Photo Credit: Ashley McCubbin
After coming close times before with the Super Late Model, Andrew Gresel was able to break through to Sunset Speedway victory lane on Sunday afternoon in the APC Auto Parts United Late Models of Ontario Tour Presented by Grisdales Auto Parts Pro Late Model 100-lap feature.
The afternoon would start off with the time trials, with Nick Goetz laying down the quickest lap at 14.318 seconds behind the wheel of the No. 24 Lake Huron Rod & Gun, Mondo Car Wash, Boston Pizza, Super 8 Motel, Lord Elgin Fish & Chips, Rosner’s Service Centre, Roberto’s Pizzeria, Great Lakes Concrete, Austin Graphics and ImageWraps.ca Late Model.
Cayden Lapcevich was second quickest, followed by Dale Shaw, Matt Box, Matt Pritiko, Shawn McGlynn, Steve Laking and Willie Reyns, Mike Bentley, Shawn Chenoweth, Rick Burbridge, Joshua Stade, Jamie Box, Marvin Freiburger, Brandon Watson, Dan McHattie, Dwayne Baker and Tom Gibbons.
The rest of the drivers would have to qualify their way into the show through either provisionals or the b-main. Jason Parker, Billy Schwartzenburg, Shaun McWhirter and Linc Brown would get spots 19 thru 22, via provisionals.
The b-main would run smoothly with Andrew Gresel picking up the win ahead of Mark Watson, Ron Beauchamp Jr. and Trevor Collver. Kevin Allen, Steve Cashmore, Jason Wood and Brent Wheller would fail to qualify.
With the top-10 position redraw, Shawn McGlynn would start on pole behind the wheel of the No. 23 Meineke Car Care Center Late Model ahead of Willie Reyns, Matt Pritiko, Steve Laking, Dale Shaw, Cayden Lapcevich, Nick Goetz, Mat Box, Mike Bentley, Shawn Chenoweth, Rick Burbridge, Joshua Stade, Jamie Cox, Marvin Freiburger, Brandon Watson, Dan McHattie, Dwayne Baker, Tom Gibbons, Jason Parker, Billy Schwartzenburg, Shaun McWhirter, Andrew Gresel, Mark Watson, Trevor Collver, Linc Brown and Ron Beauchamp Jr.
The start of the race would see a battle for the lead between McGlynn and Reyns, driving the No. 87 Cobourg Development Services/Dan Strong Electric Late Model till McGlynn was able to seal the lead for himself. Pritiko was then able to get by Reyns to move into second before the first caution at lap five for Gibbons going around in turn four and damaging the front end of his entry. Under caution, Parker would make his way down pit road. With 95 laps to go, McGlynn led Pritiko, Reyns, Lapcevich, Laking, Box, Shaw and Goetz.
McGlynn would get a good restart to keep the lead ahead of Pritiko, Lapcevich and Reyns as Box and Laking battled for fifth. Laking would get the spot, getting alongside Reyns for fourth a lap later. He would then clear Reyns for fourth on lap 10. Box would run behind them in sixth, followed by Bentley, Goetz, Burbridge, Shaw, Cox, Chenoweth, Stade, Brandon Watson, Baker, McHattie and Brown. Burbridge would then get alongside Goetz for eighth at lap 15.
The front of the field was the sight of excitement, though, as Pritiko was able to track down McGlynn for the lead, getting alongside him on lap 17. The pair continued to run side-by-side till lap 24, when Pritiko put the No. 21 Global Warranty/Cadillac Industrial Cleaning/Palasad: London’s Best Entertainment & Eatery/NAPA Certified Body Shop/Burwell Auto Body/SellToWin.com/In2Communications LM out front.
McGlynn would fall to second ahead of Lapcevich as Bentley and Box battled for fourth. Bentley would then grab the spot two laps later, bumping Box back to fifth. Reyns would run sixth, followed by Burbridge, Shaw, Cox, Goetz and Stade as Baker and Chenoweth battled for 12th.
Closer to the front of the field, Lapcevich would get alongside McGlynn for second on lap 29. The pair would continue to battle, with McGlynn keeping Lapcevich at bay behind him. Lapcevich would make another run for the spot on lap 33, but McGlynn cut down, resulting in contact between the pair of drivers. Lapcevich would gain the spot through the contact ahead of McGlynn as Bentley continued to run fourth ahead of Box, Shaw, Burbridge and Cox.
The caution would then fly on lap 36 for the second time during the race as McWhirter spun off of turn two. Lapcevich would be given the mechanical black flag under yellow, forcing him down pit road to remove the piece of fender that was caught under his car from the contact with McGlynn. A bunch of other drivers hit pit road under caution including McHattie, Schwartzenburg, Collver, Gibbons, Bentley, Chenoweth, Brandon Watson and Freiburger. Chenoweth would pull behind the wall with brake issues, returning to the track later. Beauchamp Jr. would receive the lucky dog, getting back on the lead lap. With 65 laps to go, Pritiko led McGlynn, Box, Shaw, Burbridge, Reyns, Cox, Goetz, Baker, Brown, Gresel, Parker, Mark Watson, Schwartzenburg, McHattie, Bentley and Lapcevich.
The restart would bring forth a battle for the lead once again between Pritiko and McGlynn, with Box and Reyns side-by-side for third. The caution would then fly again, though, as McHattie would go around in turn two. Collver would get the lucky dog. Bentley and McWhirter would both use the caution as an opportunity to head down pit road.
Pritiko would get a good restart to snatch the lead ahead of McGlynn, Box and Reyns as Burbridge and Shaw battled side-by-side for fifth. Box would then get alongside McGlynn for second at lap 42, completing the pass three laps later before the forth caution flew for Collver going around in turn three. Gibbons would get the lucky dog, while Brandon Watson, McHattie, Freiburger and Laking used the caution as an opportunity to head down pit road. With 54 laps to go, Pritiko led Box, McGlynn, Reyns, Shaw, Burbridge, Cox, Stade, Baker, Gresel, Parker, Goetz, Brown, Mark Watson, Lapcevich and Schwartzenburg.As the field went back to green, Freiburger would head down pit road, done for the rest of the race.
Pritiko got another good restart to maintain the lead ahead of Box and Reyns as Burbridge and McGlynn battled for fourth. Burbridge would grab the spot on lap 48, with Stade slipping into fifth ahead of McGlynn as Gresel and Shaw battled for seventh. Gresel would then grab the spot, and then passed McGlynn at the halfway mark to move into sixth.
At the front of the field, Pritiko would continue to lead ahead of Box, Reyns, Burbridge, Stade, Gresel, Shaw and McGlynn. Gresel would then get alongside Stade for fifth, but the caution would fly for the fifth time for contact between Baker and Lapcevich up in turn two. Both drivers would be done for the afternoon with front suspension damage. Under the caution, McWhirter and Collver headed down pit road.
On the restart, Box would put the No. 27 Transport Trailer Sales Incorporated Late Model out front ahead of Pritiko as Reyns and Burbridge battled for third. Burbridge would get third on lap 58, with Gresel getting fourth a lap later. Gresel would then get alongside Burbridge for third, as Pritiko got alongside Box for the lead.
The caution would then fly, though, for contact between Beauchamp Jr. and Schwartzenburg after they had been running three-wide with McHattie; McGlynn would also go around. With 40 laps to go, Pritiko was credited as the leader when the caution flew ahead of Box, Burbridge, Gresel, Cox, Parker, Reyns, Shaw, Stade, Brown, Mark Watson and Goetz.
The restart would bring forth a battle for the lead between Pritiko and Box, as Gresel grabbed third ahead of Parker. Shaw would then move into fifth on lap 65, as Cox looked for sixth on Burbridge. Parker would then get alongside Gresel for third three laps later, as the pair of leaders continued to battle side-by-side.
The battles would last till the seventh caution flew for a hard wreck in turn-two involving Brown and Burbridge, after Brown suffered a brake failure. There would be no injuries in the incident. After a lengthy red-flag to clean-up the incident, Box would restart as the leader with 30 to go ahead of Pritiko, Gresel, Parker, Shaw, Cox, Stade, Mark Watson, Brandon Watson, Goetz, McHattie, McWhirter and Gibbons.
The restart would see Pritiko and Box battle side-by-side for the lead once again, as Parker and Gresel battled for third behind them. Parker would grab the third spot at lap 72, with Cox looking to follow through for fourth. Behind Cox and Gresel, Shaw ran sixth followed by Mark Watson, Stade, Goetz, Brandon Watson, McWhirter, McHattie, Schwartzenburg and Laking.
The battle would continue for the lead between Pritiko and Box, with Cox getting by Gresel and looking alongside Parker for third at lap 80. Pritiko would grab the lead on lap 81, with Parker getting by Gresel for third. Parker would then get alongside Box for second, with the pair making contact off of turn two. Parker would get the spot, with Gresel grabbing third at lap 85. Cox would try to follow through, but was unable to complete the pass as he fell back in line. Shaw would then get alongside Cox for fifth.
At the front of the field, Parker would track down Pritiko for the lead, putting his No. 8 International Boiler Makers Local 128, Prestige General Contractors, Saugeen Shores Transmission, MacDonnell Fuels, BAXI / Marathon Industries, Colourworks, Keeprite, Candue Homes, Ron Gibbons Construction and Crabby Joe’s of Port Elgin/Hanover Late Model alongside for the lead with nine laps to go. The caution would then fly, though, as Beauchamp Jr. went around in turn two. With eight laps to go, Pritiko would be credited as the leader ahead of Parker, Gresel, Shaw, Box, Cox, Mark Watson, Stade, Goetz, Brandon Watson, Laking, McWhirter, McHattie, Schwartzenburg and Gibbons.
Pritiko would get another good restart to maintain the lead as Gresel grabbed second ahead of Shaw and Parker as Cox and Box battled for fifth. Gresel would then get right on the back bumper of Pritiko, looking left and right for a way by. He would get alongside with four laps to go, completing the pass with two laps left on the board.
Andrew Gresel would then lead the final two laps behind the wheel of the No. 81 Sauble Falls Tent & Trailer Park, London Recreational, Canadian Union of Skilled Workers, HY-Grade Roofing, Have1.com and Raden Givari of eHomes Late Model to score his first victory of the season. Matt Pritiko would edge Dale Shaw at the line for the third spot with Jason Parker and Jamie Cox completing the top-five. Joshua Stade finished sixth, followed by Mat Box, Nick Goetz, Steve Laking, Brandon Watson, Shaun McWhirter, Mark Watson, Dan McHattie, Billy Schwartzenburg, Ron Beauchamp Jr., Trevor Collver, Tom Gibbons and Shawn McGlynn.
