Tim Miller – Special to The Spectator
The APC United Late Model Series recently announced its 2023 schedule and the Ontario Series has offered longer races for its nine-race card on local cobbled ovals. The APC, which started in 2015 in an effort to unify rules and regulations for late-models across the province, will increase the length of three of its races from the previous 100 laps. It all starts at Sunset Speedway near Barrie with a 150 lap on May 20.
The races at Flamboro Speedway on June 10 and July 15 will be 100-lap events, as will the races at Peterborough and Delaware Speedways that will be held between the Flamboro dates. Race 6 at Sauble Speedway will be 150 laps, then two 100 laps at Sunset and Sauble, then a 200 lap race on September 23 at Delaware to end the season.
Several weeks ago, the OSCAAR Modifieds and Hot Rod divisions merged into the APC United LM series, and while OSCAAR will be competing in next year’s APC events, officials have yet to finalize dates.
SOS Points Fund
Another recent local racing syndicate, the merger of the Southern Ontario Sprints (SOS) 360 Sprint Cars with the Knights of Thunder to race under the SOS banner next season, got a big boost with a recently announced points fund. – a point fund with a nostalgic element.
Design company owners John and Wendy Brush have been involved in motorsport for many years and have helped the careers of Jessica Zemken, Mike Kruchka and Doug Didero, as well as series and track events.
The SOS points fund for 2023 is $10,000.
The Brushes’ media company is known as Tammy Ten Media, named after the Tammy 10 Super Modified piloted by Harvey Lennox that John Brush saw at Flamboro in June 1963, beginning his involvement in the sport.
Cayuga builder dies
Jack Greenhalgh, one of the original owners/builders of Cayuga Speedway, has passed away. He was 92 years old.
Based in Ancaster, Greenhalgh did some racing in the early 1950s, but focused his attention and talents on building racing cars and racing engines. Under the Red Ball and Black Jack banners, around 250 racing and performance engines were built, and not just for oval track cars.
Greenhalgh also built for road racers such as Moe Carter and Eppie Wietzes. He was inducted into the Canadian Street Rodding Hall of Fame in 2014.
Greenhalgh worked with most engines but is well known locally for his interest and work with Studebaker, a marked contrast to the usual Chevy engines that powered Sportsman coupes at Hamilton’s Speedway Park and other dirt ovals. In the mid-1960s, along with three others, Greenhalgh built and operated Cayuga Speedway. The large oval south of Hagersville was opened in May 1966 as a dirt road, but was paved for the 1968 season when it was purchased by local businessman Bob Slack.
Greenhalgh had a working relationship with famed IndyCar team owner Andy Granatelli who was the head of the STP-Paxton group and the only game around for Studebaker performance gear. After an engine provided by Greenhalgh’s Granatelli went sour, Greenhalgh had a few words with Granatelli and received not only a new engine and parts, but tickets to the 1966 Indy 500 (which he attended) and a set of STP pajama racing suits that were promoted by Granatelli.
Connect to Tomas
If you’re interested in how Erik Tomas, the writer/host/etc. of Raceline Radio, entered the business tune in on Sunday, December 11 for its final live broadcast for the show’s 30th season. The veteran announcer and host lets his tires cool for a few weeks at this time of year, so every Sunday between December 18 and January 8, Tomas will replay interviews with racing notables such as Al Unser Jr., Romain Grosjean, Todd Paton, Brittany Force, Will Power and Joey Logano. Then, on January 15, Tomas returns live to stations coast to coast, including Hamilton’s 900 CHML.