Everyone loves a party.

Saturday, July 9th Peterborough Speedway threw an old-fashioned summertime shindig with the Pure Country 105 Mid-Season Bash at Canada’s Toughest 3rd Mile Oval.

The Trent Lakes Complete Plumbing Renegade Truck teams were the first guests to arrive at the party, with Paul Boundy and Stacy Switzer on the front row for a 20 lap feature. Shortly after the initial green flag, the caution flew for incident in the 2nd turn. Jordan DesRoches was looking for an advantage using the outside line, while last week’s winner Kyle Gordon charged ahead from his starting spot near the rear of the field. Gordon took the lead following a lap 6 yellow and was set on cruise from there, to score his 2nd straight checkered flag. Boundy, DesRoches, Shawn Murray and Switzer completed the top 5.

The Battlefield Equipment Rental Bone Stocks were up next, with John Bates and Angelo Novis on the front row for their 20 lap ‘A’ main. Bates took the lead early, with a 3-wide fight for the runner-up spot in his rear view mirror. The pace slowed for an issue in the 3rd turn near the halfway mark, but Bates was able to hold-off every challenge to claim his first career checkered flag. Kyle Novis, Steve Finnegan, Jacob Kelly and Angelo Novis rounded-out the top finishers.

The crowd favourite Kingsway Auto Centre Jr. Late Models returned to the track for a 10 lap main event, with Lyla Sikma and Kaiden Beatty on the front row. A yellow flag for an incident in the 2nd turn slowed the pace and created the new division’s first green, white checkered finish. Chase Stevenson took the win over Beatty, Sikma and Lucas Finnegan. Junior Late Model action will return to the schedule Saturday, July 23rd.

Doug Wills and Robert Cousineau led the Late Model field from the staging area for their 25 lap headline tilt. After an early yellow flag for an incident on the front stretch, Tim Batty took over the top spot. Another yellow for an issue in the 2nd turn slowed the pace, with James Townsend taking the lead just before the halfway mark. By the race’s closing stages, he had built-up a lead of nearly 10 car lengths over Batty. Jacob Mercer took 3rd with only a couple of laps left, with James Horner and Bobby Cousineau following the lead trio across the stripe.

Brad Stevenson and Mark Gordon were on the front row for the KOD Disposal Super Stock feature. Throughout the year, the competition has been fast and tight and the Saturday, July 9th show was no exception. Early in the running, Bailey Jacobs moved into the 2nd spot and began his pursuit of race leader Mark Gordon. Previous feature winners were the highlight of the night, with Marlie Owen also showing her strength in the red No. 21. Jacobs took the lead with a lap 12 pass of Gordon, with Owen taking 4th with only 2 laps remaining. Gordon hung on for the runner-up spot, with Stevenson 3rd. Brandon Feeney continued his solid season with a 5th place run.

The night’s final main event was a 25 lapper for the Trailers Plus Canadian Legend Car Series, presented by RW Electric. Matt Haufe, wheeling the No. 51J of Josh Inglis and Parker Traves brought the starting field to the green flag. Haufe took an early lead, with the field working through slower traffic with just over a handful of laps complete. A lap 9 caution flag slowed the pace, but back under green flag conditions, it was Haufe, Dawson Drimmie, Adam Cuthbertson, Traves and Jordan Latimer in the top 5. There was a new leader with 13 laps on the board, as Drimmie took the spot. A yellow flag a lap later brought the field back together but didn’t change the outcome as Dawson Drimmie took his first career win. Traves, Cuthbertson, Haufe and Jordan Latimer completed the top 5.

Kyle Gordon took a pair of Renegade Truck qualifying heats, with Jacob Kelly, Steve Finnegan, Kyle Novis and Brad Lavalle sharing the Bone Stock preliminary round wins. James Townsend and Jacob Mercer had the Late Model heat race checkered flags, with Marlie Owen and Brad Stevenson sharing the Super Stock wins.

All finishing positions are unofficial and subject to scoring review as well as post race safety and technical inspection.

Bullring bullet points: Janice Smith of Oshawa picked-up the night’s 50/50 win, taking home $640.00…Isaiah Switzer made his first start of the season in Bone Stock field…15-year-old Late Model rookie runner Jacob Mercer continues to turn heads. The youngster logged some impressive lap times during the pre-race practice sessions. A second Late Model freshman wasn’t as fortunate, as Jassen Whyte suffered through a night with several mechanical issues and dropped-out of the feature event…First year Canadian Legend Car Series runner Cameron Townson was involved in a hard crash during his heat race. The car was cradled back to the pit area but the driver was unhurt…Sean Kennedy had his streak of consecutive top 5 Bone Stock finishes come to an end when the right front hub failed on his No. 9 car…Larry Crowe Jr. set the fast time with a lap of 16.98 in his Lamborghini during King of the Hill.

Peterborough Speedway reminds spectators that smoking is not allowed in the family grandstand sections. The use of cannabis is not permitted on speedway property.

Action continues Saturday, July 16th at Canada’s Toughest 3rd Mile Oval with the home track Bone Stock, Mini Stock, Super Stock and Late Model divisions joined by the annual visit for the Ontario Sportsman Series, with Kid’s Barrel Races as the intermission feature. Pit gates open at 2:30, with the spectator grandstands unlocked at 5:00 and racing at 6:00.

Look to www.peterboroughspeedway.com or the track’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram social media profiles for the latest news and information on the 2022 schedule at Canada’s Toughest 3rd Mile Oval.

Source: Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media
Photo: Melissa Smits, OneNine Marketing, www.facebook.com/oneninemarketing