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2026 marks the twelfth season of the highly acclaimed United Racing Series for Late Model Stock Cars.
The 2026 APC United Late Model presented by Castrol championship kicks off on May 9 at Delaware Speedway with a race called the Dayco 100. In late May, the teams make the first of two stops at Flamboro Speedway. In mid-June, the series travels to Peterborough Speedway. On the Canada Day weekend, drivers return to Delaware Speedway for the AC Delco 159. The next race sees the championship make its final appearance at Flamboro Speedway for the London Recreational Racing 125. The Stewart s Kubota 175 is conducted in early August at Sauble Speedway. Teams return to Sauble for round seven, called the Stewart s & Kubota 100. Titles are determined on September 26 at Delaware Speedway during the Castrol Great Canadian 300. The series rules remain basically unchanged from last season. Cars are built to specifications and controls typical of most stock car series. The chassis uses a tube frame with an ABC/Gen 6 body, available as a Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet SS, Ford Mustang, Toyota Camry, or Dodge Charger Daytona. Depending on the engine choice, a car can weigh up to 2,780 lbs. Competitors are required to use crate motors from:
All engines must be fitted with five seals to prevent illegal alterations to the motor:
Competitors use American Racer spec tires on 15"x10" steel rims. Stopping the cars are steel brakes.
Bilstein A2 shock absorbers are used to regulate expenses. There are also rules restricting the options for transmissions, ignition components, etc. To determine the starting order of the race, drivers participate in a qualifying session. The five fastest qualifiers selected starting positions one through five during a random draw. Before each race, the cars receive a technical inspection and are impounded until the start of the event. A new restart procedure was introduced in 2023 by series officials for the APC United Late Model and Dayco Super Stock divisions called the 'choose rule.' On restarts, competitors may choose their lane. Their selection may be determined by the condition of the track, how many cars are ahead of them, or the handling of their vehicle. If a driver changes their choice after the designated 'choose spot,' they must start from the rear of the field. In 2026, the series introduced a new program for APC United Late Model racers. The Elite Program recognizes teams that commit to competing full-time in the APC Series season and offers extra incentives and benefits. For the last several years, Sunset Speedway has hosted the opening round of the APC United Late Model championship. However, after the facility's closure, Delaware Speedway held race one of the 2026 season. Drivers competed in the Dayco 100, a one-hundred-lap contest around the track's half-mile semi-banked asphalt oval.
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Eighteen APC United Late Model competitors enter Delaware Speedway’s back straight for the series opener. Inclement weather forced officials to cancel qualifying, so the starting grid was set by practice times, with a pill draw determining the order among the five fastest drivers. Brandon Watson claimed the pole in the No. 30 Dutch Brothers Ford Mustang, with Connor Pritiko alongside in the No. 19 Camaro. |
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Last year at Sunset Speedway, Josh Stade won the season’s first race and went on to collect the championship. Stade gave notice Saturday evening, with his first major victory at Delaware, that he was planning to collect his second consecutive title. Stade was gridded fourth in the No. 17 Canada Clean Fuels Ford Mustang. He was one of several drivers to lead the race, but grabbed first place for good and the win when Kyle Steckly suffered a flat tire. |
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Jake Sheridan was the runner-up in last season’s championship. Last weekend, in preparation for this year's points chase, he competed in the Flamboro Grisdale Showdown Series and finished second. At Delaware, Sheridan struggled with carburetor, brake, and front-suspension issues in the No. 52 Raptor Filters Ford Mustang. However, from his tenth starting position, he led laps before finishing second, by 1.596 seconds. |
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Two NASCAR Canada competitors were entered in Delaware Speedway’s Dayco 100. Donald Theetge started third but retired after twenty-four laps. Local driver DJ Kennington, who was unable to finish last year’s Castrol 300, fared much better. He was gridded sixth driving the No. 28 Castrol sponsored Chevrolet SS. Flat tires for Brandon Watson and Kyle Steckly worked in Kennington’s favour, allowing him to finish third. |
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The first two-time APC United Late Model champion, Brandon Watson, returned to the series full-time this year. The last time Watson competed in a full season was 2021, when he won the title. In 2026, he is campaigning the No. 30W Ford Mustang with backing from Dutch Brothers and Gallagher. Watson was quick in practice and drew the pole. He led the race, but a right-front flat tire took him out of contention. However, Watson charged back for a fourth-place result. |
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Local driver Marshall Schrenk splits his time between racing a Modified and a Late Model. Friday evening was Delaware Speedway’s season opener, and Schrenk won the track’s Modified feature. He was entered in the No. 22M Sloan Store Design sponsored Chevrolet Camaro for the APC United Late Model event. Schrenk started in the ninth spot. He ran a consistent race and avoided much of the drama around him to cross the finish line in fifth place. |
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With less than twenty laps to go in the Dayco 100, it appeared that Kyle Steckly would claim the victory. Steckly was gridded fifth in the No. 22 APC Auto Parts Centres Toyota Camry and moved into contention early. Late in the contest, he got a flat right rear tire. The sway bar link dragged on the track while returning to the pits and broke, which caused the car to sit high on the left front and low on the right rear. Steckly was able to continue and finished eighth. |
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On lap 3, Connor Maltese lost the contents of his engine as he entered turn three. Almost half of the field spun in Maltese’s fluid. Kendra Adams, Dale Shaw, and Ray Morneau were marginally impacted. However, it was a different story for local drivers, Brady Smith and Connor Pritiko, who were eliminated from the Dayco 100. Also forced to retire was Shae Gemmell. Just a week earlier, Gemmell was victorious in the Flamboro Grisdale Showdown Series. |
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The top three finishers for round one of the 2026 APC United Late Model championship. In the center is the winner, Josh Stade. Last year, Stade won the season’s first race and claimed the title. This was Stade’s first victory at Delaware. Standing on the left is the runner-up, Jake Sheridan, who finished second in the 2025 points chase. Completing the top three was veteran NASCAR Canada competitor, DJ Kennington. |
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| FINISH | START | DRIVER | SPONSOR / CAR | LAPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Josh Stade | Canada Clean Fuels / Ford Mustang | 100 |
| 2 | 10 | Jake Sheridan | Vibrent Farms / Ford Mustang | 100 |
| 3 | 6 | DJ Kennington | Castrol / Chevrolet SS | 100 |
| 4 | 1 | Brandon Watson | Dutch Brothers / Ford Mustang | 100 |
| 5 | 9 | Marshall Schrenk | All-City / Chevrolet Camaro | 100 |
| 6 | 11 | Dale Shaw | Shaw Motorsports / Chevrolet SS | 100 |
| 7 | 15 | Jr Farrelly | Berne Apparel / Chevrolet SS | 100 |
| 8 | 5 | Kyle Steckly | APC Auto Parts Centres / Toyota Camry | 100 |
| 9 | 17 | Paul Major | Earthmovers Media / Chevrolet SS | 99 |
| 10 | 14 | Taylor Holdaway | Holdaway Automotive / Chevrolet SS | 99 |
| 11 | 13 | Kendra Adams | Mobil 1 / Chevrolet Camaro | 98 |
| 12 | 12 | Ray Morneau | LiUNA!1059 / Ford Fusion | 94 |
| 13 | 3 | Donald Theetge | VULCAiN / Chevrolet Camaro | 24 |
| 14 | 16 | Mike Bentley | Platinum Contracting / Chevrolet Camaro | 23 |
| 15 | 2 | Connor Pritiko | Domus Developments / Chevrolet Camaro | 3 |
| 16 | 8 | Brady Smith | Oliver Ford / Ford Mustang | 3 |
| 17 | 7 | Shae Gemmell | APC Auto Parts Centres / Chevrolet SS | 3 |
| 18 | 18 | Connor Maltese | Ontario Steel Sales / Dodge Charger Daytona | 3 |
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