POINTS BATTLE HEATS UP Racing resumed at Peterborough Speedway on Saturday, September 22nd as the For-Funs, Peterborough Hyundai Mini Stocks, Late Models, and Hurricane Midgets all hit the asphalt on Canada’s Fastest 1/3 Mile Oval! With only two weeks of racing left at Peterborough Speedway before the 15th Annual Autumn Colours Classic, many drivers were in do-or-die situations and were prepared to battle for every point available. Heading into the night, Robert Kerr held the lead in the point’s standings for Mini Stocks with 1,230 points on the season; and Jack Hannah was right behind him with 1,215. Similarly, for the Late Models, Donny ‘The Hit Man’ Hart sat atop the point’s standings with 1,220 points with Tim Tolton only 18 points behind! Bernie Vanderzwet sat comfortably in the lead of the For Fun Division, with 1,267 points, but there was a tight battle for second as Wyatt Harvey headed into the night with 1,137 points - only 32 points ahead of Donna Anderson! Ultimately, the drivers had to lay it all on the line Saturday night as it was their second last chance to make or take ground on their opponents! As soon as the first green flag dropped, it was obvious that race fans were in for a night of extreme and exciting racing! The For Funs bumped and grinded in the first heat of the night, and when the dust settled, it was the #47 of Brandon Hannah who held the checkered flag for the first time in his young racing career. This was the first in a series of Hannah victories throughout the night. In the second heat, points lead Bernie Vanderzwet led from start to finish while Wyatt Harvey and Trevor Logan rounded out the top three. In the feature, Brandon Hannah started with the lead; Terry Hubberd stole it from him and led until lap three, when Wyatt Harvey took the lead. Harvey held the lead for the rest of the race as Vanderzwet made it close at the end but would have to settle for second. In the Peterborough Hyundai Mini Stock division, both Jack Hannah and Robert Kerr came ready to battle each other for points and position atop the standings. Bob Tolton won the first heat, which also foreshadowed a later victory by his father Tim in the Late Model Division. Jack Hannah went on to win the second heat, with Kerr finishing second. In the third heat, Riley Ekins won by a half a lap as Chase Brooks and Dan Demers spent the race fighting for second place. Brooks would take second and Demers would settle for third. In the final Mini Stock heat of the night, Kerr stole the checkered flag with Tyler Junkin right behind. Hannah settled for third ahead of Scott Jacobs and Mark Lavalle. The feature saw 17 cars run 20 laps of green flag racing, and from the start, it appeared as though young Bob Tolton would run away with it. Starting in second place, Tolton jumped out to a quick lead and was well ahead of the rest of the pack until lap 16 when Tyler Junkin in his #41 car made a pass and held on for the win. Riley Ekins also passed Tolton and finished second. With only one week left of racing at Peterborough Speedway, this is anyone’s class to take. Don’t forget to check out the point’s standings at www.peterboroughspeedway.com. The Hurricane Midgets brought some spectacular racing along with them as they have all year at Peterborough Speedway. Stephen Rees won the first heat of the night, and would go on to win the third heat as well. Matthew Barton, sponsored by navgraphics.ca won the second heat of the night and was poised to win the fourth as well until he was bumped off the track in the final laps by #13 Nathan Meneely. Barton was visibly upset by the encounter with Meneely, but made it back out for the feature, starting it in third spot. He quickly moved into second, behind only Meneely. The collision between the two drivers earlier in the night set the stage for a great battle in the feature. Barton ran into some trouble, and a collision on lap 12 brought out the caution, leaving Meneely in first, ahead of Brian Woodland and Mike Westwood who sat in second and third respectively. The three drivers held their respective positions until the checkered flag dropped for the 20-lap feature. Finally, in the very tight Late Model Division, drivers such as Don Hart, John Pollock, Tim Tolton, and Jimmy Feeney all battled for points throughout the entire night! Tolton took the first heat and Larry Crowe Jr. took the second heat just ahead of Hart who finished second. In the third heat of the night, Dwayne Fulford won in his #56 in front of his new sponsor Scott Murphy of Murphy’s Asphalt Service. The final late model heat of the night went to Nick Oram beating Danny Robinson and Hart who finished second and third respectively. In the feature, the yellow came out on lap 4 as four cars all collided between turn 3 and 4, and when the green dropped again, it was John Pollock who emerged as the leader. Pollock led until lap 9 when Tim Tolton and Amanda Connelly passed him. The yellow came out on lap 10 for a track clean-up and when the green dropped again, it was Tolton, Connelly, and Pollock leading the rest of the pack and well ahead of point’s leader Don Hart who sat in 7th place. Another yellow flag dropped on lap 15 because of more debris on the track, and by then, Tolton sat in first, Hart had moved into fourth, and Connelly and Larry Crowe Jr. were squished in between them! This grouping set up one of the most spectacular finishes at the Peterborough Speedway all season. Tolton led until lap 24 when Connelly bumped him off the track. Connelly was handed a black flag, but because Tolton was an involved car, he was sent to the back of the pack. This turn of events effectively gave Larry Crowe Jr. the checkered flag virtually by default, because the contact between Tolton and Connelly happened on the final lap of the race! After the dust settled, Don Hart finished second and former Thunder car champ, John Baker Jr. took the bronze. The finale of the night was the third installment of the Peterborough Speedway Gauntlet Race as drivers attempted to take out the Speedway Bus in a 10-lap race where the only goal is destruction! So far this season, the bus had made it the complete ten laps without being demolished once, and once the drivers took out the bus before it could complete the race. The-tie breaker did not disappoint as the three cars took the bus out several times throughout the 10 lap event; however, the bus was able to hang on and take the checkered flag without being totally destroyed! Also, at intermission, the kids hit the track for the Kids Club Barrel Races and even track announcer Pete Dalliday took part in the festivities! The point’s races will be hot as ever next weekend at Peterborough Speedway as it is the final weekend of points racing for the racing season at the track. For start times and all other information on upcoming events, including the 15th Annual Autumn Colours Classic, check out the website at www.peterboroughspeedway.com!