Connor Pritiko Wins ACDelco 100 at Delaware With Last-Lap Pass

Connor Pritiko snagged the victory in the APC United Late Model Series ACDelco 100 at Delaware Speedway on Saturday night with a last-lap pass of Kyle Steckly.

Steckly, the two-time and defending series champion, dominated Saturday's race at Delaware, but Pritiko was there to apply pressure in the closing laps after a flurry of cautions. Finally, Pritiko muscled to the inside of Steckly on the final lap and pulled ahead for the victory at his home track.

Pritiko won the last APC United Late Model Series event at Delaware, last fall's Great Canadian 300. Now, he is a two-time winner at the Ontario facility with the series.

"I was biding my time there for the first little bit. It's hard to get a restart against a great driver like Kyle Steckly there. I was getting all the warnings for jumping it, I guess, but it's hard when he's able to shift on the restarts to get a good run off there.

"I was just a little bit annoyed by that and, you know, I did what I had to do. I like Kyle. He's a great racer. That was a fun one, it was a barn burner."

After growing up close to the half-mile track, it's a surreal feeling for Pritiko to once again stand in victory lane at Delaware Speedway.

"It's pretty cool, growing up here, living two minutes away, hearing the race cars all night, sleeping with my window open. It's surreal, it's awesome. This place is great and I'm glad to call it my home."

Despite leading the lion's share of the race, Steckly sensed Pritiko would be the driver to beat at the end of 100 laps. He did everything in his power to hold off Pritiko in the closing laps before settling for second place.

"It's tough. We had a strong APC Auto Part Centers, Port City Race Cars No. 22," said Steckly. "All those cautions, we just kept getting tighter and tighter and tighter. Even to begin with, Connor had a really fast car. I don't know how hard he was pushing behind me, and I was giving it all I had there on that long run.

"I knew I was going to do everything I could, and he was going to have to use me up. He had a fast car, so I don't completely blame him. I just wish we could have held on."

Shae Gemmell finished third, his second podium finish and third top-five result in the first four races of the season. Taylor Holdaway finished fourth, with Josh Stade rounding out the top five.

July 12 marks the next date for the APC United Late Model Series. On that Saturday, the series heads to Flamboro Speedway for the London Recreational Racing 100.

-Photo credit: United Racing Series

ACDelco 100 Unofficial Results