Pete Bicknell Wins At Ransomville As Part Of 60th Anniversary Celebration

Story By: STEVE PETTY / RANSOMVILLE SPEEDWAY – RANSOMVILLE, NY – 13-time Track Champion “Mr. Small Block” Pete Bicknell from St. Catharines, Ontario won his second feature of the season in the Krown Undercoating Modifieds as the Lewiston Chamber of Commerce presented the 60th Anniversary Celebration at the Ransomville Speedway on Friday night.

Justin McKay from North Tonawanda, NY won his first career Investors Service Sportsman feature. Bill Bleich Jr from Port Robinson, Ontario won his first KiPo Chevrolet Street Stock feature of the season. Chad Desso from Wilson, NY won his second Gippsters Collision 4 Bangers feature of the season. Kyle Wendt from Ransomville, NY won his second Stevenson’s Hardware Novice Sportsman feature of the season.

Steve Schumacher and Rick Richner led the field of Krown Undercoating Modifieds to the green flag for their 30 lap feature with Richner showing the way. Schumacher led Jeff McGinnis, Tommy Flannigan and Kenny Wills racing inside the top five early on. Pete Bicknell worked his way into the top three early and then challenged Flannigan for second, battling for several laps. Bicknell would reel in Richner for the lead on lap 14 and would complete the pass entering turn three. Third place car Tommy Flannigan hit the turn one wall on lap 17 to bring out the races first caution. On the restart, Bicknell would take off and Ryan Susice would get around Wills and Richner to take over second place. Susice would start to reel in Bicknell off a lap 20 restart with Erick Rudolph challenging Richner for third. With Bicknell and Susice pulling away, Rudolph would take over third with from Richner with five laps remaining. Bicknell would go on to score his second win of the season.

Justin McKay and Jonathan Reid were on the front row for the Investors Service Sportsman feature event with McKay showing the way. McKay would open the lead over Reid with Jim Harbison, Mike Williams and Darrell Borkenhagen racing inside the top five. McKay continued to show the way over Reid at the races midway point. Chase Matteson spun, in turn, one to bring out the races first caution on lap 15. On the restart, McKay, Reid, Williams and Greg Martin raced in the top four with Dave Flannigan Jr racing in fifth place. Williams would catch Reid and would battle for the second position. Reid would be able to hold Williams off but “Hot Wheels” Greg Martin worked his way past Williams to take third away in the late going. Justin McKay would lead every lap, green to checker to score his first career Investors Service Sportsman victory.

Pat O’Keefe would take off from his outside starting position to lead the opening circuits of the KiPo Chevrolet Street Stocks feature. Two veterans Jaren Israel and Pete Stefanski quickly moved into the lead dueling for the top spot. Israel would take off in the lead over Stefanski with Camidge in third. Patrick Dell took second ahead of Stefanski to take over second on lap 11 and started to reel in Israel. Billy Bleich Jr would take the lead late in the event and would go on to score the win, his first of the season. The Street Stock feature finish is unofficial pending a technical review.

Ashley Blech and Steve Matson led the Gippsters Collision 4 Bangers to the green flag for their 15 lap feature with Blech showing the way early on with Matson holding off Chad Desso, Cole Susice, and Chris Leone, who all raced in the top five on the opening circuit. Desso would pass Matson on lap five to take over second with Cole Susice taking over third. Desso would look underneath Blech to take the lead with five laps remaining. Desso would go on to score his second win of the season.

Bubby Pawlak and David Fingerlow brought the field of Stevenson’s Hardware Novice Sportsman with Pawlak showing the way. Orval Harris spun in turn two on lap four to bring out the caution. On the restart, it was Robbie Johnston taking over the lead with Kyle Wendt moving into second, sending Pawlak back to third. Kyle Wendt would move to the outside and just past the halfway mark, would pass Johnston for the lead. Wendt would go on to score his second win of the season.

NEWS AND NOTES: 78 cars signed in pitside for our 60th Anniversary Celebration. Speedway management would like to thank Dave Jowdy and the Shoop Family for the bonus money for the Street Stocks tonight as well as Jamie Woods, who put up bonus money for the 4 Bangers. Management would also like to thank all of the past champions and their families who came out to celebrate tonight’s racing festivities.

The Big R will be back in action on Sunday, July 23rd as Budweiser presents the Big R Outlaw Shootout featuring the Craftsman World of Outlaw Sprint Cars plus a special $750 to win event for the Investors Service Sportsman. Pit gates will open at 1:00 pm with the Will Call Window opening at 2:00 pm. Grandstand gates will swing open at 4:00 pm with racing getting underway at 7:00 pm. Friday night racing is back on July 28th as the Sunset Bar and Grille presents the John Susice Memorial for the KiPo Chevrolet Street Stocks. The big money show for the Street Stocks will be joined by the Modifieds, Sportsman, Novice Sportsman, 4 Bangers and the Spectator 1 on 1 races! Race time is at 7:15 pm.

“And remember, take it slow on the road and if you like to race and set a fast pace, do it on the speedway and save yourself from disgrace.”

RACE RESULTS – Lewiston Chamber of Commerce Presents the 60th Anniversary Celebration

Krown Undercoating Modifieds: PETE BICKNELL, Ryan Susice, Erick Rudolph, Rich Richner, Kenny Wills, Scott Kerwin, Jeff McGinnis, Allan Wills, Steve Schumacher, Steve Lewis Jr, Tommy Flannigan, John Smith, Jesse Cotriss, Jim Zimmerman, Russ Zimmerman

Qualifying Winners: Ryan Susice, Tommy Flannigan

Investors Service Sportsman: JUSTIN MCKAY, Jonathan Reid, Greg Martin, Mike Williams, James Henry, Dave Flannigan Jr, Brett Martin, Jim Harbison, Dave DiPietro, Matt Farnham, Darrell Borkenhagen, Brett Senek, Austin Susice, Derek Borkenhagen, Anthony Muscato, Dustin Gorhan, Chris Burek, Noah Walker, Chase Matteson, Kevin Wills, Derek Wagner, AJ Custodi, Garrison Krentz, Bryan Harris

Qualifying Winners: Jim Harbison, Darrell Borkenhagen, Mike Williams

KiPo Chevrolet Street Stocks: (UNOFFICIAL PENDING OFFICIAL REVIEW): BILLY BLEICH JR, Jaren Israel, Ken Camidge, Brandon Sherwood, Jake Stefanski, Pat O’Keefe, Chris Dziomba, Steven Shoop, Mike Kramarz, Pete Stefanski, Randy Zimmerman, Brian Monahan, Joey Zimmerman, Pat Dell, Jordan Moden, Dan Shoop (DQ)

Qualifying Winners: Brian Monahan, Pat Dell

Gippsters Collision 4 Bangers: CHAD DESSO, Cole Susice, Chris Leone, Ashley Blech, Steve Matson, Matt Hornquist, Nick Tarnowski, Chuck Cala, Brandon Potter, Brendan O’Keefe, Todd Westmoreland, Paul Plante

Qualifying Winner: Ashley Blech

Stevenson’s Hardware Novice Sportsman: KYLE WENDT, Robbie Johnston, Zack George, Bubby Pawlak, Bob Winters, Orval Harris, Cameron Tuttle, Adam Harris, Jeff Sonnenberg, David Fingerlow

Qualifying Winners: Bubby Pawlak, Kyle Wendt