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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. On July 11, the APC United Late Model Series made its second visit of the season to Flamboro Speedway for round five of the championship. Drivers competed in the London Recreational Racing 125 around Flamboro’s 0.333-mile semi-banked asphalt oval.
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The pace lap for round five of the United Late Model Series and fifteen drivers line up on Flamboro Speedway’s back straight. Starting on the pole is multi-time Late Model winner at Flamboro Shae Gemmell driving the No. 3 APC Auto Parts Centres Chevrolet SS. Beside Gemmell is the series defending champion, Josh Stade, in the No. 17 Canada Clean Fuels Ford Mustang. In the second row are the Chevrolets of Connor Pritiko and Dale Shaw. |
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Two-time series champion Brandon Watson hasn’t competed full-time in the series for a couple of years. His last victory came in 2021, but he has been a threat to win this season. In round five at Flamboro Speedway, Watson was the fastest qualifier in the No. 30 Dutch Brothers Ford Mustang and started fifth. On lap 101, he moved past the leader, Shae Gemmell. He avoided the drama late in the contest to grab the victory. |
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Finishing in the runner-up position by a margin of 1.248 seconds was Connor Pritiko. This season, Pritiko collected his first podium result at Peterborough Speedway, where he finished third. The driver of the No. 19 Domus Developments Chevrolet Camaro started third in the London Recreational Racing 125. Late in the race, Pritiko battled with Kyle Steckly for second. A pass in the final corner of the last lap earned him a runner-up result. |
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Kyle Steckly has been racking up the air miles this year competing in Canada and the US. However, luck has not been on Steckly's side, who is yet to collect a top three result in this year’s APC United Late Model Series. His fortunes did not look good after qualifying as he was gridded sixth. After a couple of late-race restarts, Steckly was in second place and battling with Connor Pritiko. Contact between the two resulted in a third-place finish for Steckly. |
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The reigning APC United Late Model Champion, Josh Stade, kicked off the defense of this title with a win in round one at Delaware Speedway. However, in the second race of the season, he was the first retirement. Returning to Flamboro Speedway, Stade started on the outside of the front row in the No. 17 Canada Clean Fuels Ford Mustang. He lost positions during the contest but remained in contention. Stade was involved in many of the late-race battles but avoided much of the contact and was rewarded with a fourth-place finish. |
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Shae Gemmell has enjoyed success at Flamboro Speedway. He currently leads the track’s Flamboro Grisdale Showdown Series. Gemmell won last week’s race from the pole. With the No. 3 APC Auto Parts Centres Chevrolet SS starting in the top spot, he had reason to be optimistic. Gemmell led until the lap 101 restart. From there it was downhill. Contact with Jake Sheridan and backing into the turn one wall resulted in a thirteenth-place finish. |
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The APC United Late Model points leader, Jake Sheridan, is also competing in the Flamboro Grisdale Showdown Series. Last week, a leaking steering rack resulted in a third-place finish for Sheridan. Mechanical problems still plagued the No. 52 Ford Mustang in round five. The crew made repairs after qualifying, forcing Sheridan to start last. He was in fifth place on the last lap when a pass by Shawn Chenoweth relegated him to a sixth-place finish. |
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The top three finishers for round five of the APC United Late Model Series at Flamboro Speedway. In the center is the winner, Brandon Watson. The series winningest driver just added number twenty to his total. More importantly, he moved to within four points of the championship leader, Jake Sheridan. On the right is the runner-up, Connor Pritiko. Completing the top three is Kyle Steckly. |
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| FINISH | START | DRIVER | SPONSOR / CAR | LAPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Brandon Watson | Dutch Brothers / Ford Mustang | 125 |
| 2 | 3 | Connor Pritiko | Domus Developments / Chevrolet Camaro | 125 |
| 3 | 6 | Kyle Steckly | APC Auto Parts Centres / Toyota Camry | 125 |
| 4 | 2 | Josh Stade | Canada Clean Fuels / Ford Mustang | 125 |
| 5 | 7 | Shawn Chenoweth | London Recreation Racing / Chevrolet SS | 125 |
| 6 | 15 | Jake Sheridan | Vibrent Farms / Ford Mustang | 125 |
| 7 | 8 | Jr Farrelly | Berne Apparel / Chevrolet SS | 125 |
| 8 | 11 | Tyler Di Venanzo | Hudco Electric Supply / Chevrolet Camaro | 125 |
| 9 | 10 | Brady Smith | Oliver Ford / Ford Mustang | 125 |
| 10 | 12 | Jacob Sutcliffe | AutoTech Service Center / Toyota Camry | 123 |
| 11 | 9 | Kendra Adams | Mobil 1 / Chevrolet Camaro | 123 |
| 12 | 13 | Connor Maltese | Ontario Steel Sales / Dodge Charger Daytona | 123 |
| 13 | 1 | Shae Gemmell | APC Auto Parts Centres / Chevrolet SS | 122 |
| 14 | 14 | Danny Knoll Jr | Mobil 1 / Chevrolet Camaro | 119 |
| 15 | 4 | Dale Shaw | Shaw Motorsports / Chevrolet SS | 6 |
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