Peterborough, ON (May 30, 2016)- According to the calendar, summer doesn’t officially arrive for about another month, but that didn’t stop fans from enjoying a hot night of action – Saturday, May 28– at Canada’s Toughest 1/3-Mile Paved Oval.
The Ontario Modifieds Racing Series, OSCAAR Midgets and Pro Midgets joined the home track Battlefield Equipment Rental 4Fun, Jiffy Lube Mini Stock and Paul Davis Systems Thunder Car divisions at Peterborough Speedway.The night’s feature race action got underway with Jiffy Lube Mini Stock runners Ryan Carr and Steve McNevin on the front row. An early yellow flag for a 3 car incident slowed the pace, but it was pretty much smooth sailing from there. Last year’s track champion Tyler Junkin managed to hold off a challenge from opening night victor James Townsend to take his first win of the young season. Brandon Hannah, Carr and Donovan Price completed the top 5.
Jessica Pasinetti and Rob Richards paced the Paul Davis Systems Thunder Car field to the Great Canadian RV green flag. In just her second career Peterborough Speedway start, Pasinetti led early but was freight trained by at least 5 others when she slipped out of the preferred lower line. Veteran Howie Crowe followed new leader Richards for several circuits, before taking the top spot and his first win of the year. Nick Oram, Like Gignac and Pasinetti chased Crowe and Richards across the line to round out the top 5 in the caution-free feature.
It was Jake Kelly and Carson Hennessy showing the way as the Battlefield Equipment Rental 4Fun teams came to the stripe. At the drop of the green flag, Jeremy Kelly slipped past the front row starters and took control. His #80 machine was the class of the field, leading by nearly half a straightaway before a yellow flag bunched the pack. The restart was short lived, as another caution slowed the pace. With Sean Kennedy, Ray Schroer, Matthew Vanderbelt and defending track champion Ryan Oosterholt on his tail, Kelly managed to record his first career win and celebrated with family, friends and his grandmother in victory lane.
Brian Woodland and Jody Bound brought the OSCAAR Midget field to the line for their 25 lap feature race, but Bound had the field covered. When a mid race yellow flag slowed his pace, the Uxbridge, Ontario racer had already lapped most of the field. When the green reappeared, he took off again and scored a dominating win over Richard Woodland, Brian Woodland, James Stanley and Larry Lawson. Ted Greenwood took the victory in the inaugural OSCAAR Pro Midget ‘A’ main.
Earlier in the night, qualifying heats went to James Townsend, Kevin Strutt, Tyler Junkin and Brad Lavalle in the Jiffy Lube Mini Stocks. Howie Crowe, Steve Mayhew, Nick Oram and Bailey Jacobs took the opening rounds of Paul Davis Systems Thunder Car action, while Jake Kelly, Griffin Powell, Ryan Oosterholt and Keith Parkes shared the Battlefield Equipment Rental 4Fun checkered flags. Ted Greenwood and Wally Northcott each won an OSCAAR Pro Midget qualifier. John Baker Jr., Brad Stevenson, Stu Robinson Jr. and Rob Warnes split the Ontario Modifieds Racing Series heats, with Richard Woodland, Jody Bound with a pair and Brian Woodland grabbing OSCAAR Midget qualifiers.
Bullring Bullet Points: The 50/50 prize of $444.00 went to Darrin Fice of Oshawa…Michael Shumilak made the long haul from Timmins, Ontario for his first ever Peterborough Speedway start. Mechanical issues sidelined the effort before he could run a Thunder Car heat.
Action returns to Canada’s Toughest 3rd of a Mile Paved Oval for the year’s first Fan Appreciation/Toonie Spectator Grandstand Admission Night – presented by Pepsi – Saturday, June 4th. The Battlefield Equipment Rental 4Fun, Jiffy Lube Mini Stock, Renegade Truck and Earl Ireland Auto Sales Late Model divisions will be joined by the INEX Ontario Legends Series. Pit gates open at 2:00, with the spectator areas unlocked at 4:00 and racing underway at 5:00.
Full schedule details, along with up to the minute news and results are always available at www.peterboroughspeedway.com, by liking the track on Facebook or following it on Twitter. You can also download the free Peterborough Speedway app on your Smartphone.
Prepared by: Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media
clarkemotorsports@hotmail.com, www.facebook.com/clarkemotorsports
613.968.6410
