The competition just continues to grow in the APC Auto Parts United Late Models of Ontario tour, as Brandon Watson will be returning to the series on a full-time basis after a couple years off.

“We’re definitely excited to get back to the APC Series,” Watson told Short Track Musings. “It’s been quite a few years off so it’d be nice to get back to late model racing around home. We will have a bit of an adjustment with a new team with Rette Jones Racing – they seem to have a really good set-up going and effective team, so we’re hoping to jump in, and find some results quick, but I know it will take a little bit of time so we’ll see how it goes.”

When Rette Jones Racing made the initial announcement a couple months ago, it certainly caught a lot of people off-guard in seeing Watson’s return. However, for Watson, it was about the right opportunity at the right time.

“We haven’t done too much racing in the past couple years just taken – I guess not really time off, but just a little bit slower to spend time with the family and so on,” Watson added. “But Rette Jones Racing reached out, and we were able to workout a deal with them that kind of worked out from both sides. So we’re happy to jump in with a team, and you know, get back into it. We always planned to get back into full season racing so yeah, the opportunity came up and we kind of went for it and it should be a good opportunity for both of us.”

The excitement of Watson’s return is high, in knowing of his past success as a two-time champion, and current all-time feature win and pole leader.

“We had some good runs at the start of this series,” he reflected. “I don’t know if we got too many wins, but I know we kind of kicked in after a couple of years. So we’re just kind of hoping to keep that success going. I know there’s a little bit that’s changed in the series since I’ve ran it last, but I think we can get back to it; hopefully can have some success like we did in the past years. 

“I know that these guys at Port City and Rette Jones Racing are going to give me a car to win so hopefully I can pick up my game and get her to victory lane a couple times.”

Watson will not be the only entry this season under the Rette Jones Racing banner, as he will be racing as a teammate to Ray Morneau. Morneau regularly ran up front at Delaware Speedway last year en route to scoring some wins, as well as battling inside the top-10 on the APC Series tour.

“It’s still a bit of a newer deal to us so we’re still working on the fine details, but Ray and I will be working together,” Watson commented. “They had Kyle (Steckly) running their car last year so they got quite a bit of information, so hopefully we can work together with Ray to get these cars going.”

Making his return to Pro Late Model competition, Watson admittedly is excited to get back to Delaware Speedway, where he has not only won there in a PLM before, but also in a Super Late Model and in the NASCAR Canada Series.

“Obviously that’s one of my favorites around here and also Peterborough,” he commented. “So looking forward to it. I know they are only at Peterborough once, but we will enjoy that one and then Flamboro and Sauble, I guess. The tracks are falling off a little around here, I guess, but kind of excited to get back to all of them. I know I haven’t been to most of them in a little bit, so it’s going to be fun.” 

As a two-time champion (2017 and 2021), Watson has watched the series grow from it’s initial years in regards to the competition and knows it won’t be easy.

“So I think it’s going to be a similar level to past years I raced,” Watson spoke of the competition. “It’s always been a high caliber series for around here – I mean, they got good racers for anywhere in North America, But yeah, I think it’s going to be similar. I know there’s some new guys, but you’ve still got some of those regulars that were there, and I was tracing, so it’s gonna be tough for sure. Hopefully they get some good car counts which it’s sounding like they are – just get lots of cars in the field and you know, we’ll try and do our best.

“Like I said, it might take a little bit to get there again, but I’m hoping we can get right into it with all these new guys and then, like I said, race again, with the guys who we raced before in the series.”