Peterborough, ON (July 22, 2017)- Canada’s Toughest 1/3-Mile Paved Oval kicked-off the unofficial second half of its 50th Anniversary Season with the Mid-Summer Bash presented by Country 105 on Saturday, July 22. A five-division show, featuring the Jiffy Lube Mini Stock, Trent Lakes Complete Plumbing Renegade Truck, Organics & Glass Late Model and Ontario Modifieds Racing Series divisions provided a great night of family entertainment at Peterborough Speedway, highlighted by a 50-lap feature race for the home track Thunder Car class.
The first main event of the night was a 15 lapper for the Trent Lakes Complete Plumbing Renegade Trucks, with Stephen Bierworth and Tim Burke on the front row. Burke grabbed the lead early from the outside line and started working through lapped traffic with 12 laps on the board. The driver of the #99 machine didn’t surrender the spot throughout the entire race distance and earned a trip to Dart Heating & Air Conditioning Victory Lane. Jordan and Jack Dallin were next across the line, followed by Stacy Switzer and Carrson Hennessy.
With 20 laps on the table, Neil Bennett and Steve McNevin brought the Jiffy Lube Mini Stock field to the line. Kevin Strutt worked the outside line and moved into the top spot with five laps on the board and had caught the tail-end of the field just a couple of laps later. A caution flag for an incident in the first turn brought the running order back together but on the restart, Kris Khan, who had been in second spot, missed a shift and lost about six positions. With less than a handful of laps remaining, a fourth turn crash collected four cars and brought out the red flag. All drivers were checked on the scene and were unhurt. Strutt kept control of the field on the restart for the win, with Neil Hannah, Noel Snow, Chris Novis and Khan completing the top five.
The Organics & Glass Late Models headed for the Great Canadian RV green flag with Dan McHattie and Bryan Mercer on the front row for their headline dance. McHattie took the early lead, with Mercer dropping to third. The leader caught the tail-end of the field with eight laps on the board and had gained a substantial advantage on the runner-up spot, when the yellow flag waved with 20 laps complete. With the top runners back in touch with the leader for a 10-lap shootout, McHattie, a former track champion and Autumn Colours Classic winner, held-off a last lap challenge from Mercer to take the win. Amanda Balson, Tyler Betts and James Horner rounded-out the top five.
Randy Hollingsworth and Duane Cinnamon brought the Ontario Modifieds Racing Series teams from the staging area for their 25 lap ‘A’ main. Cinnamon jumped out to about an eight-car length advantage from the outside line, with Rob Warnes moving into second spot. Mechanical issues forced the #95 to make hard contact with the retaining wall, bringing-out a red flag with six laps on the scoreboard. The incident also involved Connor James, who slid in fluid left behind by Warnes. With field back under green flag conditions, Cinnamon looked to be on the way to his second win of the year and was lapping backmarkers with 20 laps on the field. Just a couple of circuits later, he was passed by Brad Stevenson, who held on for the win. John Baker Jr. took second, with Cinnamon, Stu Robinson Jr. and Mark Gordon chasing the lead duo across the stripe.
It was the Thunder Car division’s turn to take the 50th Anniversary spotlight, with a 50-lap feature event that saw Tyler Bouillon and Bailey Jacobs start from the front row. Jacobs jumped-out to an early lead of about half a straightaway and had caught the back of the pack with 10 circuits showing on the scoreboard. The 20 year-old was working through traffic and made a daring pass, splitting a pair of slower cars, entering the first turn. The show ran clean and green for the nearly double the distance of a regular feature event, before the first caution flag on lap 36. Not even a late-race yellow with only three laps remaining would keep the popular youngster from his first win of the year. Jacobs was followed across the line by James Townsend, Jessica Pasinetti, Bouillon and Paul Boundy.
Heat race wins went to Stacy Switzer and Tim Burke in the Trent Lakes Complete Plumbing Renegade Trucks. Noel Snow, Kevin Strutt, Kris Khan and Donovan Price took the Jiffy Lube Mini Stock checkered flags. Bryan Mercer and Jack Horner won the Organics & Glass Late Model qualifiers. Brad Stevenson, Rick Warnes, Stu Robinson Jr. and John Baker Jr. claimed the Ontario Modifieds Racing Series heats. Dan Archibald win a pair, Tyler Bouillon and Rob Richards captured the Thunder Car openers.
Bullring bullet points: Mike Mauro of Peterborough pocketed $590 in the night’s 50/50 draw…For the second time in recent events, Donovan Price had a good night end with a 4th turn wreck, as the driver of the #96 Mini Stock made hard contact with the wall…Former tour regulars Ryan Dick and Josh Gruntz each made their first OMRS starts of the year. Gruntz – whose brother Ben has been running with the 4Fun division – arrived at the track after all the qualifying rounds had been completed and started the feature event from the back of the pack.
Action continues Saturday, July 29th with the Battlefield Equipment Rental 4Fun, Jiffy Lube Mini Stock, Thunder Car, Organics & Glass Late Model and Eastern Ontario Legend divisions, plus kids rides at intermission. Pit gates will open at 3:00, with the general admission grandstands unlocked at 5:00 and the first Great Canadian RV green flag at 6:00.
Full 50th Anniversary Season schedule details and the latest updates can always be found by visiting www.peterboroughspeedway.com, liking the Peterborough Speedway Facebook page or following the track on Twitter. Fans can also download the free app on their Smartphone.
Prepared by: Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media
clarkemotorsports@hotmail.com, www.facebook.com/clarkemotorsports
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