox, McHattie, Gresel, Pritiko, Lapcevich, Reyns, Freiburger, Powell, Stade, Parker, Mark Watson, Brown, Doerr, Burbridge, Mitchell, Gibbons, Laking and McGlynn.
Schwartzenburg would get a good restart to take the lead ahead of Box and Baker as Brandon Watson and Chenoweth battled for fourth. Baker would continue to make his way to the front, getting alongside Box at lap 11. The pair continued to battle back and forth, with Baker grabbing the spot on lap 13 ahead of Box and Chenoweth. Chenoweth would get alongside Box for second as the caution flew for Gibbons slowing in turn two. With 13 laps in the books, Schwartzenburg led Baker, Box, Chenoweth, Watson, Cox, Bentley, McHattie, Shaw, Gresel, Pritiko, Lapcevich, Freiburger, Reyns, Mark Watson, Powell, Parker and Stade.
The restart brought forth a battle for the lead, with Schwartzenburg grabbing the advantage at lap 15 while Baker and Chenoweth battled for second. Chenoweth would get the spot, with Cox and Brandon Watson following him through. Box would also look for a way around Baker, but was unable to complete the pass as the third caution flew for Reyns spinning in turn two. With 80 laps to go, Schwartzenburg led Chenoweth, Cox, Baker, Watson, Box, Bentley, McHattie, Shaw, Lapcevich, Pritiko, Freiburger, Mark Watson, Powell and Parker.
The first attempt at a restart would not go cleanly as Bentley and McHattie got together, leaving Gresel, Stade, Burbridge, McGlynn and Gibbons nowhere to go. All of the drivers involved were able to continue, except for Gresel who was stuck behind the wall making repairs due to significant heavy front end damage.
The second attempt at a restart went smoother with Shawn Chenoweth putting the No. 89c Midas of Orangeville, London Recreational Racing, Castrol Edge, Ideal Brake Parts, Bennett Performance Parts, Wilson Ponds McColl Racing Enterprises Late Model into the lead ahead of Schwartzenburg while Cox and Baker battled side-by-side for third. Behind them, Brandon Watson and Box would battle for fifth, with Box getting the spot on lap 23. Lapcevich would then follow through, passing Watson for sixth, before getting alongside Box for fifth. He wouldn’t get a chance to clear him, though, as the fifth caution flew for Reyns spinning in turn two. With 75 laps to go, Chenoweth led Schwartzenburg, Baker, Cox, Box, Lapcevich, Watson, Shaw, Pritiko, Mark Watson, Parker, Freiburger, Brown and Powell. Reyns would pull his car off of the track for analysis by the team, while Gresel’s team made the repairs necessary to get him back on track, five laps down.
Chenoweth would get a good restart to hold the lead as Cox moved into second while Schwartzenburg and Lapcevich battled for third ahead of Baker. Lapcevich would get the spot just before the caution flew for Brandon Watson slowing. Watson would bring the car into the pits, done for the afternoon. The report from the day’s top qualifier was the car “wasn’t running right”. Gresel would get the lucky dog to only be four laps down.
Chenoweth would once again get a good restart to main the advantage, while Schwartzenburg battled Cox for second. Schwartzenburg would clear Cox, chasing down Chenoweth for the lead. The pair would get side-by-side, with Schwartzenburg getting the lead back. Cox would then get alongside Chenoweth for second, while Lapcevich and Baker battled for fourth. The seventh caution then flew, though, as Doerr would spin as a result of contact with Goetz; Gresel would get the lucky dog to only be three laps down. Goetz would then pull his car behind the wall, done for the afternoon. He said that they blew a rocker early in the event, resulting in them being down a cylinder for the majority of the event.
The restart resumed the battle for the lead between Chenoweth and Schwartzenburg, with Schwartzenburg grabbing the advantage. Cox would get alongside Chenoweth for second, but wasn’t able to complete the pass as a result of the eighth caution. Entering turn one, Baker and Lapcevich made contact while battling for third, sending Lapcevich up the track. Lapcevich would over-correct, getting a little more sideways, but managed to get the car stopped before it made contact with the wall. Gresel would get the lucky dog once again, putting him just two laps down. Under the caution, Reyns returned to the track many laps down. Schwartzenburg would restart as the leader ahead of Chenoweth, Baker, Cox, Shaw, Brown, Powell, Stade, Freiburger, Stade, McGlynn, Bentley, McHattie and Laking.
The restart brought forth another battle for the lead between Chenoweth and Schwartzenburg, which was short lived due to the ninth caution for Mitchell going around. Gresel would get the lucky dog, now scored just a single lap down to the leaders.
Another restart, another great side-by-side battle between Chenoweth and Schwartzenburg while Cox and Baker battled for third. Schwartzenburg would clear, grabbing the lead once again ahead of Chenoweth and Baker. Baker would then get by Chenoweth to move up to the second spot. Behind them, Cox and Box battled side-by-side for fourth ahead of Shaw, Parker and Powell. The field would be brought right back together, though, as the caution flew. Someone would make contact with Stade, resulting in him being turned in Bentley, collecting Lapcevich, Doerr and Mark Watson. The damage would result in Bentley, Doerr, Lapcevich and Watson being done for the day. The 10th caution, though, put Gresel back on the lead lap.
Baker and Schwartzenburg would run side-by-side for the lead on the restart, with Baker putting the No. 48 Zancor Custom Homes, G.D. Coates Used Car Superstore, McGunegill Engine Performance, Four Valley’s Excavating, Clearview Heating & Cooling, Baker Performance Parts and Nisco National Leasing Late Model in the lead ahead of Schwartzenburg while Cox and Chenoweth battled for third. Cox would get the spot, with Box looking to follow him through. Box was unable to complete the pass, remaining in the fifth spot, ahead of McGlynn, Shaw, Parker and Powell.
Cox would look to continue his climb to the front, getting alongside Schwartzeburg for third as Gibbons headed down pit road. Cox was unable to complete the pass, remaining in third as the 11th caution flew for a spin by Laking. As of lap 77, Baker led Schwartzenburg, Cox, Chenoweth, Box, Shaw, Parker, Powell, McGlynn, McHattie, Pritiko, Freiburger, Burbridge, Mitchell, Stade, Laking, Gresel and Reyns.
Baker was able to get in front on the restart, but wasn’t able to run away as the 12th caution flew on lap 79 for a hard hit by Freibruger. Something broke on McGlynn’s car, sending him up the track, where he made contact with Freiburger. The contact with Freiburger resulted in Freiburger making heavy, heavy contact with the outside turn one wall; Freiburger was okay. In the process, Laking and Mitchell would spin – but were both able to continue. Following the red flag for the clean up, Gresel could not get the car restarted, requiring a push back to pit lane.
The restart wasn’t a clean one as contact would take place between Cox and Schwartzenburg as Baker was able to escape away with the lead. Cox would snatch up the second spot, while Chenoweth got alongside Schwartzenburg for third. Chenoweth would get the spot, with Box following through to take fourth. Box would then get alongside Chenoweth for third but was unable to complete the pass. Schwartzenburg would now fifth as Parker and Shaw battled for six behind him.
Closer to the front, Box would get alongside Chenoweth once again, this time clearing him for third spot. Parker would move up to the fifth spot, kicking Schwartzenburg back to sixth. Shaw would get alongside Schwartzenburg for sixth, while Parker got alongside Chenoweth for fourth. Chenoweth was able to hold off Parker to keep the fourth spot, while Schwartzenburg held off Shaw to keep the sixth spot. Behind them, the battle was on for seventh between Pritiko and McHattie, as Powell and Burbridge rounded out the top 10.
At the front of the field, it was all Dwayne Baker as he snatched up the victory ahead of Jamie Cox, Matt Box, Shawn Chenoweth, Jason Parker, Billy Schwartzenburg, Dale Shaw, Matt Pritiko, Dan McHattie, Cole Powell, Rick Burbridge, Josh Stade, Andrew Gresel and Willie Reyns.
