Ontario Sportsman Series night full of Challenges Racing continued at Peterborough Speedway on Saturday, July 12th as the Ontario Sportsmen Series made their first of two stops at Canada’s Fastest 1/3 Mile Oval. Track announcer for the OSS, Elliot Prentice explained that for him, and many of the drivers, “Peterborough Speedway is what we call home” as he explained his enthusiasm and appreciation for the track and its fans. Joining the OSS was the For Fun Division, the Peterborough Hyundai Mini Stocks, and the Hurricane Midgets. In the For Fun division, Andy McCann and Nick Lees each won heat races, but Trevor Logan worked his way from the back of the pack to take the 20-lap feature. The win moved Logan into the top five in the points standings, as he continues his move upward to catch points leader Wayne Dewdney. Heat races in all classes were virtually problem free except for a mix up with the Hurricane Midgets that saw Nancy Dingman get the worst of a four-car collision. Luckily, Dingman was able to walk away with minor injuries, but was shaken up by the collision as she got bumped heading into turn #2. Speedway veteran Cale Bailey, who enjoyed remarkable success at Peterborough last season, began shaky, having some mechanical problems that forced him to finish at the back of the pack in the first heat. Meanwhile, Nathan Meneely, Kelly Summers, and Brian Woodland, among others, were in contention and had their cars running at peak performance. However, when the racing really counted – during the feature race – it was Bailey who stole the show. Rain intervened and forced flagman Willie Howse to drop a Caution-Checkered flag on lap 16 of 20, but the win was awarded to Bailey who was untouchable in the feature race! Woodland and Jeff Blackburn finished second and third respectively. During the light rain, the Kawartha Chrysler Jeeo Dodge Peterborough Speedway Clean-up Crew worked tirelessly to dry the track with some help from Russell in the tow truck, and their efforts paid off. Within no time the Peterborough Hyundai Mini Stocks were set to race their feature. Unlike last season, when the Mini Stocks were almost always a two car race between the #27 of Jack Hannah and the #35 of Robert Kerr, this year the Mini Stocks have been arguably the most entertaining class for fans at Peterborough Speedway. With less than 100 points separating the top 9 drivers on the points standings, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will come out on top any given night. Especially on a night like Saturday when the top drivers were all in attendance and running well, such as Mike Wallace, Justin Bierworth, Tyler Junkin, and Mike Nelson, it is nearly impossible to predict a winner! The first ten laps of the feature races were owned by Junkin, as he had opened up nearly a half-lap lead on the rest of the field. Due to a combination of a small collision and the continuing rain, the caution flag came out halfway through the race and on the restart, it was Andrew Swindells who was 24th in the points standings who surpassed Junkin and held on for the win. When asked how the rain affected his strategy for the race, Swindells responded that his car “was a little tight all night, and the rain actually helped loosen it up!” The main event of the night was the Ontario Sportsman Series who travel and hail from all across Ontario. Saturday marked the first of two appearances at Peterborough Speedway this season, and they did not disappoint. The OSS began the night with a bang, running time trials to determine starting positions for the twin 50-lap features they ran later. Despite leading for the majority of the first feature, Dave Connelly was passed late in the race by Dorchester native Steve Robblee who held on for the win in his Ford #28. After the race, Robblee explained that while the victory was sweet, there was still work to be done because there were certainly faster cars out there. After the brief rain delay, OSS ran their second feature and it was the #27 of Matt Robblee who stole the show, winning the final race of the night at Peterborough Speedway. Don’t forget to check out the website at www.peterboroughspeedway.com for all information on upcoming events including the first visit from the OSCAAR Super Late Models in early August and the second, and final, visit from the Ontario Sportsman Series! Also, check out the Peterborough Speedway Souvenir Booth for information on upcoming events at the track, Kids Club information, and all your racing hats, coats, and t-shirts. From JP and all the staff at Peterborough Speedway, a big thank you to the fans who stuck out the rain on Saturday and we look forward to entertaining you the rest of the summer!