Motorsports fans in Central Ontario celebrated the Victoria Day Weekend with the 2024 Pure Country 105 season kick-off – Saturday, May 18^th – at

Peterborough Speedway. A strong opening night crowd filled the grandstand and took their first steps toward Making Memories for Life.

With a solid starting field coming to the Great Canadian RV green flag, the SwitchTire Mini Stocks were the year’s feature event, with Coleridge Phinnemore and Scott McGregor on the front row for the 20-lap headliner. The lead duo broke away from pack early, with Charlie Smith mounting a charge in the outside line to find a way around McGregor. As the field encountered some slower traffic, the No. 95c moved into the lead with half the race distance on the scoreboard, A trio of home track runners tried to chase down the leader, but Smith was able to resist their challenge. Rob Crick, Ryan Babin and Chris Tubman finished 2^nd through 4^th, with Phinnemore 5^th in the caution-free feature.

Wheeling his familiar No. 07, former track champion Jack Dallin and Kurt Batty showed the way as the Trent Lakes Complete Plumbing Renegade Trucks rolled to the line for their 20-lap opening night showcase. Batty took the lead on an early race restart, with Mark Gordon and Chad Strawn close behind. Gordon and Strawn each gained another position as the No. 52 ride took the lead with a handful of laps complete. Strawn was looking for a way around the leader as the pair encountered backmarkers near the halfway mark, but Gordon held onto the spot for the win. Strawn – who had battled multiple engine and transmission woes in the week leading-up to the opener – was 2^nd. Howie Crowe – in a team truck to the race winner – was 3^rd. The No. 62 was followed across the line by Batty and Stacy Switzer.

Jade Franklin and Cole McFadden brought the pack of close to 20 Trailers Plus Ontario Legend Car Series starters to the stripe for their 25-lap feature event. The front row duo was joined by Mitch Wright as the trio broke away from the pack. A red flag for simultaneous issues in each end of the track sidelined some of the top runners including Franklin and Adam Cuthbertson. Although their equipment sustained heavy damage in the lap 8 incidents, all drivers were checked and cleared by emergency staff. Cole McFadden took the lead on the restart, with Jordan Latimer and Wright looking to mount a challenge. A pair of yellow flags – with around 10 laps remaining bunched the field – as Wright moved into lead and took the win. Dawson Drimmie, Wes Cuthbertson, Cole McFadden and Mark Griffin completed the top 5 at the checkered flag.

Battlefield Equipment Rental Bone Stock runners hit the track next for a season opening 20-lap main event, with Angelo Novis and Cory Horne leading the way. Coming from 6^th place on the initial start, Sean Kennedy was working the outside line to perfection as his No. 9 Honda was picking-off positions. Tegan Stanley pushed ‘Rhonda the Honda’ into 3^rd place with 4 laps complete and had Kennedy on his tail. As the leaders caught the tail of the field, Kennedy took over 3^rd and was the race leader with a dozen circuits on the scoreboard. Looking for a strong start to the year, Kennedy wasn’t challenged over the closing laps and took the win. Novis, Stanley, Horne and John Bates completed the top 5 spots.

It would take 20 laps to settle the score in the Jiffy Lube Super Stock feature that saw Kyle Gordon and Paul Boundy pace the starting line-up from the staging area. Gordon – wheeling the family-owned No. 25 – took the early lead, with Marlie Owen moving into the runner-up position. Even with the pace slowed because of a yellow flag with 4 laps complete, the pair staged a spirited battle as Owen looked to add a first night triumph to her resume. Despite getting close on several occasions, close was as close as she’d get as Gordon claimed the win. Mark Gordon, Sean Walker and Brad Lavalle followed the leaders across the stripe.

Feature race action concluded with a 25-lap tilt for the KOD Disposal Late Models, as James Horner and Jacob Mercer and the rest of the starting grid fell in behind the Floor Coverings International pace truck. Horner took the lead on the drop of the green flag, as Bobby Cousineau moved into the 2^nd spot. A restart following a lap 8 caution saw Kelly Balson take the 2^nd spot, with Horner still in control at the front of the pack. Ryan Kimball had the new look No. 16 in the thick of the battle for the lead, but as the pack locked in for a final chase to the checkered flag, he was the meat in a 3-car sandwich that also involved Horner and Balson as the trio came off the 2^nd turn. No one was hurt in the incident, but all 3 cars were too damaged to continue. Dan McHattie got the best of Jacob Mercer on the final restart. Cousineau, Steve Powell and Gary Hannah rounded-out the top 5.

Charlie Smith had a pair of Mini Stock heat race wins, with the others going to Scott McGregor and Coleridge Phinnemore. Stacy Switzer and Howie Crowe shared the Renegade Truck preliminary rounds, while Mitch Wright with a pair, Cole McFadden and Jade Franklin were the best in Ontario Legend Car Series openers. Bone Stock heat race wins went to Tegan Stanley, Victoria McLennon, Sean Kennedy and John Bates, Paul Boundy and Marlie Owen split the Super Stock checkered flags. Reigning track champion Ryan Kimball scored a pair of Late Model heat wins, with the others going to Dan McHattie and Jacob Mercer.

All finishing positions are unofficial and subject to scoring review and post-race inspection.

Bullring bullet points: Former Super Stock crowd favourite Howie Crowe returned to Peterborough Speedway action for the first time since the track’s 50^th anniversary season in 2019. He was wheeling the No. 62 Renegade Truck as a teammate to Kyle Gordon…Several different racers, including Rob Crick, Victoria McLennon, Kyle Johnson and Ryan Kimball showed-up for the opening night shootout with fresh, new paint schemes on their respective rides…Girl Power took centre stage on the opening night of the new season as Marlie Owen, Stacy Switzer and Victoria McLennon scored qualifying heat wins. For McLennon, it was the first checkered flag of her career…The season opening show concluded with display by Supernova Fireworks.

Peterborough Speedway staff and officials appreciate the patience and understanding of the fans and guests on a very busy opening night at the track.

Next on the schedule will see race action with the home track SwitchTire Mini Stock, Trent Lakes Complete Plumbing Renegade Truck, Jiffy Lube Super Stock and Kingsway Auto Centre Junior Late Model divisions, plus the Trailers Plus Ontario Legend Car Series and GEN-3 Electrical Ontario Modifieds Racing Series. Spectator gates open at 4:00, with racing at 5:00.

For the latest track news, information and schedule details, be sure to check the newly designed website www.peterboroughspeedway.com or the social media platforms and pages.