Oosterholt continues his unbeaten season at local speedway
Ryan Oosterholt dominated the second night of Peterborough Speedway’s 2021 season on Saturday.
Shawn Solomon and Angelo Novis brought the Battlefield Equipment Rental Bone Stocks from the staging area for the night’s first 20-lap feature. Solomon grabbed the early lead, with Jake Kelly slipping into second. A quick caution flag for debris slowed the pace and brought Oosterholt into the fight. It was a three-car battle for the lead with Oosterholt taking top spot on Lap 7 on the way to another checkered flag over Kelly, Novis, Mark Griffin and John Lavalle. Solomon and Oosterholt shared the heat wins.
Chad Strawn and John Baker Jr. paced the Ontario Modifieds Racing Series, presented by GEN-3 Electrical, to the start for the tour’s first headline dance of 2021. From the green flag, Strawn took off and hit his marks lap after lap. He and Baker Jr. had nearly a half track’s advantage over the third-place car when the yellow flag waved for a single-car issue.
On the restart, the lead duo came together on the way into the first turn. Strawn’s car needed to be helped off a trackside curb, while Baker Jr. continued on his own. Baker Jr. scored the win over Alex Cuzzilla, Rick Warnes, Bob Franks and Strawn. Strawn had a pair of qualifying wins with Cuzzilla and Baker Jr. taking the others.
With Kevin Strutt and Jeremy Kelly on the front row, the Jiffy Lube Mini Stocks rolled the Great Canadian RV green flag for their 20-lap feature. Kelly moved into the lead early with Brad Lavalle taking the runnerup spot. The leaders caught the rear of the field with less than a handful of laps complete as Oosterholt marched through the running order. On Lap 17, Oosterholt took the lead as racers saw the white flag. At the checkers, it was Oosterholt, Kelly, Lavalle, Ember Junkin and Strutt. Oosterholt continued his unbeaten 2021 season with a pair of heat wins. Kelly and Strutt split the other two.
Sean Walker and Steve Powell paced the Late Model hopefuls to the line to wrap-up the show. Powell grabbed an early lead, but the yellow flag flew before a single lap was scored. On the restart, Powell was back in front with Bryan Mercer second. The driver of the No. 81 had a strong piece and had as much as a three-car-length advantage until surrendering it to Dan McHattie on Lap 14.
Try as he might, Mercer couldn’t regain the position and McHattie picked-up the first Late Model win of the season. Mercer, Robert Cousineau, Kyle Batty and Powell completed the top five. McHattie had a pair of qualifying victories with Batty and Mercer splitting the others.
Results are unofficial and subject to scoring review as well as post-race safety and technical inspection.
NOTES: Even though tracks in other regions of Ontario cancelled shows because of rain earlier in the day, the Peterborough Speedway team rolled off its complete show in just over three and a half hours … 2019 Mini Stock track champion returned to the track at the controls of Kyle Novis’ No. 45 … James Townsend was at the wheel of Mark Gordon’s No. 52 OMRS Mod with Willow Barberstock running No. 67 on her Modified, in memory of her friend Melissa Bullen … Next on the agenda is the Jiffy Lube Mini Stock, KOD Disposal Super Stock, Trent Lakes Complete Plumbing Renegade Truck, hometown Late Model divisions and the Trailers Plus Ontario Legends Series on Saturday. Advance tickets are available using the online reservation platform at eventsprout.com/events/peterborough-speedway-2000-ltd.