Photo Credit: Ashley McCubbin
“The show Matt and I just put on you will not get to see anywhere else. You need to follow this APC Series as there’s nowhere else you can see two people beat and bang for 100 laps and not wreck each other.” – Shawn Chenoweth
Closest finish in series history was the name of the game for the APC Auto Parts United Late Models of Ontario tour presented by Grisdales on Saturday night at Sauble Speedway. Matt Pritiko made his move on the last lap, getting underneath Shawn Chenoweth off of turn two to edge him out by a bumper at the start-finish line.
Following qualifying, it’d be Shawn McGlynn starting pole ahead of Marvin Freiburger, Jason Parker, Matt Pritiko, Jamie Cox, Shawn Chenoweth, Shae Gremmell, Rick Burbridge, Tom Gibbons, Andy Kamrath, Dale Shaw, Nick Goetz, Steve Laking, Shaun McWhirter, Joshua Stade, Mat Box, Billy Schwartzenburg, Britney Gresel, Willie Reyns, Jason Wood and Paighton Jacobs.
Freiburger put the No. 37 Marvin Freiburger and Sons Inc, Thom Construction, Norm Paterson Aircraft Maintenance, B&L Farm Services Ltd, Bluewater Feed Company, Cargill Area News, GoBart, Bill and Tom Kempton Construction Ltd, Swamper Late Model out front on Lap 1 ahead of Pritiko and Chenoweth as Parker ran side-by-side with McGlynn for fourth. Parker got the spot on Lap 3, bringing Cox through with him for fifth.
McGlynn continued to slide back with Gremmell getting alongside for sixth at Lap 4 ahead of Gibbons, while Kamrath battled Burbridge for ninth. Gremmell got the sixth spot two laps later ahead of McGlynn, Gibbons, Kamrath and Burbridge.
At the front of the field, Pritiko tracked Freiburger down, making the pass to put the No. 21 Global Warranty Late Model out front on Lap 8. Chenoweth followed him through, moving into second on Lap 9, bringing Parker through with him. Cox then took the fourth spot on Lap 11, slipping Freiburger back to fifth.
Gremmell continued to run sixth ahead of McGlynn and Gibbons as Kamrath ran side-by-side with Burbridge for ninth. The positions kept changing as Gremmell made the move to break into the top-five on Lap 15, bringing Gibbons up to sixth. McGlynn now battled Kamrath for the seventh spot ahead of Burbridge.
With 16 laps complete, Pritiko led Chenoweth, Parker, Cox, Gremmell, Gibbons, Kamrath, Burbridge, McGlynn, McWhirter, Laking, Freiburger, Gresel, Shaw, Box and Reyns. The lead would change hands on Lap 20 as Chenoweth got by Pritiko to put the No. 89 London Recreational, Bennett GM, Ideal Brake Parts, Wilson Ponds, Castrol, Transaxle, Team Vincent Motorsports, Hitman Hotrods, Finishline Concrete Therapy, MRE Late Model out front.
The first caution of the race flew shortly after for Gremmel and Gibbons getting together on the frontstretch. Under the caution, Schwartzenburg and Reyns both made their way into the pits for adjustments.
Choosing the high side, Chenoweth got a good restart to keep the lead ahead of Pritiko as Parker and Cox ran side-by-side for third ahead of Kamrath, Gibbons and Burbridge. Parker got the spot just before the caution flew at Lap 26 for McWhirter stopping in turn two with a problem. With 75 laps to go, Chenoweth led Pritiko, Parker, Kamrath, Cox, Gibbons, Burbridge, McGlynn, Laking, Gresel, Gremmel, Box, Goetz, Freiburger and Shaw.
Chenoweth got another good restart ahead of Pritiko and Parker as Kamrath and Gibbons ran side-by-side for fourth. Gibbons got the spot on Lap 28 ahead of Kamrath and Cox as Burbridge and McGlynn battled for seventh. Cox moved into seventh at Lap 29 ahead of Laking, as McGlynn ran side-by-side with Gresel for ninth. Gresel finally got by McGlynn three laps later.
Just outside of the top-10, Box ran 11th followed by Gremmel, Goetz, Shaw, Stade and Freiburger. Goetz continued to slowly make up ground, getting by Gremmel for 12th at Lap 33, bringing Shaw through with him. Gremmel now ran 14th ahead of Stade, Freiburger and Schwartzenburg.
Gibbons top-five run came to an end at Lap 35 as he got into the corner too hard, allowing his competitors to get the run inside of him. It seemed from there on eh was stuck on the outside for a bit, continuing to lose ground. Kamrath moved up into fourth ahead of Cox, Burbridge, Laking, Gresel, McGlynn, Box, Goetz, Shaw and Stade. Continuing to slide back, Gibbons made the decision to pull off the track at Lap 39, calling it a night.
He wouldn’t be the only driver with problems on the night as the caution flew just past halfway for Goetz stopping just before turn three. He’d pull off the track afterwards, done for the evening. Problems continued to bite competitors as McGlynn suffered a flat tire with 22 laps to go, followed by Box spinning in turn two with 19 to go.
The restart saw a battle for the lead between Pritiko and Chenoweth, with Chenoweth continuing to hold serve. His London Recreational Racing teammate Kamrath ran third ahead of Parker, Shaw, Cox, Gresel and Laking as Freiburger and Stade battled for ninth. Stade got the spot on Lap 86, bringing Box and Burbridge through with him. Freiburger now ran 12th, followed by Gremmel and Schwartzenburg.
A past Sauble Speedway track champion, Parker made his way by Kamrath with 12 laps to go to move into third. Kamrath now ran fourth ahead of Shaw, as Gresel moved up to sixth ahead of Laking and Cox. Box got alongside Stade for ninth, making the pass with eight laps to go.
At the front of the field, Pritiko continued to stalk Chenoweth lap after lap, waiting to make his move. On the final lap, Chenoweth slipped just enough off of turn two to where Pritiko dove inside of him. The pair remained side-by-side for the rest of the final lap with Pritiko getting the victory by a bumper at the line.
“Just finally got my nose underneath him and got by him,” Pritiko said in victory lane. “He’s such a respectable guy that I didn’t want to just wreck him.”
Jason Parker got third, with Dale Shaw passing Andy Kamrath on the last lap for fourth. Andrew Gresel was sixth, followed by Steve Laking, Jamie Cox, Mat Box, Josh Stade, Rick Burbridge, Marvin Freiburger, Shae Gremmell, Billy Schwartzenburg, Paighton Jacobs, Shawn McGlynn, Jason Wood, Nick Goetz, Tom Gibbons, Shaun McWhirter and Willie Reyns.
