It was another successful season of home track racing in Central Ontario. Peterborough Speedway concluded this year’s schedule on Saturday, September 5th with the annual Championship Clash.
In many ways, the Nadeau’s Collision Service Junior Late Model racers make up the first rung on a ladder leading to the future of provincial short track action. During the recently completed season, close to 20 different drivers scored points at the home track venue. At least a pair of that line-up has already announced plans to move to a new class for the 2027 season. With a trio of main event wins, Owen Ephgrave clinched this year’s track title with a main event that included some head-to-head laps with his brother Dylan. When the final points were tallied, his margin of victory was 24 points over Brody Coates.
Climbing on the car after a 2025 Battlefield Equipment Rental Bone Stock feature win, Jacob Stavropoulos got noticed by the Peterborough Speedway fans and that may have paved the way for a Rookie of the Year win. Heading into the track’s 2026 Championship Clash, he trailed in the overall standings by a single point. He took the lead in the season finale’s 20-lap feature and picked-up the race win, with his closest rival in the title chase finishing third. In the overall standings, the driver of the No. 03 machine earned the championship by four points over Alex Dallaire.
The SwitchTire Mini Stock field turned in a mighty performance during the 2026 season at the popular local oval. Forty different teams scored points during the recently completed schedule. John Lavalle logged some consistent runs in 11 starts during the year and wheeled the No. 6 machine to the track championship by a 53-point margin over Cameron McGlashan.
In honour of Mark Gordon, the No. 52 Trent Lakes Complete Plumbing Renegade Truck was shared by Kyle Gordon and James Townsend. It was a strong season for the potent pick-up. With the exception of the final night of the season – where teammate Howie Crowe had the main event win – the team was unbeatable during the 2026 schedule and finished with a sizeable margin over second-place finisher Shawn Murray.
Ask a racer of any level – once they’ve won their first race, they want to win again. Bailey Jacobs has a winning reputation since making the move from karting to stock cars. In 2015, he was named Super Stock Hard Charger and Rookie of the Year. His resume already included track championships in 2018 and 2022. At the Saturday, September 5th Championship Clash, he added the 2026 title to his list of career accomplishments. In a division that featured more than 15 different drivers during the season, Jacobs finished 42 markers ahead of second-place Herb Walters.
The name Dan McHattie has become synonymous with Central Ontario short track racing success. The fan favourite from Cavan, ON recently clinched his 15th track championship in the region, with this 2026 title at Peterborough Speedway. When the final numbers were tallied, he’d defeated Ryan Kimball by only five points in the Late Model division.
The home track promotional team is busy making plans for the 33rd annual B&G Towing and Recovery Autumn Colours Classic. The Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing gets underway on Friday, October 9th and continues through all three days of the Thanksgiving Weekend. Full event details and information will be posted at www.peterboroughspeedway.com and on the track’s social media pages and platforms.
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