Rob Crick, Howie Crowe, Ryan Kimball and John Baker Jr. Among Peterborough Speedway Weekend Winners
It was another great night for hometown racing in Central Ontario as fans saw a full round of action – Saturday, July 20th – at Peterborough Speedway.
Things got rolling with a holdover SwitchTire Mini Stock from Saturday, June 8th that saw Rob Crick and John Lavalle on the front row. From the drop of the green flag, the opening circuits of the race mirrored the parade laps, with Crick and Lavalle running side-by-side. Mark Downer was logging another strong effort, until he lost the position to Chris Tubman with just over a handful of laps complete. Even with the pack catching some slower traffic at the tail-end of the field, the driver of the No. 84 machine wouldn’t be denied his first career Mini Stock win. Lavalle, Tubman, Downer and Neil Bennett completed the top 5.
Stacy Switzer and Howie Crowe brought the Trent Lakes Complete Plumbing Renegade Truck starting field to the Great Canadian RV Green flag for another of the weather delayed feature runs. Crowe – a former Super Stock track champion, who is back at the track after a few seasons on the sidelines – took his No. 62 to the front of the field and never looked back. Even with a 3-wide battle for 3rd spot in his rear-view mirror and good friend Mark Gordon closing fast, Crowe scored the win. Switzer was 3rd, with her father Stephen Bierworth and Shawn Murray completing the top 5.
In the opening feature round for the 61-lap OMRS Bill Pickford Memorial, Alex Cuzzilla and John Baker Jr. brought the field to the green flag. The pair broke away from the pack early in the event, with Tyler Bouillon rolling into 3rd. Backmarkers became an issue for the leaders with less than 10 laps on the scoreboard, but the fast frontrunners continued to control the feature tilt. With 31-laps remaining, JBJ, Cuzzilla, Bouillon and Bob Franks were the first 4 across the stripe. Andrew Massey, Rob Warnes, Ethan Thompson, Willow Barberstock and Rick Warnes rounded-out the finishing order.
Front row starters Savannah Strawn and Gracelyn MacInnes led the way as the Kingsway Auto Centre Junior Late Models left the staging area for their feature event. The first yellow flag of the headliner slowed the pace with only 4 laps complete and newcomer Brody Coates showing the fast way around. The driver of the No. 99 – a former go-karter from Lindsay, Ontario – was the car to beat and started to put slower traffic a lap down with less than a handful of laps remaining. Coates would claim his inaugural checkered flag over Strawn, Robbie Miltimore, Wyatt Beatty and Carter Cappucitti.
The regularly scheduled Mini Stock feature saw Chris Tubman – the current point leader – along with John Lavalle showing the way. Both drivers ran together during the early stages, bringing along Neil Bennett into 3rd. Mark Downer took over 3rd with 7 laps complete, as Rob Crick moved into 4th another couple of laps later. Tubman – the driver of the potent No. 88 – had another strong run for the win. John Lavalle, Crick, Downer and Bennett completed the top 5.
With 20 laps to settle the score, Paul Boundy and Marlie Owen showed the Jiffy Lube Super Stock field the quick way around Peterborough Speedway. As soon as the green flag was displayed, Boundy jumped-out into the lead, with Kyle Gordon in the runner-up position. At the halfway point, there was a 3-car breakaway at the front of the field. The showcase event ran to the checkered flag without a caution. Boundy took the win over Gordon and Owen. Clayton Reed and Mark Gordon completed the top 5.
Chase and Cole Cousineau were on the front row as the row as the Kingsway Auto Centre Pro Junior Late Model hit the track. A yellow flag for an incident on the backstretch slowed the pace but couldn’t keep Lucas Finnegan from the winner’s circle. Carson, Chase and Lucas Cousineau were next to cross the line, with Brayden Cappucitti 5th.
Stacy Switzer and Shawn Murray paced the regularly scheduled Renegade Truck feature to the stripe. Mark Gordon took the lead with just 3 laps on the board and survived an early race yellow flag to take the win. Switzer, Howie Crowe, Murray and Jack Dallin completed the fast 5.
A 25-lap feature brought the KOD Disposal Late Model field to the track with Ryan Kimball and Bobby Cousineau at the front of the pack. A yellow flag for an incident in the 1st turn brought out a yellow flag near the halfway mark, with Jacob Mercer moving into the 2nd spot, behind the Kimball on the restart. Another yellow flag – this time with less than 10 laps to go – slowed things down again. Kimball held on for the win, with Mercer, Steve Powell, James Horner and Cousineau completing the top 5.
The night’s racing concluded with the 2nd half of the OMRS Bill Pickford Memorial main event. Tyler Bouillon and Alex Cuzzilla brought the pack to the green flag, with John Baker Jr. moving into the lead. A few yellow flags flew during the 31-lap finale, with the No. 63 of Baker Jr. taking the overall race win. Bouillon, Cuzzilla, Bob Franks and Andrew Massey competed the top 5 positions in the running order.
All finishing positions are unofficial and subject to scoring review and post race inspection. From tech lane, the No. 27 and No. 2 Junior Late Models of Landon Sellers and Lakelyn Junkin were both disqualified following their opening qualifying rounds for having no baffle in their mufflers.
Bullring bullet points: Brad Stevenson returned to the driver’s seat of the No. 35 Renegade Truck in a fill-in role for Chad Strawn. After a feature win a week ago, the SMS Racing ride suffered from more mechanical woes…Willow Barberstock was back at the controls of her grandfather Randy Hollingsworth’s No. 62 OMRS Modified.
Racing continues Saturday, July 27th at the venue known for Making Memories for Life as Tirecraft presents a 100-lap main event for the Ontario Sportsman Series, along with the home track Bone Stock, Super Stock, Late Model and Jr. Late Model teams, with the Outlaw Midgets. Kid’s Barrel Races will be the intermission feature. Grandstand gates open at 5:00, with racing at 6:00.
Find everything you’ll need to plan a family night at the raceway by visiting www.peterboroughspeedway.com or checking the track’s social media platforms and pages.