Fans can expect an exciting calendar of events at the tight bull ring on Mount Pleasant Road, west of the LiftlockCity.  The thrills will start in the pit area with the return of the Thunder Cars – featuring 2012 Kawartha champion Matt Spence and fan favourite Dan Price – for the first time since 2006 and extend all the way around the track.  New drivers are expected in each division, including the father and son team of Craig and Brandt Graham of Orono, Ontario in the Late Model and Mini Stock divisions respectively.  Peterborough Speedway owner/promoter JP Josiasse says the holiday weekend lid-lifter is a great way to show the crowd what they’ll be able to expect throughout the year.

“To say that I’m excited about this season would be an understatement,” said Josiasse with a broad smile.  “I’m taking calls, receiving e-mail and fax messages in the office morning, noon and night.  Registration forms are coming in the mail, being dropped-off in person and arriving by courier daily.  We’re expecting strong numbers in each class, but won’t have the actual car counts confirmed until we start lining-up the qualifying events on opening night.”

Track officials have scheduled special Fan Appreciation Nights, presented by Pepsi – with toonie spectator grandstand admission – for June 1^st, July 20^th and August 17^th.  The Country 105 sponsored Mid-Summer Shootout – with extended distance feature races for the 5 regular divisions – is on the calendar for Saturday, July 13^th.  As always, racing wraps-up for the year with the Lucas Oil Products Autumn Colours Classic.  This year’s edition – the 21^st annual – is booked for Friday, Saturday and Sunday – October 11^th through 13^th and promises fans and competitors from one end of the province to the other an action-packed thrill ride.

In addition to the 5 regular divisions, fans will also see the OSCAAR Super Late Models, OSCAAR Modifieds and the Lucas Oil Sportsman Cup Series during the 2013 agenda.  Follow Peterborough Speedway on Facebook or Twitter and be sure to bookmark www.peterboroughspeedway.com to keep up with the latest news throughout the year.

Get ready for the ultimate in short-track motorsports excitement, starting with the Country 105 season opener – featuring free spectator grandstand admission – Saturday, May 18^th at Peterborough Speedway.

He may not have turned a lap on the racetrack since midway through the 2011 season, but Craig Graham was never far from the sport.  The 40 year old father of 2 spent last year mentoring his son Brandt during his first year of action in Kawartha Speedway’s Mini Stock class.  The youngster was obviously paying attention to his father’s tutelage, as he finished 8^th in the final point standings and was named the division’s rookie of the year.

“I don’t know how much I taught him, but he must have been listening when we talked,” said Craig Graham when asked to describe his son’s early career stock car racing success.  “Every time he strapped into the car, the crew and I told Brandt the most important part of racing was to have fun.  He picked-up some useful racing skills while running with the KDKC and was able to apply them to what he did with the Mini Stock.  Everyone was very pleased with the results he was able to achieve last season.”

As they head into the new campaign at the tricky 1/3^rd of a mile bullring west of the LiftlockCity, the Graham Racing team of Dad and the Lad is both excited and tense.  Getting one car ready for the action can be stressful enough, but the preparing a pair of championship calibre teams takes some long hours in the garage and a dedicated crew to organize the Late Model and Mini Stock machines for battle.  Even though they’re always willing to welcome new crew members into the fold, Graham is confident in the team’s ability to do the job.

“My father-in-law Marten Rottine has a real passion for working on the racecars,” said the Fixed Operations Manager at Clarington Hyundai in Bowmanville.  “Without Marten, there’s no way that Brandt and I would be racing anywhere.  He works about 5 days a week year-round on the cars, tow vehicles and trailers.  We’ve been able to put together a great team of Mark Rottine, Blair Graham and my father, Ian.  These guys have been with me since the beginning and I appreciate their help in the shop and at the track.  Now that we’ll be running both cars on a regular basis, the work has doubled so we’ve recruited some new people.”

During the 2012 season – where Brandt Graham was named Kawartha Speedway’s Mini Stock rookie of the year – the 15 year-old ClarkeHigh School student admitted a desire to run head-to-head against his father on the speedway.  While that day may still be on the horizon, for now the youngster will be content to park beside his Dad in the pits at Peterborough.  To help his team, the sophomore speedster has brought in classmate Josh Ullrich to lend a hand on his car.

For the 2013 season, the #98 and #12B Graham Racing team will be supported by P.J. Larkin Salvage, Hot Rod Swag, Motorhead Canada and SJM Improvements, with promotional assistance from Clarke Motorsports Communications.  The team is always interested in hearing from prospective sponsors for their attack on the Vanguard Self Storage Late Model and Peterborough Hyundai Mini Stock divisions at Peterborough Speedway.  Contact Craig Graham at graham.98@hotmail.com or look for the team’s Facebook page at Graham 98 Racing.

Peterborough Speedway gets rolling for the year as Country 105 presents the 2013 season opener – with free spectator grandstand admission – Saturday, May 18^th.  For full schedule details and the latest news, visit www.peterboroughspeedway.com.

To enhance the Autumn Colours experience and give drivers from different tracks some extra time on the tight 1/3^rd mile layout, officials will host 2 different Chase for the Colours qualifying events.  The winner of each extra distance show will earn the inside front row starting spot for their respective feature races during the annual Thanksgiving Weekend extravaganza.  Track owner/promoter JP Josiasse says the pole qualifying format – presented by Lucas Oil Products – is a popular experience for race teams and fans.

“Drivers love to get track time, especially when they’re coming into a highly competitive show like Autumn Colours,” said Josiasse.  “Peterborough Speedway is a tricky layout and can be a bit intimidating the first time you race here.  The chance to add some extra pages to your set-up notebook will help even the most experienced racer.”

The first Chase for the Colours pole qualifying show is Sunday, June 30^th and features a 75 lapper for the Late Models, as well as 25 lap Four Fun, 30 lap Mini Stock and 40 lap Thunder car main events.  Pit gates will open at 11:00, with spectator admission at 1:00 and racing at 2:30.  Saturday, August 3^rd a 50 lap OSCAAR Super Late Model and 30 lap OSCAAR Modified feature will be the highlight events for the touring ‘Chase’ format.  Pit gates open at 2:00, with grandstand admission at 4:00.  Racing begins at the regular 6:00.  The show will also include action for the Four Fun, Mini Stock and Renegade Truck divisions.

“The Autumn Colours Classic is easily one of the most important events on the annual motorsports landscape; evident by the fact that close to 230 different teams registered for the 2012 edition,” said Josiasse.  “Everyone who rolls through the pit gates has the same chance to drive away with the big prize, but claiming the pole position starting spot for the main event after winning one of the ‘Chase’ qualifiers could provide the motivation a team needs to make it to the winner’s circle.”

“Knowing when and where you’re going to run for the year can often be the final puzzle piece that needs to fit when it comes to signing a sponsor,” said Josiasse.  “Financial and product backing is an important part of short track racing and we’ve always been committed to giving our teams every possible advantage in that department.”

The year’s first green flag, presented by Country 105 – with free spectator grandstand admission – has been scheduled for Saturday, May 18^th but teams will have 3 chances to hit the track to fine-tune their equipment before the opening night.  A practice session has been booked for a 12:00 start Saturday, May 11^th with additional warm-up rounds planned to begin at 4:00 Tuesday and Thursday, May 14^th and 16^th.

With the Thunder Car division returning to the bullring on Mount Pleasant Road west of Peterborough for the first time since 2006 and new teams joining the ranks in the speedway’s other divisions, fans have already filled the internet forums with pre-season chatter that has track management excited about what’s in store for the next round of weekly wars.

“I’ve been responding to voicemail and e-mail messages since we waived the final checkered flag at Autumn Colours,” said Josiasse.  “Drivers are looking for changes to the rule book and asking to have registration forms sent.  It’s an exciting time of year, but we won’t actually know who’s coming until the opening night.”

For 2013, weekly racing at Peterborough Speedway will include Thunder Cars, Battlefield Four Fun, Peterborough Hyundai Mini Stocks, Moi Parry Spring Service Renegade Trucks and Vanguard Self Storage Late Models.  OSCAAR Super Late Model fans will have 2 regular season chances to see their favourites – on August 3^rd and August 24^th – with the upstart OSCAAR Modifieds on the bill for the first of the 2 events.

The Lucas Oil Sportsman Cup tour will run a 100 lapper Saturday, August 10^th.  Other special divisions on the calendar will include the Ontario Legends, Hurricane Midgets and TQ Midgets.  Peterborough Speedway’s highlight event of the year is the 21^st annual Autumn Colours Classic, October 11^th, 12^th and 13^th with battles in nearly every asphalt racing division in the province, including OSCAAR Super Late Models, Open Wheeled Modifieds, Pro Late Models, Hurricane Midgets and the track’s 5 regular classes.

Fans can get details of the full 2013 schedule, including the Fan Appreciation Nights with toonie grandstand admission – June 1^st, July 20^th and August 17^th – during the Durham Fast and Furious Motorsports Expo – Saturday and Sunday, April 6^th and 7^th – at the Grant B. Rickard Recreation Centre, 2440 Highway 2 in Bowmanville.

Follow Peterborough Speedway on Facebook or Twitter and be sure to bookmark www.peterboroughspeedway.com to keep up with the latest news throughout the year.

“I’m hoping we can carry the momentum of the championship season once we get rolling,” said the emergency vehicle technician at Kerr Industries in Oshawa.  “Dave and I started working together in 2009 at Kawartha.  In those days, we’d share the driving duties from week-to-week, but when my name was painted above the door, I knew I had to step-up my game and get the job done.  Racing luck certainly worked in our favour last year.  Even on nights when our equipment was less than perfect, we still managed to log a decent finish and roll the car back into the trailer for the trip back home.”

When the Landles/Spence alliance and the rest of the Thunder Car field leaves the staging area on the opening night of the new schedule, it’ll be a trip back in time for the tight bullring west of Peterborough.  The division hasn’t been part of the track’s regular agenda since 2006.  Spence says he isn’t worried about heading into the year without knowing what’s in store; in fact, he’s quite excited.

“Some of the teams may have raced at Peterborough before during the annual Autumn Colours event,” said the driver of the #53 www.sellmunity.com Worldwide Internet Classified site Thunder Car, in partnership with Durham Furnace, Graphic Lettering Services and NAPA Pineridge Auto Supply, with promotional assistance by Clarke Motorsports Communications.  “When you’re coming into a new situation, you can never tell what you’ll face.  You need to learn about how the other drivers will race and what line they like to run on the track.  I’ll be sitting behind the steering wheel, but it’ll almost be like being a fan.  It’s neat to get to know the other drivers and make some new friends.”

Peterborough Speedway’s campaign gets underway Saturday, May 18^th as Country 105 presents the 2013 season opener, with free grandstand admission.  Teams will get a chance to practice Saturday, May 11^th at noon, as well as Tuesday and Thursday, May 14^th and 16^th starting at 4:00.

The #53 Thunder Car team is always interested in hearing from prospective sponsors to add to their successful program.  To learn more, contact car owner Dave Landles at dave@durhamfurnace.ca or driver Matt Spence at spenceracing92@gmail.com.

The dirt bikes & under 500cc had a very strong winner at a peak of 62mph by Chase Hacking (#1052) with his KTM 450 dirt bike. The ATV 500cc+ division had a tie from Mike Herrings (#1053) driving his Polaris outlaw ATV against Jesse McTulde (#1055) with his Canam at 52mph.

Dean Drimming (#501) pulled off a 54mph run with his skidoo in the 500-599cc division. In the 600-699cc division, Tristan (#600) peaked at 62mph in his Polaris IQ. In a Yamaha SRX, Andrew McGill (#700) pulled off a max speed of 73mph in the 700-799cc division. In his Turbo Yamaha Vector, with a dominating speed of 82mph, Dwayne Walker (#950) came out on top in the 800cc+ division and everyone else for the day.