With summer set to arrive in just a week’s time, it was the final fling for spring Saturday, June 14th at Canada’s Toughest 3rd of a Mile Paved Oval. The TQ/Can-Am Midgets joined the hometown favourite Battlefield Equipment Rental 4Fun, Peterborough Hyundai Mini Stock, Paul Davis Systems Thunder Car and Parry Spring Service Renegade Truck teams for the 5th event on this year’s schedule.
The first heat race action on the night belonged to the Battlefield Equipment Rental 4Fun squad, with Ray Schroer, Griffen Powell, Matthew Vanderbelt and Brandon Feeney taking the checkered flags. Tyler Junkin, “The Show Stopper” Danny Benedict, James Townsend and last week’s feature winner Ryan Babin took the Peterborough Hyundai Mini Stock qualifying rounds.
Former CASCAR Super Series driver Rob Neely and Adrian Stahle took the TQ/Can-Am Midget heat races. Paul Smith won the ‘B’ main last chance qualifier.
Jack Dallin – the division’s only feature winner this year – took both Parry Spring Service Renegade Truck heat wins, with Anthony DiBello, Dan Price, Andrew Swindells and Howie Crowe claiming the Paul Davis Systems Thunder Car qualifiers.
Willow Barberstock and Brandon Feeney followed the Sound Off Signal pace truck to the green flag for Battlefield Equipment Rental 4Fun main event. Barberstock jumped out to an early, with Ray Schroer chasing her back bumper. With as much as a half a track length’s advantage, the popular teenager from Stirling, Ontario claimed her second win of the season over Schroer, Tiffany Vanderbelt, Matthew Vanderbelt and Griffen Powell.
Dan Demers and Henk Mulders occupied the front row starting spots for the 20 lap Peterborough Hyundai Mini Stock feature tilt. It didn’t take long for James Townsend to move to the front of the field and with a dozen laps in the books, he was working through lapped traffic when the #45 of Henk Mulders was sent spinning through the infield grass after being hit by Ryan Oosterholt. Mulders made hard contact with the pit lane wall, but exited the car on his own. After an extensive yellow flag to put a displaced safety block back into position, the field set off for an 8 lap shootout to settle the score. Tyler Junkin got a jump on Townsend on the re-start, with Townsend facing a challenge from Ryan Babin, but it was the #41 who earned a trip to Dart Heating and Air Conditioning victory lane. Townsend, Babin, Brandt Graham and Kevin Strutt completed the fast 5.
Josh Milwain and Andy McCann brought the Parry Spring Service Renegade Truck pack to the stripe for their 15 lap feature. Coming from deep in the field, Jack Dallin pushed his #07 to the runner-up spot and ran side-by-side with defending track champion Bill O’Hara for a number of laps. The pair waged a tight battle, with Dallin taking the lead with a dozen circuits complete. Dallin claimed his 4th consecutive win, over O’Hara, Jeff Vanderbelt, McCann and Stephen Bierworth.
With 20 laps on the agenda, Brad Lavalle and Tom Podd filled the front row positions for the Paul Davis Systems Thunder Car ‘A’ main. With a handful of laps complete, Anthony DiBello was in control of the field, with Stu Robinson Jr. and Andrew Swindells giving chase. Working through lapped traffic allowed Robinson and new 3rd place runner Howie Crowe to close on the leader, but there wasn’t enough time to take the win from DiBello, who became the first repeat winner in the Thunder Car division. Robinson, Crowe, Dan Price and Craig Scott followed the leader across the line.
A 25 lap feature event for the TQ/Can-Am Midgets wrapped-up the night’s action, with 15 starters taking the green flag. The ultra-quick winged rockets delighted the crowd with some excellent action and after a couple of early yellow flags and a red flag with 9 laps complete for a spin and single car rollover by Ryan Fraser on the backstretch that also involved Tyler Turnbull and Daniel Bois, the race ran green until a spin with 17 circuits complete by Adrian Stahle, who was running in second position. Lucas Smith brought the field back to green flag racing and took the win, over Rob Neely, Mack DeMan, Todd Cresswell and Darren McLennan.
Bullring Bullet Points: The Peterborough Shrine Club 50/50 draw paid close to $400 to the father of TQ/Can-Am Midget driver Chris Holman. Ironically, the driver of the #16 crashed out of the ‘B’ Main…Omemee, Ontario’s Craig Scott made his first start of the season in a re-tooled #69 Thunder Car. Stu Robinson Jr. – a former OSCAAR Super Late Model and NASCAR Canadian Tire Series runner – took over the controls of Donny Beatty’s #40 Thunder Car. With the Earl Ireland Auto Sales Late Model teams enjoying a week off, 2013 track champion Craig Graham climbed behind the wheel of his son Brandt’s #12 Mini Stock for some laps during practice…Willow Barberstock and Anthony DiBello joined Jack Dallin in becoming Peterborough Speedway’s only 2014 multiple feature race winners…At intermission, the kids bicycle races were won by Brody Kyle in the 9 and under age group. Darien Kyle, in the 9 to 11 grouping and Brandon Adams in the class for 11 to 13 year olds.
Saturday, June 21st action returns to the tight, tricky bullring on Mount Pleasant Road, west of the Liftlock City, with the Parry Spring Service Renegade Truck, Paul Davis Systems Thunder Car, Earl Ireland Auto Sales Late Model divisions, the second 2014 appearance by the Hurricane Midgets and a 100 lap endurance event. Pit gates open at 3:00, grandstands at 5:00 and the first green flag at 6:00.
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