Ryan Oosterholt seeking his first Autumn Colours Classic win
First driver to win three divisions at speedway in same season is pondering stopping racing full time and is looking to go out in style
After an historic season at Peterborough Speedway, Ryan Oosterholt is looking for the one checkered flag not in his collection — an Autumn Colours Classic win.
The 27-year-old became the first driver in the track’s 51 years to win three separate divisions in the same season this year. He won the bone stock, mini stock and renegade truck classes eclipsing his 2013 season when he won two divisions, bone stock and mini stock.
Oosterholt is at a crossroads in his racing career as his work life may force him to give up running a full schedule next year. He’d love to go out in style by adding his first Autumn Colours title to his resume.
“That would be the icing on the cake,” Oosterholt said.
The 26th annual three day stock car festival, held each year on the Thanksgiving Weekend, kicked off Friday night with qualifying races and the APC Young Guns shootout.
Oosterholt bought a chicken farm last year in Blackstock. That demands a lot of his time. A June tornado knocked down two of his barns and he’s been busy trying to rebuild.
“I’ve already said I will not be racing full-time for sure next year,” said Oosterholt, who says he’ll make it out when he can.
“I’ll be around, for sure.” Osterholt’s best result at Autumn Colours was a third-place finish in bone stock (then called 4Fun) in 2016. He’s had some bad luck at the Classic but he admits there is another reason he may not have had success.
“I party too hard,” he said, with a laugh.
“I have too much fun camping out for the weekend. I’m not saying that’s 100 per cent the problem. I’ve blown motors and had flat tires. I got spun out one night and had to go to the back and still finished third.”
This year, he’ll be too busy commuting from the farm daily to get work done to party too hard.
“This year I’m focusing more on racing,” he said.
Oosterholt didn’t set out to run three divisions this year.
Two friends, Keith Parkes and Dave Sikma, were unable to drive the opening two weeks so Oosterholt hopped in their vehicles.
“After the first two weeks we found ourselves atop the lead in all three points standings,” Oosterholt said. “We decided we would try to pursue winning them all.”
He succeeded but not without a lot of help.
His crews had to do much of the work as Oosterholt’s work commitments sometimes meant arriving just in time to climb into the car.
There were nights he literally climbed out of one vehicle and into another with no break between heats or features.
“The one night I did six heat races and then a 50-lapper for bone stock, 15 laps in the truck and I think 25 or 30 laps in the mini stock. It was a lot of laps,” he said.
“We somehow made it happen. My team was behind me and whenever I needed something they were there to make things work. I have such a passion for racing we just made it happen.”
Racing continues Saturday beginning at 3:30 p.m. and Sunday’s final day begins at 12:30 p.m.