“Mr. Small Block” Pete Bicknell Takes Home Modified Win At Ransomville

Story By: STEVE PETTY / RANSOMVILLE SPEEDWAY – RANSOMVILLE, NY – Twelve-time Ransomville Speedway Modified track champion Pete Bicknell from St. Catharines, Ontario took home his first victory of the season on WGR550 and Wraptile Graphics Night at the Ransomville Speedway.

Jonathan Reid from Lockport, NY won his first career Investors Service Sportsman feature event. “Showtime” Jaren Israel from Ransomville, NY won the make-up feature from May 12th for the KiPo Chevrolet Street Stocks. Cameron Tuttle from Wilson, NY won the make-up Stevenson’s Hardware Novice Sportsman feature from May 12th. Kyle Wendt from Ransomville, NY won the regularly-scheduled Novice Sportsman feature. Chris Leone from Niagara Falls, NY won the main event for the Gippsters Collision 4 Bangers.

Rick Richner and Scott Kerwin brought the field of Krown Undercoating 358 Modifieds with Kerwin showing the way early as “Mr. Small Block” Pete Bicknell passed Rick Richner to take second on lap two. Bicknell would take the lead away from Kerwin on lap three as Scott George took over third place from Richner. “The Ransomville Renegade” Ryan Susice caught the two 26 cars of George and Richner in a three car battle for third with Chad Brachmann running in sixth, within three car-lengths of the battle for third. At the halfway mark, Bicknell’s lead was almost five seconds over Kerwin with George, Richner, Susice, and Brachmann in the top six. Jesse Cotriss hit the turn three wall on lap 18 to bring out the caution, erasing the 4.8-second lead that Bicknell had over the field. On the lap 18 restart, Richner and Kerwin went side by side for second with Susice running tightly behind in fourth place. Richner would take second away from Kerwin on lap 21, and Erick Rudolph took his BBL Racing number 25 into fifth after a slide job on Chad Brachmann exiting turn four. Susice would pass Kerwin to take third away on lap 24 and Rudolph would pass Kerwin just one lap later. “Mr. Small Block” Pete Bicknell would drive his Lucas Oil Products number 42 to his first Ransomville triumph of the season. Richner would finish in second followed closely by Susice, Rudolph, and Brachmann.

Darrell Borkenhagen and Dustin Gorhan were on the front row for the Investors Service Sportsman feature event with Gorhan taking the initial lead with Mike Williams taking over the second spot. Greg Martin and Brett Martin came together on the back straightaway to bring out the caution on lap five. On the restart, Williams would take over the lead with Gorhan, Eddie Cain, Jonathan Reid and Jim Harbison racing inside the top five. Reid would work his way past Gorhan to take over second on lap nine, just as the caution came out for Justin McKay who spun in turn four. Jonathan Reid would take the lead on the restart with Dave Flannigan Jr entering the top five for the first time on lap 10. Matt Farnham’s motor expired on the front straightaway on lap 17, while Farnham was running inside the top 10. Reid would take off on the restart as Dave Flannigan Jr battled with Harbison and Mike Williams for second place. Reid would drive on to score his first career Investors Service Sportsman triumph.

“Showtime” Jaren Israel and “The X Factor” Bill Bleich Jr shared the front row for the make-up feature for the KiPo Chevrolet Street Stocks with Israel showing the way over Bleich, Pete Stefanski, Brandon Sherwood and Ryan Hoolihan. Bleich slowed on the front straightaway on lap five to bring out the caution. Once the field went back under the green flag, Brandon Sherwood would take the lead away from Israel. Jake Stefanski slid into Kinser Way and spun to bring out the caution on lap nine. Israel would regain the lead from Sherwood off the restart and would pull away from the field. Past divisional champion Pat Dell brought out the caution on lap 13 after slowing on the back straightaway. Israel would pull away from the field and would go on to score his second win of the season. Sherwood, Hoolihan, Ken Camidge and Pete Stefanski would complete the top five.

In the second feature, veterans Pete Stefanski and Ken Camidge brought the field of Street Stocks to the green flag with Stefanski showing the way over Camidge with Brandon Sherwood, Ryan Hoolihan and Jaren Israel racing inside the top five. Israel would take fourth away from Hoolihan on lap four and then battled Sherwood for third. Joey Zimmerman spun in turn four to bring out the races first caution on lap nine. On the restart, Stefanski would take the lead with Israel taking his car to the pits, with Jake Stefanski running in third and “The X Factor” Billy Bleich Jr running in fourth, after starting 16th on the grid. Jake Stefanski passed Camidge and Sherwood to move into second and battled with his Uncle Pete for the lead. Jake would take the lead on lap 12, just as Sherwood went to the pits. The caution would come back out on lap 15 as Jaren Israel returned to the speedway and then came to a stop on the main straightaway. On the restart, Bleich would pass Pete Stefanski to take second place away and then went to battle Jake for the lead. Jake Stefanski would hold off Bleich to score the win, his first of the season.

The first feature for the Stevenson’s Hardware Novice Sportsman was brought to the green flag by Cameron Tuttle and Zack George with George taking off into the lead. George continued to lead Tuttle with Kyle Wendt, David Fingerlow and Bubby Pawlak racing inside the top five. Fingerlow took third away from Wendt with four laps remaining, as the lead duo pulled away from the rest of the field. Coming off turn four on the final circuit, George made contact with a lap car and Tuttle was at the right place at the right time, to score his second victory of the season.

In the nightcap feature for the Novice Sportsman, Bubby Pawlak and Kyle Wendt shared the front row with Wendt showing the way. Orville Harris and David Fingerlow spun in turn three to bring out the races first caution on lap three. The caution would come back out on lap five as Robbie Johnston and Ken Washburn came together, in turn, three that also collected both Orville and Adam Harris. Kyle Wendt pulled away from Cameron Tuttle off the restart. Cliff Gregg spun in turn two to bring out the caution with one lap remaining. Tuttle would look underneath Wendt off the restart but Wendt would go on to score his first career Novice Sportsman victory.

Steve Matson and Chuck Cala brought the Gippsters Collision 4 Bangers to the green flag for their 15 lap feature event with Cala showing the way. The caution would wave for the first time after sixth place starter Chad Desso hit the wall hard coming off turn four and then again hit the wall on the front straightaway. Cala would lead off the restart with Chris Leone taking over second with Howard and Anthony Guthrie running in third and fourth respectively. Leone would take the lead away from Cala on lap five with Howard Guthrie taking over second exiting turn two on lap five. Chuck Cala came to a stop trying to enter the pits to bring out the caution on lap eight. Leone and Howard Guthrie pulled away from the rest of the field off the restart as Ashley Harbison-Bleich moved into third place on the white flag lap. Leone would score the win ahead of Howard Guthrie, Harbison-Bleich, Anthony Guthrie and Steve Matson.

The 60th season of racing at the Big R will continue on Friday, June 23rd as Scott Joy Trucking presents a full card of racing plus bicycle races! Gates will swing open in the pits at 5:00 pm with grandstands opening at 6:00 pm with racing action starting at 7:15 pm. Ransomville Speedway will also be racing on Monday, June 26th at 7:15 pm for the Monday Madness Special! A full card of racing will be presented as well as the popular $1.00 Hot Dog Night!

RACE RESULTS – WGR 550 AND WRAPTILE GRAPHICS NIGHT

Krown Undercoating Modifieds Feature: PETE BICKNELL, Rick Richner, Ryan Susice, Erick Rudolph, Chad Brachmann, Scott Kerwin, Jim Zimmerman, Tommy Flannigan, Jeff McGinnis, Steve Schumacher, Jesse Cotriss, Scott George, Nick Joy, Steve Lewis Jr, Allan Wills, Kenny Wills

Qualifying Winners: Rick Richner, Scott Kerwin

Investors Service Sportsman Feature: JONATHAN REID, Mike Williams, Dave Flannigan Jr, Jim Harbison, Dustin Gorhan, James Henry, Brett Senek, Chris Burek, Derek Wagner, Darrell Borkenhagen, AJ Custodi, Anthony Muscato, Derek Borkenhagen, Dave DiPietro II, Chase Matteson, Bryan Harris, Justin McKay, Matt Farnham, Garrison Krentz, Austin Susice, Ed Cain, Dave Conant, Greg Martin, Brett Martin, Kevin Wills, Noah Walker

Qualifying Winners: Austin Susice, Mike Williams, Matt Farnham

KiPo Chevrolet Street Stocks (From May 12): JAREN ISRAEL, Brandon Sherwood, Ryan Hoolihan, Ken Camidge, Pete Stefanski Chris Dziomba, Brian Monahan Jr, Joey Zimmerman, Mike Kramarz, Pat O’Keefe, Dan Korpanty, Jake Stefanski, Austin Hauser, Don Hermanson, Pat Dell, Billy Bleich Jr Did Not Start: Jordan Moden, Casey Jonathan

KiPo Chevrolet Street Stocks: JAKE STEFANSKI, Billy Bleich Jr, Brian Monahan Jr, Ken Camidge, Mike Kramarz, Pat O’Keefe, Chris Dziomba, Dan Korpanty, Pete Stefanski, Pat Dell, Austin Hauser, Brandon Sherwood, Jaren Israel, Ryan Hoolihan, Jordan Moden, Don Hermanson, Joey Zimmerman

Stevenson’s Hardware Novice Sportsman (From May 12): CAMERON TUTTLE, Zack George, David Fingerlow, Kyle Wendt, Bubby Pawlak, Ken Washburn, Cliff Gregg, Adam Harris, Robbie Johnston, Orville Harris

Stevenson’s Hardware Novice Sportsman: KYLE WENDT, Cameron Tuttle, David Fingerlow, Robbie Johnston, Bubby Pawlak, Cliff Gregg, Orville Harris, Zack George, Ken Washburn, Adam Harris

Gippster’s Collision 4 Bangers: CHRIS LEONE, Howard Guthrie, Ashley Harbison-Bleich, Anthony Guthrie, Steve Matson, Ryan Plante, Anthony Hermanson, Cole Susice, Brendan O’Keefe, Brandon Potter, Matt Hornquist, Drew Westmoreland, Chuck Cala and Chad Desso

Qualifying Winners: Chad Desso, Howard Guthrie