DANNY JOHNSON, JEFF MCGINNIS, PETE STEFANSKI, RICK GORHAN, AND DIGGER LESTER CAPTURED WINS AT RANSOMVILLE SPEEDWAY
Mother nature finally cooperated with Ransomville Speedway last Friday night allowing them to officially open the 2004 season. Danny Johnson piloted his Lisa Maroney owned 358 Modified entry to their first win of the season. Once in front, Johnson was able to pull away from the remainder of the field and took the win in dominating style. Johnson took over the top spot from Todd Burley on lap three and held it through the remainder of the event.
Burley held the pole position for the Mighty Taco Modified main by virtue of his heat win with Don Spatarico alongside. Burley grabbed the early lead followed closely by Spatarico, Johnson, Pete Bicknell, and Chad Brachmann. Talk about a stout field…those are some of DIRT;s finest to say the least. The green was short lived as contact mid field left Russ Zimmerman, Mark Golding, and Todd Gordon side-lined. Burley maintained the top spot as Danny emerged in second. Johnson used the top lane on a lap three restart to take over the top spot aboard his Orange Crush sponsored machine. Burley, Brachmann, Spatarico, and Bicknell rounded out the top five. Brachmann pulled up on the rear bumper of Burley on lap seven and mounted a challenge for second. Meanwhile, Johnson had built up a half a straight-away lead. Contact between Burley and Brachmann resulted in Brachmann losing third to Bicknell.
As the field reached the mid-way point of the thirty lap feature go, defending champion Danny Johnson was in command. A caution on lap fourteen slowed the event. Johnson maintained the top spot while Bicknell and Brachmann battled for third. Brian Stevens, Spatarico, Ricky Richner, Rich Vinson, Ray Bliss, and Randy Chrysler rounded out the top ten. Brachmann appeared to develop a push as he drifted high in turns three and four. Johnson led the remaining laps and took the checkered over Burley, Bicknell, Stevens, and Brachmann.
Jeff McGinnis took the lead away from Scott Kerwin just past the half-way point of the Original Pizza Logs Sportsman main and held on for the win. McGinnis was fresh off a win the week prior at Genesee giving him two in a row.
Scott Kerwin and McGinnis brought the eighteen car strong field to the green. Kerwin maintained the top position while McGinnis ran a strong second. Mark Schulz, Kevin Wills, and Tony Purgarich rounded out the top five early on. McGinnis looked to the inside of Kerwin on lap five but was unable to make the pass. Kerwin and McGinnis continued to battle side by side through the turns as two very fast grooves of racing were found. McGinnis was able to make the inside move work on lap eight taking over the top spot. Kerwin, Wills, Schulz, and Scott George rounded out the top five. Kerwin found the fast lane just past the half-way point challenging McGinnis for the lead. Tough break for Wills as he headed pitside with just seven laps remaining. McGinnis was able to hold Kerwin at bay and pick up his second feature win in a row aboard his No Blanket sponsored machine. Kerwin, Schulz, George, and Kyle Inman rounded out the top five.
Pete Stefanski of Wheatfield, NY topped the field aboard the Bobcat of Buffalo ProStock main event last Friday night. Stefanski took over the top spot on lap seven aboard his Original Pizza Logs sponsored machine and held it through the lap twenty checkered.
Dan Mayer and Miller led the field to the green aboard the Bobcat of Buffalo ProStock feature main with Mayer taking the early lead. Contact up front resulted in Mayer spinning in turn one collecting Dan Shoop and Butch Zimmerman. Miller inherited the lead and led Pete Stefanski and John Panattoni back to green flag racing. Miller held the top spot while Stefanski and Panattoni battled side by side for second. Defending champion Dave Schulz and Mike Williams rounded out the top five. Stefanski used a move to the lowside of Miller on lap seven to take over the top spot. Miller challenged back while Schulz advanced to third. With five laps remaining, Schulz moved in to challenge Miller for the runner up position. The pair ran side by side with Schulz taking the spot with just four laps remaining. At the finish it was Stefanski, Schulz, Miller, Panattoni, and Williams rounding out the top five.
Rick Gorhan captured the win aboard the first Previty's Motor Cars Streetstock main last Friday aboard his Original Pizza Logs sponsored machine. Gorhan used a late race pass on Mike Short enroute to victory.
By virtue of his heat win, Short brought the field down for the green with Eric Ben alongside. Short took the early lead followed by Gorhan, Dave Stolzenburg, Dave Nichols, and John Schultz. Gorhan reeled in Short with just a few laps remaining. With just two to go, Short drifted up the speedway in turn two allowing Gorhan to make the pass for the top spot. Gorhan went on for the first checkered flag of the season aboard his Original Pizza Logs sponsored machine. Short, Stolzenburg, Roger Israel, and Schultz rounded out the top five.
Digger Lester of Wilson, NY topped the field aboard the second Previty's Motor Cars Streetstock main aboard his Original Pizza Logs sponsored entry. Lester led the field from the pole position and held Dan Baughman at bay through the final circuits.
Lester took the early lead followed by John Dietz, Dan Baughman, Derek Boyle, and Paul Plante. Lester maintained the top spot through a pair of cautions early on. Lester continued to show the way while Boyle and Baughman battled for second. Baughman took over the position on lap ten but found Lester some ten car lengths ahead in the lead. Lester maintained the top spot through the checkered and picked up his first win of the season aboard his Original Pizza Logs sponsored entry. Baughman, Boyle, Matt Gillingham, and Kevin Austin rounded out the top five.
Pitnotes…It was a packed house on both sides…the grandstands and the pit area last Friday night as Ransomville Speedway was able to get their first one in the books. Big welcome to many Central NY drivers including Ray Bliss, Mike Bliss, Todd Burley, Gil Tegg, and Ron White who've opted to make Ransomville Speedway their home on Friday nights. These fine drivers add to an already very stout Modified field. Congratulations to Charles Harvey who picked up his first heat win last Friday night. The future of local racing is looking brighter than ever as some six rookies signed in pitside aboard the Streetstock division. The car count totaled eighty-eight and the track was simply fantastic.
MIGHTY TACO MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH…DANNY JOHNSON, Todd Burley, Pete Bicknell, Brian Stevens, Chad Brachmann, Don Spatarico, Ricky Richner, Ray Bliss, Rich Vinson, Randy Chrysler, Rob Pietz, Robbie Krull, Mark Sylvies, Ron White, Russ Zimmerman, Gil Tegg, Todd Gordon, Mike Bliss, Rick Hoctor, and Mark Golding. Heat Winners…Todd Burley and Don Spatarico.
ORIGINAL PIZZA LOGS SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH…JEFF MCGINNIS, Scott Kerwin, Mark Schulz, Scott George, Kyle Inman, Tony Purgarich, Billy Bleich, Dave Just, Mark Potter, Scott Just, Bob Winters, Dave Charczuk, Jim Zimmerman, Kevin Wills, Mark Feor, John Hagerman, Doug Coons, and Dave Kubiniec. Heat Winners…Scott Kerwin and Jeff McGinnis.
BOBCAT OF BUFFALO PROSTOCK FEATURE FINISH…PETE STEFANSKI, Dave Schulz, Steve Miller, John Panattoni, Mike Williams, Roger Chrysler, Steve Lewis, Dave Williams, Scott Gribben, Butch Zimmerman, Dan Mayer, Tom Greene, Kevin House, Mike Martin, Shawn Worczak, Jeremy Wilson, Kenny Banker, Dan Shoop, and Jay Haughton. Heat winners Mayer and Steve Miller.
PREVITY'S MOTOR CARS STREETSTOCKS FEATURE FINISH #1…RICK GORHAN, Mike Short, Dave Stozlenburg, Roger Israel, John Schultz, Dave Nichols, Nate Vetter, Steve Shoop, Eric Ben, Brian Sparks, Casey Jonathon, Kenny Washburn, and Bob Urtel. Heat Winners…Mike Short, Digger Lester, and Charles Harvey.
PREVITY'S MOTOR CARS STREETSTOCK FEATURE FINISH #2…DIGGER LESTER, Dan Baughman, Derek Boyle, Matt Gillingham, Kevin Austin, Dave Jowdy, Lorne Close, John Dietz, Jason Meyer, Martin Peunic, Doug Kneepple, Charles Harvey, Paul Plante, Jaren Israel, Joe Rickard, Ricky Washburn, Jeff Wiegand, and Tom Hill.