Jesse Cotriss Scores Modified Main At Ransomville

Story By: STEVE PETTY / RANSOMVILLE SPEEDWAY – RANSOMVILLE, NY – Jesse Cotriss from Medina, NY won his second Krown Undercoating Modified feature of the season on Sunset Bar and Grill Night at the Ransomville Speedway on Friday evening.

Rob Murray from St. Catharines, Ontario was victorious in the inaugural John Susice Memorial for the KiPo Chevrolet Street Stocks. Jim Harbison from Ransomville, NY won his first career Investors Service Sportsman feature. Cole Susice from Ransomville, NY won his third Gippster’s Collision 4 Bangers feature of the season. David Fingerlow from North Tonawanda, NY won his first career Stevenson’s Hardware Novice Sportsman.

The John Susice Memorial for the KiPo Chevrolet Street Stocks were led to the green flag by Mike Kramarz and Jordan Moden with Kramarz leading the opening circuit with Moden, Jaren Israel, Dave Bailey and Ken Camidge racing in the top five. The battle was on for third as Dave Bailey passed Israel for third and then went after Moden for second and would take over the runner up spot on lap six. Bailey and Kramarz would battle for the lead and would complete the pass going down the back stretch on lap seven to take over the lead. Casey Jonathan spun in turn three to bring out the races first caution on lap 11. The great run for rookie driver Jordan Moden came to an end under the lap 11 caution period after coming to a stop in turn four. On the restart, Bailey would jump into the lead as Kramarz battled with Israel for second as Rob Murray and Pete Stefanski raced for fourth place. Kramarz would clear that battle for second with Murray, Stefanski, and Israel went three wide for a whole circuit with Murray moving into third. Murray would take second away from Kramarz and would start to chase down race leader Dave Bailey. Vince Fargnoli spun in turn two to bring out the caution on lap 19, erasing Bailey’s half-straightaway lead over Murray and the rest of the field. On the restart, Murray looked underneath Bailey for the lead but Bailey would hold him off with ten laps remaining. Bailey, Murray, Israel, Stefanski, and Kramarz raced in the top five in the remaining circuits, with Murray and Bailey battling for the lead. The pair of Canadians went side by side for several circuits. Murray would take the lead away from Bailey with five remaining, but Bailey would regain the lead coming off turn two. Casey Jonathan leaked fluid on the race track to bring out the caution with three laps remaining. On the restart, Bailey would catch Murray and hit the turn four wall with a flat right front tire. Jake Stefanski and Brian Monahan came together on the front straightaway to bring out the caution with one lap remaining. Murray would hold off Israel to score the win. Billy Bleich Jr used Austin Hauser’s car for the feature after blowing a motor on his “X Factor” ride during qualifying race action.

The Krown Undercoating Modifieds were brought to the green flag for their 30 lap feature by Jim Zimmerman and Jesse Cotriss with Cotriss jumping into the lead with Zimmerman, Scott Kerwin, Ryan Susice and Steve Lewis Jr racing inside the top five early. Cotriss would open his lead over Kerwin on lap six by nearly 3.5 seconds. Cotriss would catch lap traffic by lap ten while the closest battle on the speedway was for fourth place between Steve Lewis, Rick Richner, and Pete Bicknell. At the halfway mark, Cotriss’s lead was up to nearly six seconds. Meanwhile, Bicknell passed both Lewis and Richner to move into fourth place. Susice would pass Kerwin to move into second with five laps remaining. Cotriss would pull away from the field and would lead every lap from green to checker to score his second win of the season nearly a month after winning his first career Modified victory. Susice would settle for second followed by Kerwin, Bicknell, and Erick Rudolph completing the top five.

Jim Harbison and Darrell Borkenhagen shared the front row for the Investors Service Sportsman feature with Harbison showing the way. Borkenhagen slowed exiting turn two and bounced off the wall that caused a multi-car incident on the back straightaway that also involved Mike Williams, James Henry, Kevin Wills, Eddie Cain, Austin Susice, Bryan Harris, Chase Matteson, Dave Conant and Justin McKay. Henry, Cain, and Wills were able to rejoin the field for the lap two restart. All drivers were okay. The restart would see Harbison with Dave DiPietro, Derek Wagner, Dave Flannigan Jr and Noah Walker racing in the top five. Matt Farnham would pass Flannigan to enter the top five on lap five to go and started to go after Noah Walker. Farnham would continue to move towards the head of the class after passing Walker on lap eight. Wagner would take second away from DiPietro on lap nine and began to go after race leader Jim Harbison. Farnham would go after DiPietro for third place with Noah Walker running tightly behind Farnham. Farnham would lose the handle of his number 7 in turn one but would continue on, losing only three positions. The battle for the lead was highly contested between Harbison and Wagner. Harbison would hold off Wagner to score his first career Sportsman victory. Greg Martin with his 17th place finish received a new Hoosier Racing Tire.

Ashley Blech and Cole Susice brought the Gippsters Collision 4 Bangers to the green flag for their 15 lap event with Susice getting the lead exiting turn four on the opening circuit. Susice would check out on the field as Blech was holding the second position over Chad Desso, Chris Leone, and Nick Tarnowski. Leone would take third away from Desso on lap six and then would go after Blech for second place. Leone would then pass Blech to take second away on lap nine, as Susice checked out on the field. Cole Susice would drive on to score the win, his third of the season.

Bubby Pawlak and qualifying event winner David Fingerlow were on the front row for the 15 lap feature for the Stevenson’s Hardware Novice Sportsman with Fingerlow leading the field around the Big R for the first time. Pawlak led Cameron Tuttle, Kyle Wendt, and Orval Harris early on. Tuttle would challenge Pawlak for second for several circuits with Tuttle moving into second place on lap six. Fingerlow opened up his lead over the field with Tuttle trying to reel in the leader. Tuttle caught the leader Fingerlow while working lap traffic but lost control and ground on the leader with three laps remaining. Tuttle would catch Fingerlow on the back straightaway and would lead entering turns three and four but Tuttle lost power coming to the checkered flag and it was Fingerlow getting the win over Tuttle by .015 of a second.

NEWS AND NOTES: 87 cars signed in pitside. Terry Rutland won the popular Spectator 1 on 1 Race. The Susice family put together a great contingency program for the John Susice Memorial, including a custom race trophy from Jeffery Machine and DMS Powdercoating, an Outer Body Package from Mad Skins, a custom racecar wrap from JJC Custom Graphics, $100 Hard Charger Award from Farnham Motorsports, $100 Hard Luck Award from the Susice Family (John, Patty, Austin and Cole), and each Street Stock heat winner received an extra $25 from Rick “Jonsie” Jones.

The 60th season of racing will continue on Friday, August 4th as Performance Mfg and Jeffery Machine presents the $1,000 to win Sid Jeffrey Memorial for the Investors Service Sportsman. The “Thunder on the Dirt” Series for Vintage Cars will be on hand as well. They will be joined by the Modifieds, 4 Bangers and Novice Sportsman.

RACE RESULTS – Sunset Bar & Grill Night

KiPo Chevrolet Street Stocks: ROB MURRAY, Jaren Israel, Pat Dell, Dave Small, Pete Stefanski, James Thompson, Mike Kramarz, Ken Camidge, Brandon Sherwood, Mike Miller, Vince Fargnoli, Chris Dziomba, Jason Fontaine, Pat O’Keefe, Randy Zimmerman, Dave Bailey, Joey Zimmerman, Brian Monahan, Jake Stefanski, Casey Jonathan, Billy Bleich Jr, Jordan Moden

Qualifying Winners: Ken Camidge, Mike Kramarz, Jason Fontaine

Krown Undercoating Modifieds: JESSE COTRISS, Ryan Susice, Scott Kerwin, Pete Bicknell, Erick Rudolph, Rick Richner, Jeff McGinnis, Steve Lewis Jr, Steve Schumacher, Jim Zimmerman, Kenny Wills, Allan Wills, Russ Zimmerman, Tommy Flannigan, John Smith

Qualifying Winners: Ryan Susice, Steve Lewis Jr

Investors Service Sportsman: JIM HARBISON, Derek Wagner, Noah Walker, Dave DiPietro, Brett Senek, Dave Flannigan Jr, Matt Farnham, Chris Burek, James Henry, Derek Borkenhagen, Ed Cain, Kevin Wills, Mike Williams, AJ Custodi, Darrel Borkenhagen, Garrison Krentz, Greg Martin, Anthony Muscato, Zack Sam, Bryan Harris, Chase Matteson, Dave Conant, Austin Susice, Justin McKay Did Not Start: Jonathan Reid Failed to Qualify: Dan Michaud, James Michael Friesen, Brett Martin, Dustin Gorhan

Qualifying Winners: Jim Harbison, Greg Martin, Dave DiPietro II

Consolation Winner: Chase Matteson

Gippsters Collision 4 Bangers: COLE SUSICE, Chris Leone, Chad Desso, Nick Tarnowski, Brendan O’Keefe, Steve Matson, Anthony Hermanson, Ryan Plante, Matt Hornquist, Brandon Potter, Ashley Blech, Robert Berry

Qualifying Winner: Ashley Blech

Stevenson’s Hardware Novice Sportsman: DAVID FINGERLOW, Cameron Tuttle, Kyle Wendt, Bubby Pawlak, Orval Harris, Robbie Johnston, Adam Harris, Jeff Sonnenberg Did Not Start: Dan Bennett

Qualifying Winner: David Fingerlow