Closing the Book on July’s Action at Peterborough Speedway

The heat shifted to the racetrack as Canada’s Toughest 3^rd Mile welcomed the Ontario Sportsman Series to join its home track Bone Stock, Renegade Truck, Super Stock and Late Model divisions to wrap-up action for the month – Saturday, July 29^th – at Peterborough Speedway.

Racing got underway with a holdover 20-lap Trent Lakes Complete Plumbing Renegade Truck feature from July 22^nd, that had Stacy Switzer and Paul Boundy on the front row. At the drop of the green flag, the No. 37 of Switzer took the lead, with Chad Strawn moving into the runner-up spot.

Kurt Batty claimed the 3^rd position with 6 laps complete, as Strawn closed on the race leader. Following the race’s only caution – for an issue in the 2^nd turn just past the halfway mark – Strawn was the new race leader and took the checkered flag. Kyle Gordon, Switzer, Batty and Jack Dallin completed the top 5.

Battlefield Equipment Rental Bone Stock teams took the green flag with Tegan Stanley and Jake Kelly leading the pack from the staging area for the 20-lap feature. Kelly grabbed the race lead from his outside front row starting spot, with ‘Rhonda the Honda’ – wheeled by Stanley and Sean Kennedy – close behind. The trio developed a 3-car breakaway, with Mark Griffin closing on the leaders as the laps wore on. Kyle Novis was looking for 5^th just past the halfway mark, as Griffin wrestled 3^rd away from Kennedy with fewer than a handful of laps remaining. At the checkered flag, it was the No. 8 of Kelly taking the win, with Stanley 2^nd. Griffin was originally credited with 3^rd, but his No. 58 was disqualified because of ride height and camber issues. Kennedy was moved-up to 3^rd, with Novis and John Bates 4^th and 5^th.

Jiffy Lube Super Stock teams were next as Jeremy Dobb and Paul Boundy brought the starting field to the line, with 20 laps of action to settle the score. Dobb claimed the early lead, with Marlie Owen moving into 2^nd with about 5 laps complete and was looking to make a pass on the race leader with 8 circuits on the scoreboard. Her No. 21 took control of the show at lap 13, just as yellow flag for an issue on the frontstretch slowed the pace. Owen’s time at the front was short, as Miles Tyson became to show’s final leader with 5 laps remaining to take another win. Owen was 2^nd, with Mark Gordon, Boundy and Brandon Feeney next across the stripe.

Brendan Patrick and former series champion Connor James paced the Ontario Sportsman Series starting line-up to the green flag for their 100-lap main event. Patrick took the early lead, with James slipping into the runner-up spot. Tim Tolton and Chad McGlynn were marching through the field, with Tolton taking 3^rd with 17 laps complete and McGlynn moving into 4^th, just over a handful of laps later. Connor James took at turn at the front, with Tolton also logging laps in the lead, before a late race red flag when Mark Patrick made hard contact with the inside frontstretch wall created a 10-lap shootout. Brendan Patrick regained the lead with just a handful of laps remaining and held on for his first career series win. Brad Robinson, McGlynn, last year’s winner Kevin Trevellin and Tolton rounded-out the top 5.

Jordan Desroches and Kyle Gordon brought the Trent Lakes Complete Plumbing Renegade Truck field to the green flag for the regularly scheduled feature. Gordon took the lead early and had a great run through the race distance, with positions changing behind him throughout the running order. The caution-free feature tilt saw the driver of the No. 52 take another win, with Kurt Batty, Desroches, Chad Strawn and Stacy Switzer next across the stripe.

A dozen KOD Disposal Late Model teams came from the staging area for a 25-lap feature to wrap-up the night, with Brandt Graham and Bobby Cousineau on the front row. Graham had a strong piece from the drop of the green flag, with Cousineau and Daniel Montanari matching the leader’s lap times. The leaders caught the tail-end of the field with less than 10 laps on the scoreboard, with the paced slowed by a yellow flag – for an incident in the 4^th turn – with 14 laps complete. Brandt Graham logged some solid laps over the closing stages to claim his first career Late Model win. Derek Lynch, Ryan Kimball, James Townsend and Jacob Mercer completed the top 5.

Jake Kelly had a pair of Bone Stock qualifying heat wins, with Cory Horne and Tegan Stanley taking the others. Miles Tyson and Jeremy Dobb shared the Super Stock preliminary rounds, with Jordan Desroches, Kyle Gordon, Kurt Batty and Chad Strawn capturing the Renegade Truck qualifiers. Ryan Kimball had a couple of Late Model heat race checkered flags. Bobby Cousineau and Brandt Graham scored the others.

All finishing positions are unofficial and subject to scoring review and post-race technical inspection.

Bullring bullet points: John Lavalle took a turn at the controls of his brother Brad’s No. 6 Super Stock…Marlie Owen and Jeremy Dobb both returned to the Super Stock ranks after being away for a couple of events…Dallas Keller filled in for Zachary Cheng in the No. 39 Bone Stock…The No. 72 of Steve Powell made hard contact with the frontstretch retaining wall during the 4th KOD Disposal Late Model qualifying heat. He was checked and released by track personnel but his car was damaged too badly to continue…Nick Montanari turned a lap of 17.67 in his 1990 Honda Civic to win King of the Hill…The steady showers and occasional heavy rain that washed-out several other events delayed practice sessions by about 20 minutes prior to a great night of racing at Peterborough Speedway.

Next on the 2023 Peterborough Speedway line-up will be Saturday, August 5^th for the year’s only regular season appearance for the OSCAAR Modified and Hot Rod divisions, with the Bone Stock, Mini Stock classes, plus the Outlaw Midgets. There will also be a complimentary pre-race corn roast. Pit gates open at 2:00, spectator grandstands at 4:00 and racing at 6:00.

For schedule details, information and pricing for all Peterborough Speedway events, see www.peterboroughspeedway.com or the track’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram social media platforms.