HAMILTON, ON – The fast-growing APC Late Model Series was in action for its second race of the 2017 season on Saturday, June 10 at Flamboro Speedway. Photographer Derek Smith of Racepulse.com was there and has shared some images from the night.
A total of 26 cars took the green flag. After qualifying, the top five qualifiers were: Race 1 winner Brandon Watson, Andrew Gressel, Matt Lockwood, Josh Stade and J.R. Fitpatrick. As the green flag flew Lockwood and Stade led the field to green. Lockwood led the first lap and continue there for a while.
By lap 15, the field started to come into lapped traffic. On lap 21, Shawn Chenoweth started to show some tire smoke and retired to the pits on lap 27 with a broken sway bar. On the restart, Lockwood seemed to slow a bit through 3-4 and that allowed Andrew Gressel to get by to take the lead followed by Brandon Watson.
A battle between two of the fan favourites, J.R. Fitzpatrick and Shawn McGlynn, as the two raced side-by-side for several laps around lap 40. Fitzpatrick started to slow and he started to fall back and soon was seventh.
Gressel and Watson continued a fight up front and ran bumper to bumper. A few cautions soon after as Gary Elliott spun to the infield on lap 47. The front were breaking away from the rest of the field. On lap 70, Watson made his move and through 1-2 Watson got by Gressel to take the lead.
The final cautions of the race came on lap 72 and 74. On the restart Watson continued to hold a slim lead over Gressel and the 81 made several unsuccessful attempts to get past. Shawn McGlynn “muscled” his way past Lockwood for fifth with five laps to go.
As starter Dale Shunamon waved the twin checkers it was Brandon Watson coming across the line first followed by Gressel, Billy Schwartzenberg, Shae Gemmell and Shawn McGlynn.
The series returns to action this Saturday night at Peterborough Speedway.
For more photos by Derek Smith, visit www.RacePulse.com.
Discussion about this post