Pressure has never been a popular term for hometown race teams. Drivers aren’t only looking for their best possible finish to please themselves. They also need to have a great show for their sponsorship partners and to give the fans something to cheer about. Fighting most of their battles under the watchful eyes of family and friends can sometimes be a huge mountain to climb.

Port Hope, Ontario’s Bryan Mercer has returned to Peterborough Speedway’s headline class for the 2021 schedule. This year’s effort for the second-generation short-tracker has been his first time behind the wheel since the 2017 season. From the first laps of the abbreviated agenda, the driver of the No. 81 McColl Racing Enterprises Chevrolet has shown no signs of rust. Saturday, August 21^st, the team picked-up its 3^rd consecutive top 5 finish, crossing the line 4^th in the Late Model feature running order. It was a night of racing where he didn’t just have to battle his on-track rivals, but also soaring temperatures and high humidity.

“I think that may have been about as warm as I’ve ever been inside the racecar,” Bryan Mercer explained. “The track had less grip than usual because of the heat and we had to make a lot of adjustments during and after the practice sessions. I had another qualifying heat win and we had a decent run going but broke a right front brake rotor and hub during the feature. That slowed our progress.”

Bryan Mercer says that under the circumstances, things could have much worse than the 4^th place finish he took away from the track. He and the team will now have a couple of weeks to go over the car and make sure that everything is ready to roll for the Championship Clash that will close the 2021 regular season at Peterborough Speedway. The crew will also spend time massaging the karting ride for Jake Mercer as he heads into the final shows of his schedule.

“Our regular season is winding down but Jake still has about a half a dozen dates with the Toronto Kart Club remaining on his schedule,” Bryan Mercer said. “I’m really looking forward to putting his program into the spotlight and seeing what the team can accomplish.”

The 2021 Mercer Motorsports schedule for Bryan and Jacob Mercer is proudly supported by Sine’s Flooring, Durmach Precision Tooling, Courtice Septic, Facility Services, Beyond Signs & Design, Mediavandals, Kawartha Metals, Stoney Shores General Contracting, BJ Tackle, Clarke Motorsports Communications, Cobourg Auto Collision, Cressman Tree Maintenance, Eastwood Development, National Shunt Service, Richter Law, Doner Custom Carpentry, Lynch, Rutherford, Tozer Accountants, M & M Food Market – Port Hope, McDonald’s Port Hope & Cobourg/AJ Wood, Press Any Key Computer Solutions, Quantrill Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac and Ross Funeral Home.

The next race for Bryan Mercer and the No. 81 Late Model team will the Championship Clash – Saturday, September 4^th – at Peterborough Speedway. The team will be looking to continue its strong start to the 2021 season. The upcoming event for Jake is Saturday, August 28th at Brechin Motorsports Park.

Fans can find team updates and information at www.mercermotorsports.net  or www.facebook.com/Mercer-Motorsports.