Peterborough Speedway’s 2025 Season Opener Takes The Green Flag

Story By: JIM CLARKE / PETERBOROUGH SPEEDWAY – PETERBOROUGH, ONT – Weather may have made the early season headlines, but Saturday, May 31st it was Peterborough Speedway’s time to shine as the popular Central Ontario oval kicked off its 2025 schedule.

The first main event of the 58th anniversary season was a 20-lapper for the SwitchTire Mini Stocks that had Tyler McMurter and Peterborough’s Mike Nelso on the front row. From the drop of the green flag, Nelson’s No. 70 ride was the class of the field. He held the early race lead and was working through the backmarkers before the scoreboard showed 3 laps complete. At the halfway mark, Nelson was tailed by Jacob Sutcliffe, John Lavalle, Kent Missons and Coleridge Phinnemore. The top-5 runners remained intact through the second half of the event, as Nelson scored the season opening checkered flag.

Jacob Mercer and multi-time Peterborough Speedway champion Dan McHattie led the way as the KOD Disposal Late Model field rolled from the staging area for a 25-lap ‘A’ main. McHattie took the early lead from his outside front row starting spot, with Mercer holding Ryan Kimball at bay in the runner-up spot. Kimball slipped into 2nd just before an issue in the 3rd turn brought out the race’s only caution flag. The driver of the No. 16 machine set-off in pursuit of McHattie and took the lead with a pass in the 2nd turn, with around a handful of laps remaining. He’d hold the top spot until the checkered flag, with McHattie, Mercer, Kelly Balson and Gary Hannah rounding-out the top 5.

Front row starters Keaton Pipe and Cole McFadden led a pack of 24 teams to the stripe as the Trailers Plus Ontario Legend Car Series took the Great Canadian RV green flag. Before there were even 4 laps on the scoreboard, the feature race had seen 3 different drivers – including Pipe, Wes Cuthbertson and Dawson Drimmie – in control of the field. As luck would have it, reigning tour champion Mitch Wright was the final leader of the day. The driver of the No. 21 car took over the top spot while working through traffic with 18 laps complete and never gave up the lead. Cuthbertson, Dawson Drimmie, Pipe and Cole McFadden followed him to the checkered flag.

With backing from Grassroots Racing, the Ontario Bandolero teams took to the popular venue for a pair of 15-lap feature events. Ava Boundy started on the pole for the opening round, with Austin Seburn taking the checkered flag over Keegan Moat and Boundy. In the second tilt, Moat was polesitter, with Seburn once again taking the checkered flag. Landon Sellers and Lyla Sikma chased the race winner across the line.

The Outlaw Midgets – supported by Glenn Styres Racing – had a 20-lap main event that saw Dave Inglis and Rob McCall fire from the front row. A yellow flag for an incident on the backstretch saw the pace slowed with only 6 laps on the scoreboard. Through the closing stages of the headliner, Dave Bradley and Mikey Homewood swapped the lead back and forth, with Bradley taking the win. Homewood, Robin McLean, McCall and Fred Homewood wrapping-up the top 5.

Preliminary round wins went to Mini Stock invader Jacob Sutcliffe with a pair, while Kent Missons and Curtis Burnett took the others. Dan McHattie and 2-time defending track champion Ryan Kimball split the Late Model qualifying event wins. Jake Spencer-Walt, Mark Griffin, Mitch Wright and Dawson Drimmie each had an Ontario Legend Car heat race win.
All finishing positions are unofficial and subject to scoring review and post-race inspection.

Bullring bullet points: Peterborough Speedway’s racing community was saddened to learn of the passing of Cameron, Ontario’s Robert Clark. A long-time supporter of provincial vintage modified racing, Clark began his racing career at Kingston Speedway and in later years, developed a solid following while selling automotive literature at regional trade shows…Off weekends at other tracks saw the Peterborough Speedway SwitchTire Mini Stock line-up bolstered with some guest drivers including Mike Robinson Jr., Coleridge Phinnemore and Jacob Sutcliffe…Paul Toms joined the KOD Disposal Late Model ranks, but ran only a few laps before dropping out of the feature race…James Horner made hard contact with the 3rd turn retaining wall in the final Late Model heat race and even though he drove away from the crash, he didn’t answer the call for the main event…Even with a chill in the air, Peterborough Speedway’s newest attraction Whips n’ Licks Ice Cream Shop – selling Kawartha Dairy products – proved to be popular with the fans.

Next on the agenda at the venue known for Making Memories for Life will be the year’s first Double Toonie/Fan Appreciation Night – presented by Pepsi – Saturday, June 7th. On track action will include the home track Bone Stock, Mini Stock, Renegade Truck, Super Stock and Junior Late Model divisions, with a fan appreciation autograph session at intermission.

Spectator grandstand admission is just $4.00. Pit gates open at 1:30, grandstands at 4:00 and racing starts at 5:00.