KENNY WILLS SCORES FIRST EVER 358 MODIFIED FEATURE AT RANSOMVILLE SPEEDWAY.
Story By: TANA ROBINSON / RANSOMVILLE SPEEDWAY Photos By:ALEX & HELEN BRUCE / RACERSGUIDE.COM
RANSOMVILLE, NY- June 19, 2016- The Wills family had a terrific night at Ransomville Speedway last Friday night with Kenny Wills winning his first career 30 lap Krown Undercoating 358 Modified feature. His uncle Kevin won his second of the season in the Investors Service Company Sportsman 25 lap feature. The night was sponsored by Niagara Hardwood and A-1 Land Care
For Kenny Wills, it was something that many were waiting for as Kenny has been strong throughout the 2016 season. Wills had a late race battle with multi-time Modified track champion Pete Bicknell of St. Catharines, Ontario, who tried to get under Wills several times only to see Kenny win the drag race. Current track points leader Erick Rudolph got into the fight looking for his third win of the season. In the end, it was Bicknell finishing second and Rudolph of Ransomville in third.
Kenny had a chance to see Kevin win by using the high groove. Kenny followed suit and stayed up high through much of the entire main event. On the final lap, Kenny went low on the track and was able to keep Bicknell and Rudolph behind him. Mike Bowman and Tommy Flannigan of St. Catharines finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Defending champion Ryan Susice of Ransomville was sixth. Rich Richner of Niagara Falls, NY was seventh followed by Jeff McGinnis of Ransomville eighth. Robbie Krull of Cambria, NY was ninth. John Smith of Niagara Falls, NY had his best run of the season with a tenth.
Heat race winners were Kenny Wills, Smith and Richner.
Kevin Wills, who lives right next to Ransomville Speedway, used the famous Ransomville Speedway most to gain victory in the Investors Service Company Sportsman feature. It was the second time in three weeks that Kevin had been a winner at Ransomville Speedway.
Greg Martin of Wilson, NY led at the drop of the green flag. On lap nineteen, Wills would then pass Chris Burek of Wilson to take over second place off a restart, using the low side of the track. On lap twenty-five, Wills went down into the moat to take over the lead from Martin as the two crossed the start/finish line side by side Wills told the jam packed Ransomville Speedway crowd that he didn’t mind running up against the outside wall and he was successful in doing so.
Wills is also the current Investors Service Company Sportsman points leader. Burek held on for third while Matt Farnham of Tonawanda. NY was fourth. Jesse Cotriss of Medina, NY was fifth. Steve Lewis Jr of Ransomville was sixth. Brett Senek and Don Spatorico, both of Ransomville were seventh and eighth, respectively. Mike Williams of the Tuscarora Nation, NY was ninth. Ransomville’s Jim Harbison was tenth.
Heat winners were Burek, Senek and Martin.
Pat Dell of Niagara Falls, NY won his first main event of the 2016 season in the 20 lap Ki-Po Chevrolet feature. Dell was the Ransomville Speedway 2013 Street Stock champion.
Dell took the lead on lap eleven and was able to maintain a five car length lead through the remainder of the event. Defending champion Brandon Sherwood of Sanborn, NY was second. Jaren Israel of Wilson was third followed by Kyle Wendt of Ransomville was fourth. Mike Short of Tonawanda, NY was fifth. Cory Sawyer of Niagara Falls, NY was sixth. Roger Israel of Wilson was seventh. Rounding out the top ten was Brian Monahan of Ransomville in eighth, Austin Hauser of Lockport in ninth and Chris Dziomba of North Tonawanda. Three time feature winner Billy Bleich Jr of Port Robinson, Ontario was a early pit side observer after a mechanical issue dropped him out of the event.
The race team of Mike Short was the winner of the full fendered pit crew contest. Short is also the points leader in the Ki-Po Chevrolet Street Stocks.
Heat race winners were Billy Bleich Jr and Jaren Israel.
In the Gippsters Collision Four Cylinder twelve lap feature, Chad Lederhouse of Ransomville won his first of the season. Lederhouse would take the lead on lap nine. The event would go caution free. Ryan Plante of Grand Island, NY would finish second. Plante led the first lap while point leader Cole Susice of Ransomille was third. The top three ran away from the reminder of the field. Mike Kramarz was fourth. Ashley Harbison of Ransomville was fifth while defending points champion Chris Leone of Niagara Falls, NY was sixth. Pat O’Keefe of Youngstown, NY was seventh. Anthony Hermanson of Niagara Falls, NY was eighth while Steve Matson of Ransomville was ninth. Nick Tarnowski of Lockport was tenth.
Heat race winners were Lederhouse and Pat O’Keefe.
AJ Custodi of Lewiston, NY was a first time winner in the Van Raine Construction Novice Sportsman fifteen lap feature. Custodi had a 1.4 second advantage over second place finisher Mark Loveland of Niagara Falls, NY at the finish line.
Lockport’s Jonathan Reid was third while Andrew Spurback of Niagara Falls, NY was fourth. Dustin Gorhan of Ransomville was fifth. Division points leader Anthony Muscato of Lockport was sixth. Chase Matteson of Wilson was seventh. Justin McKay of North Tonawanda, NY was eighth. Garrison Krantz of Tonawanda was ninth. Brandon Williams of Lewiston was tenth.
Heat race winners were Custodi and Gorhan.
This Friday night, Ransomville Speedway will be back in action with Localedge, Scott Joy Trucking and Snyder Industries presenting a five division program. Pit gates will open at 5pm while grandstand gates will swing open at 6pm.
KROWN UNDERCOATING 358 MODIFIEDS: KENNY WILLS, Pete Bicknell, Erick Rudolph, Mike Bowman, Tommy Flannigan, Ryan Susice, Rick Richner, Jeff McGinnis, Robbie Krull, Nick Joy, John Smith, Allan Wills, Steve Schumacher, Russ Zimmerman, Jim Zimmerman, Chad Brachmann, Scott George, Phil Vigneri III. Heat Winners: Kenny Wills, John Smith, Rick Richner
INVESTORS SERVICE COMPANY SPORTSMAN: KEVIN WILLS, Greg Martin, Chris Burek, Matt Farnham, Jesse Cotriss, Steve Lewis Jr, Brett Senek, Don Spatorico, Mike Williams, Jim Harbison, James Henry, Brett Martin, Noah Walker, Dave DiPietro, Derrick Borkenhagen, Andy Smith, Austin Susice. Heat Winners: Chris Burek, Brett Senek, Greg Martin.
KI-PO CHEVROLET STREET STOCKS: PAT DELL, Brandon Sherwood, Jaren Israel, Kyle Wendt, Mike Short, Cory Sawyer, Roger Israel, Brian Monahan, Austin Hauser, Chris Dziomba, Dave Stolzenburg, Scott Soos, Ryan Hoolihan, Shannon Baun, Zachary George, Joey Zimmerman, Billy Bleich Jr. Heat Winners: BillyBleich Jr, Jaren Israel.
GIPPSTERS COLLISION FOUR CYLINDERS: CHAD LEDERHOUSE, Ryan Plante, Cole Susice, Mike Kramarz, Ashley Harbison, Chris Lione, Pat O’Keefe, Anthony Hermanson, Steve Matson, Nick Tarnowski, Dave Dussault, Brandon O’Keefe, Matt Hornquist, Arthur Santangelo, Anthony Guthrie, Mike Paul. Heat Winners:Chad Lederhouse, Pat O’Keefe.
VAN RAINE CONSTRUCTION NOVICE SPORTSMAN: AJ CUSTODI, Mark Loveland, Jonathan Reid, Andrew Spurback, Dustin Gorhan, Anthony MUscato, Chases Matteson, Justin McKay, Garrison Krentz, Brandon Williams, Robbie Johnston, Chris Miller, Darrell Borkenhagen, Brian Harris. Heat Winners: AJ Custodi, Dustin Gorhan.
