With the 2023 regular season dates ticking away, Peterborough Speedway hosted another exciting night of hometown motorsports action Saturday, August 19th.
With some bonus money courtesy of long-time supporter Stan Morrow on the line, the night’s first order of business was a 25-lap Trailers Plus Canadian Legend Car feature that was delayed from the Saturday, July 8th show. Jordan Latimer and Mark Griffin brought the 16-car starting field to the green flag, with Latimer taking the early lead. The pack started working through slower traffic with about a handful of laps on the scoreboard, as Parker Traves took control of the race with 8 circuits complete. Dawson Drimmie who started alongside Traves in the original line-up took 2nd spot, with Latimer dropping to 3rd. A yellow flag just past the halfway mark slowed the pace but couldn’t deny Traves his latest Peterborough Speedway win. Drimmie, Adam Cuthbertson, Matt Haufe and Latimer rounded-out the top-5.
The main event for Kingsway Auto Centre Junior Late Model teams in the rookie division was next, with Avery Kirkpatrick and Lakelyn Junking starting from the front row. Junkin took the lead early, with the driver of the No. 2 machine running some solid laps through the early stages until Kirkpatrick grabbed the top spot with 4 laps on the scoreboard. The driver of the No. 13 machine – who won both her qualifying heats earlier in the night – completed a clean sweep of the division. Junkin and Praxton Sellers completed the finishing order.
KOD Disposal Late Model teams came to the stripe to run a 30-lap feature event, with James Horner and Tim Batty on the front row. Horner led from the drop of the green flag, with Bobby Cousineau and current point leader Ryan Kimball filling his rear-view mirror. Kimball took over the runner-up spot with just over a handful of laps complete before an issue on the backstretch brought out the yellow flag. Jacob Mercer and Brandt Graham moved into 3rd and 4th on the restart, with each driver gaining another spot after the next caution flag. Dan McHattie wrestled 3rd away from Graham as the pack caught the tail-end of the field. James Horner led every lap on his way to the win, with Mercer recording his best 2023 finish with 2nd. McHattie, Graham and Daniel Montanari completed the top 5.
Ember Junkin and Erin Kearns were on the front row as the SwitchTire Mini Stocks came to the line for a 20-lap feature. Junkin was the division’s point leader heading into the main event. The driver of the No. 19 car grabbed the early lead, with Kearns and Tyler McMurter fighting for the runner-up spot. McMurter claimed the position, but Nolan Gould – who started deep in the field – was using the outside line to march to the front. After experiencing mechanical issues earlier in the night, Gould used parts and mechanical help from Chris Tubman, Rob Crick and Chuck Marsh to claim another main event win. Junkin, Brandon Feeney, Kearns and Crick rounded-out the top 5.
The Kingsway Auto Centre Pro Junior Late Model field has been making headlines since the first green flag. Landon Sellers and Lucas Cousineau brought the starting field to the line for a 15-lap feature. Sellers led from the drop of the green flag, with the pack working through the slower traffic around the 8-lap mark. Cousineau took the lead after a lap-9 caution flag and held on for the win. Sellers was next across the stripe with Carson Cousineau, Lucas Finnegan and Kaiden Beatty following the leader to the checkered flag.
Brandon Feeney and Donovan Price were on the front row as the Jiffy Lube Super Stock field came from the staging area for a 20-lap showcase event. Feeney used his inside front row starting spot to take the early lead, with Mark Gordon closing ranks and using the inside line to take the top spot. With the No. 52 machine leading, there was a 4 car fight for the runner-up position. Marlie Owen took 2nd at the halfway mark as championship contender Miles Tyson rolled inside of Feeney for the 4th spot. Gordon held off Owen for the win. Gerrit Tiemersma, Tyson and Feeney chased the lead duo across the line.
The Trailers Plus Canadian Legend Car Series returned to wrap-up the night’s action with a 25-lap feature that saw Josh Inglis and Matt Haufe on the front row. Adam Cuthbertson took the early lead, with Haufe taking the spot away with an inside line pass with only 2 laps complete. A yellow flag for an issue on the backstretch with about 10 laps complete brought the pack together and opened the door for Parker Traves – who had started outside the 2nd row – to take the lead on the restart, with Dawson Drimmie, Nick Portt, Jordan Latimer and Jade Franklin joining the leader in a 5 car breakaway. Drimmie got close the Traves in the late stages but ran out of time to make the pass.
Avery Kirkpatrick had a pair of Junior Late Model heat race wins, with James Horner and Dan McHattie each capturing a couple of Late Model preliminary rounds. Brandon Feeney, Dwight Lavoie, Nolan Gould and Ember Junkin were the Mini Stock heat race winners, while cousins Lucas and Chase Cousineau had the Pro Junior Late Model checkered flags. Brandon Feeney, Marlie Owen, Gerrit Tiemersma and Mark Gordon each had a Super Stock qualifier win. Parker Traves had a pair of Canadian Legend Series heat race wins, with the others going to Adam Cuthbertson and Dawson Drimmie.
All finishing positions are unofficial and subject to scoring review and post race inspection.
Bullring bullet points: Dwight Lavoie stepped-in for Dan Demers at the controls of the No. 67 Mini Stock, while Austin Finnegan made his Junior Late Model debut in his brother’s former No. 26 ride…With the Renegade Truck field having the night off, Kyle Gordon dusted-off the team’s back-up Super Stock…Andrew McFadden took a turn at the wheel of his son Cole’s No. 20 Legend Car…Rookie Canadian Legend Series racer Amber Wallis celebrated her 14th birthday Monday, August 21st, with Junior Late Model racer Lakelyn Junkin – who was the subject of a recent FILMkelly driver profile video – also having a birthday on race weekend.
Peterborough Speedway hosts its 2nd to last event of the 2023 regular season Saturday, August 26th as the Canadian Legend Car Series returns for the second straight week. They’ll be joined by the home track Bone Stock, Super Stock and Late Model divisions, with Kid’s Bike Races as the intermission feature. Spectator gates open at 5:00, with the first green flag at 6:00.
Find the latest track news and schedule information by keeping tabs on Central Ontario’s favourite race place at www.peterboroughspeedway.com, or checking-out Canada’s Toughest 3rd Mile Oval on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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