Peterborough Speedway Waves the Checkered Flag on the Hot August Night Racing Series
With 5 Saturday nights of action in the month, Canada’s Toughest 3rd of a Mile Paved Oval packed a lot of excitement into the Hot August Night Racing Series. The home track Battlefield Equipment Rental 4Fun, Paul Davis Systems Thunder Car and Earl Ireland Auto Sales Late Model; along with the INEX Ontario Legends and OMRS Modifieds tackled the tight, tricky bullring on Mount Pleasant Road, west of the Liftlock City.
Marilyn Junkin and current point leader Ryan Oosterholt paced the Battlefield Equipment Rental 4Fun teams to the Great Canadian RV green flag. Oosterholt jumped out to an early lead, bringing Farm Bro Racing teammate Matthew Vanderbelt in tow. Just as the leaders started to work through lapped traffic, the caution flag was displayed for an incident involving Brandon Feeney, Sean Kennedy and Cody Fenton. Jeremy Kelly would steal second spot on the restart, but there was no stopping Oosterholt. Vanderbelt, Keith Parkes and Junkin completed the top 5.
With 20 laps on the table, Steve Mayhew and Bailey Jacobs brought the Paul Davis Systems Thunder Car drivers to the line for their feature event. 
Coming from inside the second row, former Mini Stock Autumn Colours champion Daryl Fice grabbed the top spot as 2 laps hit the scoreboard. A yellow flag – for contact between Bailey Jacobs and Fidelle DiBello – slowed the pace, but Fice built-up a huge lead on the restart and appeared to be on the way to his first win of the year. As the field came back to speed after a lap 15 caution, Fice and second place running Tyler Liscum were deemed to have jumped the start and each driver was penalized a position. Anthony DiBello inherited the lead and held-off a hard charging Fice for the win. Liscum, Kyle Donaldson and Rob Richards followed the lead duo to the line.
Mark Gordon and Mike Wallace occupied the front row as the Earl Ireland Auto Sales Late Models left the staging area for their 25 lap ‘A’ main. Gordon, Tyler Betts and Wallace broke away from the pack and were in control of the field as they worked through the backmarkers near halfway. A lap 16 yellow flag erased what had been a big lead and bunched the field. With 5 to go, Gordon and Bryan Sudsbury came together. Under the gentleman’s rule, Sudsbury accepted responsibility for the contact and took his spot at the rear of the field, while Gordon got his spot back at the front of the pack. In a 5 lap shootout, he’d keep the wolves at bay for his second win of the year. Dave Morgan, Wallace, Betts and Sudsbury completed the top 5.
The INEX Ontario Legends came to the stripe 20 cars strong for a feature event that would determine the 2015 series championship. Contenders Nicholas Ledson and Kevin Foisy – who entered the fray just a single point apart – brought the field to the green. An early yellow flag slowed the pace and heightened the drama. Ledson would resume leading on the restart, but had Dave Riopelle on his tail as drivers caught the back of the pack. Riopelle would make him work for it, but Ledson would earn the win and his 3rd straight series title. Cole Ledson, Foisy and Jaret Stewart would chase the champ to the checkers.
Alex Lees and defending series champion Robert Warnes brought the Ontario Modifieds Racing Series teams from the staging area for their 25 lap main event. The lead duo built a strong lead early, but Donny Beatty was mounting a charge from his 8th place starting spot. With 16 laps complete, Warnes brought-out a red flag as his #95 ride caught fire near the pit entrance. The driver was unhurt, but Warnes – who had scored his first win of the year just a week earlier – was unable to continue. Beatty would get close to the top spot, but Lees was up for every challenge and took his first win of the year. His twin brother Nick – in a car borrowed from Rick Warnes was 3rd, with Randy Hollingsworth and Duane Cinnamon 4th and 5th.
Earlier in the evening, qualifying heats went to Cody Fenton, Jacob Kelly, Erin Kearns and Keith Parkes in the Battlefield Equipment Rental 4Fun. Kyle Donaldson – subbing for Howie Crowe – with a pair, Anthony DiBello and Tyler Liscum took the Paul Davis Systems Thunder Car preliminary rounds, with Rick Walt, Mike Wallace, Mark Gordon and Tyler Betts earning the Earl Ireland Auto Sales Late Model checkered flags. Championship rivals Nicholas Ledson and Kevin Foisy each won a pair of INEX Ontario Legends qualifiers, while Rob Warnes, Alex Lees, Nick Lees and Donny Beatty claimed the Ontario Modifieds Racing Series heats.
Bullring bullet points: Scott Ferguson of Keene, Ontario walked away with $705.50 in the night’s 50/50 draw…The Paul Davis Systems Thunder Car field was bolstered by newcomers Greg Rauscher and Shawn Goggins…After logging a pair of Earl Ireland Auto Sales Late Model wins – including the Chase for the Colours – Rick Walt dropped out of the feature before the checkered flag.
Peterborough Speedway’s 2015 regular season wraps up Saturday, September 5th with the Championship Clash. Point champions will be decided in the Battlefield Equipment Rental 4Fun, Mini Stock, Renegade Truck, Paul Davis Systems Thunder Car and Earl Ireland Auto Sales Late Model divisions. The OSCAAR Outlaw Super Late Models will also be on the bill. Pit gates will open at 1:00, with the spectator grandstands unlocked at 3:00 and racing at 5:00.
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