PETERBOROUGH, ON – Temperatures may have soared to record-setting levels through the week but nothing could match the on-track heat created – Saturday, June 3rd – at Canada’s Toughest 3rd Mile Oval.
Peterborough Speedway’s first feature event of the new month was a 25-lap showcase for the Trailers Plus Canadian Legend Car Series, with Jordan Latimer and Dawson Drimmie on the front row. Latimer took the lead at the drop of the green flag, with Parker Traves moving into 2nd. Traves would get around Latimer with a pass coming-off the second turn, bringing Drimmie along for the ride. The lead duo enjoyed a 2-car breakaway until a yellow with 13 laps complete slowed the pace. Adam Cuthbertson picked-up 2nd with about 10 laps remaining and Cole McFadden cracked the top-3. The No. 60 of Traves had a strong lead and wasn’t challenged over the closing stages. Drimmie, Latimer, Cuthbertson and McFadden were next across the stripe.
With 30 laps to settle the score, the KOD Disposal Late Model pack came to the stripe 17 strong, with reigning track champion James Townsend and James Horner on the front row. Townsend and Horner ran nearly identical, side-by-side laps during the early stages of the event, before Horner took control with just over a handful of circuits complete.
As the leaders started catching the back of the pack, the caution flag flew with 8 laps on the scoreboard. Ryan Kimball moved into the runner-up position on the restart, with Derek Lynch sliding into 3rd. With several yellow flags over the final laps, the top spot changed hands between Dan McHattie and Kimball, with McHattie getting the win in a late race shootout. Daniel Montanari – in his first career Peterborough Speedway start – was 2nd, with Brandt Graham, Lynch and Townsend completing the top 5.
Victoria McLenon and John Bates brought the Battlefield Equipment Rental Bone Stock field from the staging area for their 20-lap main event. Bates was the early leader, with Sean Kennedy looking to take the spot. The No. 23 of Tegan Stanley was also having a strong run, with Jake Kelly in the middle of the 4-car hunt for the lead.
The quartet was working through slower traffic when Kennedy seized the moment to make a pass that would see him take the first Bone Stock win of the 2023 schedule. Kelly, Stanley and Bates were next at the checkered flag, with the No. 09 of Cory Horne 5th.
Erin Kearns and Brandon Feeney were on the front row as the SwitchTire Mini Stock field rolled to the Great Canadian TV green flag for a headline dance. With just short of a dozen teams in the line-up, the pack turned some solid times in their 20-lapper.
Coming from deep in the running order, last week’s feature winner Nolan Gould battled his way to the lead and held-on for his second straight Mini Stock trip to Dart Heating & Air Conditioning Victory Lane. Chris Tubman, Ember Junkin, Kearns and Victor Vowles chased Gould to the winner’s circle.
Nick Spiesz and Mike Bradley were on the front row for the 25-lap Outlaw Midget feature to wrap-up action on the second racing night of the year. Spiesz took the early lead, with the Bradley Brothers, Larry Lawson and Rob Harrison on his tail as the leaders began putting slower cars a lap down. A late race yellow flag created a last chance charge for the win. Mike Bradley took the checkered flag, with Harrison, Jason Metcalfe, Fred Homewood and Kayla Semple next across the line.
Ember Junkin and Chris Tubman shared the Mini Stock preliminary rounds, while Dan McHattie picked-up a pair of Late Model heat races wins, with the others going to James Horner and Daniel Montanari. Jake Kelly swept the Bone Stock qualifiers, with Parker Traves, Adam Cuthbertson, Dawson Drimmie and Mitch Wright scoring the Canadian Legend Car opening round checkered flags. Qualifying heat wins for the Outlaw Midgets went to Nick Spiesz, Dave Bradley, Mike Bradley and Larry Lawson.
All finishing positions are unofficial and subject to scoring review and post race safety and technical inspection.
Bullring bullet points: Brandt Graham – a former Peterborough Speedway Mini Stock racer, 2-time Ontario Sportsman Series champion and current Dirt Late Model runner – returned to his racing roots and joined the Late Model field on one of his rare nights off…Recent Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee Derek Lynch had his No. 15 machine in the starting line-up for the Late Model division…Mark Gordon was on-hand with his No. 52 Late Model, but mechanical issues during practice sidelined his night before he turned a racing lap…13-year-old Keaton Pipe – a graduate of the karting ranks – continues to develop in the next stage of his racing career, running the No. 25 machine with the Canadian Legend Car Series.
Next on Peterborough Speedway’s 2023 schedule will be the year’s first Double Toonie/Fan Appreciation Night – presented by Pepsi – Saturday, June 10th. On track action for the local racing divisions will include the Bone Stock, Mini Stock, Renegade Truck, Super Stock and Junior Late Model teams. Spectator grandstand admission will be $4.00, with a trackside driver autograph session at intermission. Pit gates open at 1:30, grandstands at 4:00 and racing at 5:00.
Find all the details on this year’s line-up and the latest track news by visiting www.peterboroughspeedway.com or the venue’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram social media platforms.
