PETERBOROUGH, ON – Another Central Ontario Saturday night highlighted the weekly race action as Peterborough Speedway wrapped up another month of the 2026 schedule Saturday, July 25th.
Main event action got rolling with a 20-lapper for the Battlefield Equipment Rental Bone Stocks that saw Alexis Melhuish and Steve Oakes lead the field to the green flag. Melhuish grabbed the early lead, with Angelo Novis and Oakes making up the top 3. The trio encountered backmarkers with less than a handful of laps complete before Novis took the race lead. Jacob Stavropoulos claimed the runner-up position just before halfway and followed Novis until taking the lead with only 4 circuits remaining. A late-race yellow flag slowed the pace but couldn’t keep Stavropoulos from his first win of the season. Alex Dallaire, Melhuish, Novis and Oakes completed the top 5.
Max Beyore and Rick Burbridge were on the front row as the Overkill Enterprises OSCAAR Modified Tour marked its historic 150th start. Beyore took the early lead and the driver of the No. 91 – who is a former series Rookie of the Year and Autumn Colours Classic champion – encountered lapped traffic and was involved in the race’s first caution flag near halfway. Matt Haufe – who had been running 2nd – became the group’s 36th different winner, with the provincial Legend Car standout taking his first career Modified checkered flag. Burbridge, Wally Wilson, Steve Trendell and Bryan Batty finished out the top 5.
With 20 laps to settle the score, Stacey Switzer and Kyle Gordon were on the front row as the Trent Lakes Complete Plumbing Renegade Truck starting line-up rolled from the staging area. Using his outside front-row starting spot to perfection, Gordon took the early race lead. A pair of early-race yellow flags kept things close, with the leaders encountering the tail of the field with 9 laps on the scoreboard. A medical emergency in the pit area saw the race halted just past the halfway mark, with Gordon declared the winner. Shawn Murray, Howie Crowe, Jordan Dallin and Jack Dallin were next across the line.
Thirty laps were on the table as the OSCAAR Fyre Place and Patio Shop Hot Rods hit the track for a headline event with Lane Zardo and multi-time series champion Tyler Hawn on the front row. Zardo took the early race lead, with Hawn close behind. An early-race issue on the frontstretch slowed the pace with 3 laps completed, and Hawn took the race lead just a pair of circuits later. Frontrunners caught the tail end of the field at the halfway mark, with Hawn picking up the checkered flag. Jacob Booth, Tom Walters, Zardo and Daniel Hawn rounded out the top 5.
The final night of the July portion of the schedule wrapped up with a 30-lap Late Model showcase that had Dan McHattie and Jacob Mercer on the front row. The driver of the No. 71 grabbed the lead the moment he saw the green flag and had Mercer and John Owen in tow as the trio broke away from the pack. About a third of the way into the race distance, Ollie Ferguson found his way into the fight, with the race running without a yellow flag. McHattie and Mercer broke away from the pack, with the 3rd-, 4th- and 5th-place positions changing as the laps wore on. McHattie’s strong run at the front of the field netted him another trip to Dart Heating & Cooling Victory Lane. Mercer, Ryan Kimball, Kelly Balson and Ferguson followed across the stripe.
Preliminary-round action had Tom Walters with a pair, while current point leader Thomas Wunsch and Rob Poole claimed the OSCAAR Hot Rod heat races. Max Beyore, Bryan Batty, Daryl Henwood and Steven Trendell took the OSCAAR Modified checkered flags. Home-track action had 2025 Rookie of the Year Jacob Stavropoulos and reigning track champion Alex Dallaire split the Bone Stock qualifiers. Stacy Switzer and Kyle Gordon each had a Renegade Truck win, while John Owen and Jacob Mercer shared the Late Model opening-round victories.
All finishing positions are unofficial, pending scoring review and post-race inspection.
Bullring bullet points: The final night of action for the month saw some familiar faces in different places across the driver line-up. Ontario Bandolero racer Ava Boundy took a turn in the No. 70M Bone Stock, in place of Mya Vandebelt, with Lane Zardo wheeling the No. 48 OSCAAR Hot Rod. Riley Deline made a first Peterborough Speedway start in the No. 81 Bone Stock. In a last-minute decision, Josh Gruntz hopped between his No. 31 Late Model and OSCAAR Modified rides. His pair of heat-race wins were a belated birthday present for Stompin’ Tom Walters, who celebrated Friday, July 24th. Track rescue staff was called to the scene of a crash in the Bone Stock feature. John Bates and Zachary Cheng were both checked at the scene. The weekly Saturday night Trenton Kinsmen Club 50/50 saw a $1,000 win for long-time track supporter and Mini Stock car owner Chuck Marsh.
Next Up: Saturday, August 1st, Peterborough Speedway hosts the annual Cottage Country Bash with a free pre-race corn roast and on-track action highlighted by a 50-lap Mini Stock Shootout, along with Bone Stock, Renegade Truck, Super Stock and Junior Late Model divisions. Kids’ rides will be the intermission feature. Spectator gates open at 4:00, with racing at 6:00.
For the latest track news and complete schedule information, be sure to check www.peterboroughspeedway.com or follow the venue’s social media pages and platforms.
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