Peterborough Speedway: August 16 Race Report

A solid crowd was on hand for the season’s third and final Double Toonie/Fan Appreciation Night on Saturday, August 16th at Peterborough Speedway, where the OMRS joined four home track divisions in action.

Some unfinished business was first on the line-up as the Renegade Trucks ran a 20-lap feature that was held over from August 2nd. Alex McGibbon and Mark Gordon started on the front row for the pick-up pack’s headliner. Gordon – who’s been having a strong season in the truck ranks – took the early lead, with his friend and teammate Howie Crowe using the outside in a quest for the front of the pack. Before the race was even halfway complete, the No. 62 was in the mirror of the No. 52, albeit half a lap in arrears. Gordon worked through lapped traffic and scored the caution-free main event win. Crowe, McGibbon, Stacy Switzer and Stephen Bierworth completed the top-five in a race that took less than five and a half minutes to complete.

With 30 laps on the agenda, the OMRS SportsMods hit the track for the opening half of the Bill Pickford Memorial, with Chad Strawn and John Baker Jr. on the front row. Strawn opened strong and had close to a 10-car length advantage before the scoreboard showed 10 laps complete. Even with lapped traffic in the mix, the race’s outcome was never in doubt as the No. 35 of Strawn took the win, with Brad Stevenson, JBJ, Glenn Morris and Ethan Thompson completing the top-five in the caution-free event.

Kyle Gordon and Mike Sinopoli brought the Super Stock field to the green flag for a 20-lap feature tilt. Gordon and Paul Boundy led the way early, with Sinopoli, Donovon Price and Dylan Wills joining the fight at the halfway mark. The top-four runners broke away from the pack with 12 laps complete, as Mark Gordon took over fifth a lap later. Kyle Gordon led from start to finish as the driver of the No. 25 claimed the win. Boundy, Sinopoli, Price and Mark Gordon were next across the line.

With a window of 15 laps or 20 minutes to settle the score, the Junior Late Models rolled out 19 cars strong for the main event, with Lyla Sikma and Brayden Cappuccitti on the front row. Shortly after the initial green flag, the race was stopped because of a multi-car wreck coming off of turn two. The crash collected the front row starters, with the No. 20 of Sikma doing a slow rollover; she and Cappuccitti were both checked and released by track medical personnel. As a result of the crash, the No. 01 of Cappuccitti was disqualified for rough driving. The No. 77 of Dylan Ephgrave was parked and not allowed to return to the race after driving his car into the pit area under red flag conditions.

Brody Coates took the lead on the restart, with Lucas Finnegan and Kaiden Beatty in the top-three. Finnegan took the race lead with four laps on the scoreboard as the field worked through slower traffic a lap later. The No. 26 car held on to take the win, with Coates, Beatty, Oliver Gibbons and Landon Sellers – racing for his injured brother Hudson – completing the top-five.

Shawn Murray and Kyle Donaldson – who was subbing for Howie Crowe – showed the way for the 20-lap Renegade Truck feature. Donaldson took the early lead, with Murray and former track champion Jack Dallin running side-by-side before Dallin secured the runner-up spot with seven laps on the scoreboard. Lapped traffic became an issue for the leader as Mark Gordon took second with just over a handful of laps remaining. The yellow flag flew at Lap 14 and saw the No. 19 of Alex McGibbon sent to the pits for a rough driving penalty. Donaldson held the advantage through the late stages to take the win. Mark Gordon, Dallin, Murray and Stacy Switzer were next across the line.

Tyler McMurter and Ember Junkin were the front row starters for the 20-lap Mini Stock main event. Mike Nelson – who came into the night with the division’s point lead – made a three-wide pass for third just a lap before taking the lead from McMurter. Lapped traffic became an issue for the leaders with seven laps on the scoreboard but couldn’t keep Nelson from maintaining the race lead. At the controls of a ride he’d borrowed from Tyler Junkin, Nelson scored the main event win. John Lavalle finished second, with McMurter – in a loaner from the Wills Racing shop – third. Dave Bragg and Christen Lavalle completed the top-five in another caution-free feature.

Glenn Morris and John Baker Jr. led the way to start the second half of the OMRS SportsMods Bill Pickford Memorial. At the drop of the green flag, JBJ took the race lead, with Chad Strawn moving into the runner-up spot. The lead duo entertained fans with a side-by-side fight for the lead before Strawn claimed the position with just over a handful of laps remaining. After the opening half of the event was caution-free, the pace of this feature was slowed by a yellow flag for debris in turn three. Strawn held his advantage on the restart and took the win over Baker Jr. Brad Stevenson, Morris, Ethan Thompson, Garrett Yake and Rick Warnes completed the running order. With his back-to-back wins, Strawn was named the 2025 Bill Pickford Memorial champion.

Earlier in the evening, Junior Late Model qualifying event wins went to Landon Sellers, Oliver Gibbons, Owen Ephgrave, Brody Coates, Lucas Finnegan and Lyla Sikma. Dylan Wills and Mark Gordon split the Super Stock opening rounds. Gordon and Kyle Donaldson shared the Renegade Truck division checkered flags. John Lavalle and Mike Nelson each had a Mini Stock heat race win. All finishing positions are unofficial and subject to scoring review and post race inspection.

Bullring Bullet Points:

• The Renegade Truck ranks saw the return of a familiar ride as Billy O’Hara Jr. took a turn in the No. 6 that was a regular for his father Bill O’Hara, who passed away during the 2024 season.
• With the Bone Stock division taking a night off, Alexis Melhuish wheeled the No. 15 Truck in place of Scott Richards.
• Former group champion Alex Cuzzilla drove a No. 61 tribute car at the front of the Bill Pickford Memorial starting field.
• Peterborough’s Kurtis Connell – who is a Friday night regular at Ohsweken Speedway – brought his No. 8 Crate Sprint Car to the track to be part of the Fan Appreciation event and ran a few hot laps before taking the ride back to the pit area.
• Track officials will be meeting with the Junior Late Model drivers to address concerns with the multi-car incidents that have been part of recent feature events. Staff have expressed issues about drivers being injured in the incidents.

The penultimate date of the 2025 regular season takes the green flag on Saturday, August 23rd. More information can be found on the track’s website and social media platforms.