Putting Action in the Saturday Night Spotlight at Peterborough Speedway

Throughout the regular season and at the annual Autumn Colours Classic, the team at Peterborough Speedway pulls out all the stops to give Central Ontario race fans a great night of motorsports entertainment. Saturday, June 11th the Battlefield Equipment Rental 4Fun, Jiffy Lube Mini Stock, Paul Davis Systems Thunder Car and Earl Ireland Auto Sales Late Model divisions were joined by the Ontario Modifieds Racing Series for a night of action on Canada’s Toughest 3rd of a Mile Paved Oval.

 

With Duane Cinnamon and Willow Barberstock on the front row, the Ontario Modifieds Racing Series hit the track for their 25 lapper to kick-off the night’s feature race action. Cinnamon took the lead early and had a strong advantage, but on the restart following a lap 11 yellow flag John Baker Jr. moved into the runner-up spot and took the lead 4 circuits later. Even a green, white, checkered finish couldn’t keep the Oshawa, Ontario runner from his 3rd straight win. Stu Robinson Jr., Alex Lees, Ryan Dick and Ryan Babin finished-out the top 5.

 

June 11 #4 (2)Steve McNevin and Mike Howe brought the Battlefield Equipment Rental 4Fun field to the Great Canadian RV green flag for a 20 lap headliner. Matthew Vanderbelt and Ryan Oosterholt broke away from the pack early and were working lapped traffic near the halfway point. Oosterholt took control with 12 circuits complete and scored a strong win. Jeremy Kelly’s solid early season continued with a second place run. Vanderbelt, Jake Kelly and Sean Kennedy completed the top 5.

 

Daryl Fice and Nick Oram led the Paul Davis Systems Thunder Car pack from the staging area. In just his first start of the year, Fice jumped out to an early lead and was a straightaway ahead as the field worked through the back-markers with a dozen laps on the board. Howie Crowe would score second, but that wasJune 11 #5 (2) as close as anyone would get to Fice. Bailey Jacobs, Rob Richards and Oram followed the lead duo across the line.

 

Gil Brooks and Steve McNevin paced the Jiffy Lube Mini Stock field to the start for their 20 lap feature. June 11 #1 (2)Brad Lavalle – who is splitting the season’s driving chores with Dwight Lavoie – moved into the second spot by the 4th lap, as the rest of the pack chased early leader Brooks. Donovan Price fought high and low for every position he’d gain on the track and grabbed a lead he’d never surrender with 12 circuits complete. A hard charging James Townsend, Brandon Hannah, Kevin Strutt and defending track champion Tyler Junkin chased Price to the checkers.

 

With former track champion Bryan Sudsbury and Tyler Betts on the front row, the Earl Ireland Late Models wrapped-up the night with a 30 lap June 11 #2 (2)feature. An early yellow flag for a 4th turn issue slowed the pace, but after finishing second a week ago Betts was looking to climb the next rung on the ladder. He challenged Sudsbury for the lead with 7 down and claimed the position a lap later. With Chris Mitchell hot on his tail, he worked around lapped traffic for his first win on the year. Rick Spencer-Walt, Amanda Balson and Mike Wallace were the rest of the fast 5.

 

Earlier in the night’s action, Duane Cinnamon, John Baker Jr. with a pair and Alex Lees won the Ontario Modifieds Racing Series preliminary rounds. Matthew Vanderbelt, Sean Kennedy, Ryan Oosterholt and Steve McNevin took the Battlefield Equipment Rental 4Fun heats, while Howie Crowe, Nick Oram, Daryl Fice and Rob Richards claimed the Paul Davis Systems Thunder Car qualifiers. Opening round Jiffy Lube Mini Stock action went to Tyler Junkin, James Townsend with a pair and Brandon Hannah with Chris Mitchell taking a pair, Tyler Betts and Mike Wallace sharing the Earl Ireland Auto Sales Late Model heats.

 

Bullring Bullet Points: The night’s 50/50 draw – sponsored by the Millbrook Lions Club – paid $378 to Karen Swindells of Oshawa…Bradley Robinson was on hand for his first Thunder Car start of the season, but mechanical gremlins plagued the effort throughout the night…Track announcers needed to remember the name Amanda Balson throughout the night. The former Amanda Connolly made her first Late Model start since marrying Super Late Model driver Kelly Balson over the off-season…During the intermission, a steady stream of young fans was given the opportunity to climb into a racecar for a lap around the speedway.

 

Action returns Saturday, June 18th with the home track Battlefield Equipment Rental 4Fun, Paul Davis Systems Thunder Car, Earl Ireland Auto Sales Late Model classes, plus the INEX Ontario Legends and King of the Hill. Pit gates open at 3:00, with the spectator areas unlocked at 5:00 and racing underway at 6:00.

 

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.

 

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