TODD GORDON, STEWART FRIESEN, PETE STEFANSKI, MIKE SHORT, AND MATT GILLINGHAM TAKE TOP HONORS AT RANSOMVILLE
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(Helen and Alex Bruce Photos)
Todd Gordon xXx
Ransomville, NY.........Todd Gordon took top honors last Friday night in the Mighty Taco Modified main aboard his Blue Moon Potatoes sponsored machine. Gordon took over the lead on lap twenty-five from Robbie Krull and led the remaining five circuits enroute to his first Ransomville Speedway checkered flag.
Mark Golding led the first lap of the modified feature on Kimmins Coffee and Bottled Water night. Todd Gordon was on the move and took over the lead position followed by Robbie Krull. Golding dropped to third followed by Pete Bicknell and Scott Wood. Krull was the third driver to lead the event in just four laps as he took over the top spot. The first green flew on lap five for Rob Pietz who came to rest in turn three after contact with another driver left him with suspension damage.
Krull set the pace and maintained the top spot on the restart with Gordon, Pete Bicknell, Wood, and Randy Chrysler rounding out the top five. A three wide battle between Chrysler, Brian Stevens, and Danny Johnson resulted in contact and Danny going around on the backstretch. Krull chose the inside lane for the restart and maintained the lead with Gordon in second. The field ran single file through the half-way point as points leader Danny Johnson tried to gain positions from the back of the pack. Pete Cosco lost the handle on lap nineteen and spun off the backstretch.
The restart found Krull in control. Johnson made a three wide move on lap twenty-one and took over the seventh position. Up front-Gordon moved to the outside of Krull and challenged for the lead. The pair came off turn two side by side on lap twenty-four. With just five to go, Gordon edged out in front of Krull for the top spot. Gordon went on to collect the big feature win followed by Krull, Bicknell, Wood, and Johnson
Birthday boy Stewart Friesen took top honors aboard the Original Pizza Logs Sportsman main last Friday night. Friesen took over the lead on lap twenty on his twentienth birthday-fitting to say the least-and went on for the win.
Sean Kott was the early leader followed by Doug Coons and Mark Potter. Potter was on the move early as he blasted into the lead on lap three. Jeff McGinnis and Rob Kott rounded out the top five as Scott Kerwin came to rest in turn four on lap five. McGinnis took over the second position on lap six with Stewart Friesen in tow. McGinnis moved in on Potter and challenged for the lead on lap eight and took over the lead. Scott George advanced to fourth aboard his Original Pizza Logs sponsored entry with Sean Kott now rounding out the top five.
McGinnis continued to set the pace up front as Friesen moved into second. Friesen ran the extreme top groove as he attempted to close the margin between himself and McGinnis. George ducked below Potter on lap fourteen taking the third position. The top four now ran single file as the Kott brothers battled for fifth. Friesen slowing closed the gap between himself and McGinnis as was within a car length by lap seventeen. Friesen took to the inside of McGinnis in turns three and four and took over the top spot on lap twenty. Friesen went on for his third win of the season over George, McGinnis, Potter, and Rob Kott.
Pete Stefanski of Wheatfield, NY piloted the John Koeppen owned #cj5 to his second victory of the season last Friday night. Stefanski took over the lead on lap fourteen and led the remaining six laps to the checkered.
Butch Zimmerman and Dan Shoop led the field down for the start of the Bobcat of Buffalo ProStock main with Zimmerman taking the early lead. Dan Schulz moved into second followed by Pete Stefanski, Shoop, and Dave Williams. The first caution flew on lap two for John Panattoni who spun into the front stretch moat. Zimmerman held onto the lead on the restart with Schulz a tight second. Stefanski was on the move as he made a two car pass in turn one & two and took over the lead position. Trouble for points leader Dave Schulz as he spun in turn three and ended up against the guardrail. Unfortunately for Schulz he suffered mechanical difficulties and had to be towed pitside.
Stefanski chose the outside lane for the restart and maintained the top spot as Mike Williams made his presence known in second. Zimmerman, Shoop, and Dave Williams ran three wide in turn four with Zimmerman hanging on for third. Williams challenged Stefanski on the bottom of Stefanski on lap eleven but it was Stefanski hanging on to the lead. Stefanski led the remaining laps and collected his second win of the season. Williams, Dave Williams, Shoop, and Dan Mayer rounded out the top five.
Mike Short collected the win in the first Clarks Burgerhouse Streetstock main event. Short was in the right place at the right time and inherited the lead late in the race from Wayne Close and went on for the win in the fifteen lap event.
Derek Boyle grabbed the early lead followed by Webb Nashwinter, Jaren Israel, Shawn Graham, and Dan Baughman. The first caution flew on lap three for Dave Stolzenburg who spun in turn two. On the restart, Boyle set the pace on the inside putting Nashwinter on the outside. They ran side by side through lap four with Nashwinter taking the lead at the line. Boyle, Graham, Israel, and Close rounded out the top five. Israel was on the move as he took over second on lap six with Close in tow. Close went to work on Israel and took the spot on lap seven. The top three were in a tight battle with Mike Short right there in fourth. Israel was back on the move as he made a two car pass going into turn one and took over the top spot but it was short lived as he lost the handle in turn four and spun. Close was the new leader but was determined to have made the contact resulting in Israel going around and was black flagged. Short took over the top spot and went on for the win. Baughman, Israel, Nashwinter, and Boyle rounded out the top five.
Matt Gillingham captured the win in the second Clarks Burgerhouse Streetstock main. Gillingham took the lead at the start of the feature and went on to lead the entire fifteen laps.
Matt Gillingham grabbed the lead at the drop of the green and held it through lap one. The action was slowed with a red flag as a scramble up front sent everyone scrabbling. Dave Jowdy ended up getting the short end of the stick as he rolled over in turn three. Jowdy was okay but his racer was side-lined for the night. Gillingham set the pace for the restart followed by Lucas Jonathon, Alex Morris, Eric Ben, and Jeff Martin. Gillingham maintained the top spot as Ben and Morris battled for second. Digger Lester moved in to join the fray as the caution flew for Martin who spun in turn one. Gillingham chose the outside lane for the restart and maintained the top spot as Morris moved in to second. 2002 Streetstock champion Don Barnes broke into the top five on lap five. Lester moved in to challenge Morris for second on lap ten taking the position. Lester went to work on Gillingham but to no avail as Gillingham came home with the checkered. Lester, Morris, John Schultz, and Joe Rickard.
Pitnotes: Welcome to Jamie Turner who made his first start of the season at the big "R". Robbie Krull piloted the Mark Golding back-up car for Modified competition. A couple of additional driver changes occurred in the Streetstocks as Jeff Martin piloted the Dave Nichols entry and John Zimmerman drove the Jeremy Wilson entry.
CLARKS BURGERHOUSE STREETSTOCK FEATURE FINISH #1: MIKE SHORT, Dan Baughman, Jaren Israel, Webb Nashwinter, Derek Boyle, Steve Shoop, Shawn Graham, John Zimmerman, Jim Nashwinter, Roger Israel, Charles Harvey, Dave Stolzenburg, and Bill Holtz Jr.. Heat Winners…Dave Stolzenburg, Webb Nashwinter, and Jaren Israel.
CLARKS BURGERHOUSE STREETSTOCK FEATURE FINISH #2: MATT GILLINGHAM, Digger Lester, Alex Morris, John Schultz, Joe Rickard, Don Barnes, Kenny Brant, Lucas Jonathon, Brian Sparks, Jeff Martin, Eric Ben, and Dave Jowdy.
BOBCAT OF BUFFALO PROSTOCK FEATURE FINISH: PETE STEFANSKI, Mike Williams, Dave Williams, Dan Shoop, Dan Mayer, Steve Lewis, Dan Schulz, Steve DeVos, Butch Zimmerman, Sean Keus, John Panattoni, Steve Miller, Scott Gribben, Tom Greene, Mike Martin, Roger Chrysler, Kevin House, Dave Schulz, and Brett Martin. Heat Winners…Dan Mayer and Butch Zimmerman.
ORIGINAL PIZZA LOGS SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH: STEWART FRIESEN, Scott George, Jeff McGinnis, Mark Potter, Rob Kott, Tony Purgarich, Sean Kott, Dave Kubiniec, Dave Just, Rob Winters, Pat McCoy, John Smith, Kevin Wills, Mike Nash, Kyle Inman, Doug Coons, Scott Just, Herb Porter, and Scott Kerwin. Heat Winners…Jeff McGinnis and Stewart Friesen.
MIGHTY TACO MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH: TODD GORDON, Robbie Krull, Pete Bicknell, Scott Wood, Danny Johnson, Brian Stevens, Chad Brachmann, Rich Vinson, Randy Chrysler, Ricky Richner, Mark Golding, Rick Hoctor, Jason Boyle, Pete Cosco, Jamie Turner, and Rob Pietz.