Pete Bicknell Wins Friday At Ransomville; Erick Rudolph Is Your 2018 Modified Track Champion

Story By: STEVE PETTY / RANSOMVILLE SPEEDWAY – RANSOMVILLE, NY – As 13-time track champion Pete Bicknell from St. Catharines Ontario won his fifth Krown Undercoating Modified feature of the season, third generation driver Erick Rudolph from Ransomville, NY celebrated his first Ransomville Modified Track Championship as WGR 550, Salerno Snowplowing and Landscaping, VanDeMark Chemicals, Snyder Industries, and Certo Brothers presented the Labor Day Weekend special at the Ransomville Speedway.

Sanborn, NY driver Darrell Borkenhagen celebrated his first career Investors Service Sportsman feature win while Ransomville, NY’s Brett Senek earned his first Sportsman track title. Wheatfield, NY’s Pete Stefanski earned the KiPo Chevrolet Street Stock Championship and won his fifth divisional feature win of the 2018 racing season. Chad Desso from Wilson, NY won his fourth Gippsters Collision 4 Bangers feature while Bubby Pawlak from Wilson, NY won his second Stevenson’s Hardware Novice Sportsman feature of the season. Jim Eppinger from Fredonia, NY won the Labor Day Smashtacular Demolition Derby.

Steve Lewis Jr and Allan Wills brought the Krown Undercoating Modifieds to the green flag for their -lap feature with Scott Kerwin going three-wide to take the lead away before the end of the opening circuit. Kerwin would lead early on over Tommy Flannigan and Ryan Susice. Pete Bicknell would work his way through the field and would take second place away from Flannigan on lap 11 and then would go after Kerwin. “Mr. Small Block” would pass Kerwin on lap 23 and would hold off Kerwin, Flannigan, Susice, and Jeff McGinnis to earn his fifth checkered flag of the season. Third generation driver Erick Rudolph joined father Charlie and grandfather Jim as a Modified champion. Rudolph competed in the feature driving Cody Wolfe’s number 80 Novice Sportsman entry after having issues on his primary BBL Racing number 25 Modified. Rudolph’s familiar 25 was able to make it on the track for the championship celebration.

Darrell Borkenhagen and Robbie Johnston shared the front row for the 25-lap feature for the Investors Service Sportsman with Johnston in the lead. Johnston would quickly open-up his lead over Borkenhagen as points leader Brett Senek battled mid-pack with Chris Burek, who trailed Senek by 14 points entering the night. Johnston would appear to have his first Ransomville Sportsman victory all sealed up until Borkenhagen would start to charge back towards the leader during the second half of the race. Borkenhagen would reel in Johnston and would take the lead away late in the race and Borkenhagen would go on to score his first career Sportsman victory. With a ninth-place finish, Brett Senek clinched his first divisional track title.

Randy Zimmerman and Pat Dell were on the front row in the 20-lap feature for the KiPo Chevrolet Street Stocks with Dell quickly taking the lead with former track champions Brandon Sherwood and Cory Sawyer racing in the top three as divisional points leader Pete Stefanski raced in fourth place. Dell, Sawyer, and Stefanski would battle for the lead for several circuits until Stefanski was able to take the lead away on lap 11. A couple of late-race cautions set up a one-lap dash and in the end, it was Stefanski holding off Sawyer to earn his fifth win of the season and clinch the Street Stock track championship.

Steve Matson and Nick Tarnowski brought the Gippster’s Collision 4 Bangers to the green flag for their main event with Tarnowski in the lead. After an early caution, Chad Desso would battle with Tarnowski for the lead for several laps until Desso would work underneath Tarnowski to take the lead away on lap nine and Desso would lead the final six laps to earn his fourth win of the season.

Matt Foster and Cody Wolfe were on the front row for the Stevenson’s Hardware Novice Sportsman feature with Foster showing the way. Bubby Pawlak would take the lead on lap three as Cody Wolfe raced in third place. Jim Forster brought out the races first caution on lap six. The restart would see Pawlak back out front and he would hold off the late challenge from Cody Wolfe to score his second win of the season.

NEWS AND NOTES: Lap sponsorships are available for the King of the Hill Street Stock 100, BEI Lightning Series 40, and the Gippsters Collision 4 Banger event on September 14. Laps are $20 to purchase and you can contact the Speedway Office, see Ashley from 50/50, Jeff Anstett, Jenn Martin, or Steve Petty to purchase. The Sid Jeffery Memorial for the Modifieds has been rescheduled to Friday, September 7. The Ransomville Speedway Awards Banquet will take place on Saturday, November 10th at the Lewiston #2 Fire Company. Jonsie will be the musical entertainment and the banquet will be catered by Donna Eick. More information about the banquet will be announced in the coming weeks.

Racing returns on Friday, August 31 as Jeffery Machine, and Performance Mfg. present the Sid Jeffery Memorial for the Modifieds. Also on the card will be the annual visit by the Sportsman Super DIRTcar Series as they kick off their three-day Niagara Region swing. The Street Stocks, 4 Bangers, and Novice will be on the racing card. Pit gates will open at 5 pm with grandstand gates will open at 6 pm and the first green flag of the night will fly at 7:15 pm.

RACE RESULTS –WGR 550, Salerno Snowplowing, VanDeMark Chemicals, Snyder Industries, Certo Brothers NIGHT SUMMARY

Krown Undercoating Modifieds: PETE BICKNELL, Scott Kerwin, Tommy Flannigan, Ryan Susice, Jeff McGinnis, Chad Brachmann, Matt Farnham, Kenny Wills, Jim Zimmerman, Mike Williams, Erick Rudolph, Allan Wills, Tom Neale, Rick Richner, John Smith, Steve Lewis Jr, Greg Martin, Jesse Cotriss

Qualifying Winners: Allan Wills, Tommy Flannigan

Track Champion: Erick Rudolph

Investors Service Sportsman: DARRELL BORKENHAGEN, Robbie Johnston, James Henry, Derek Wagner, AJ Custodi, Chris Burek, Kevin Wills, Cameron Tuttle, Brett Senek, Dave DiPietro, Kyle Wendt, Garrison Krentz, Noah Walker, Austin Susice, Zack Sam Did Not Start: Justin McKay

Qualifying Winners: AJ Custodi, Kevin Wills

Track Champion: Brett Senek

KiPo Chevrolet Street Stocks: PETE STEFANSKI, Cory Sawyer, Chris Dziomba, Casey Jonathan, Jaren Israel, Bryce Richardson, Matt Tracey, Dan Korpanty, Pat Dell, Brandon Sherwood, Pat O’Keefe, Jordan Moden, Randy Zimmerman, Anthony Guthrie

Qualifying Winners: Pete Stefanski, Brandon Sherwood

Track Champion: Pete Stefanski

Gippsters Collision 4 Bangers: CHAD DESSO, Nick Tarnowski, Chris Leone, Ryan Plante, Steve Matson, Matt Hornquist, Chuck Cala, Ashley Blech, Cole Susice, Brandon Close, Jason Harris, Brandon Potter, Anthony Hermanson

Qualifying Winners: Nick Tarnowski, Chad Desso

Stevenson’s Hardware Novice Sportsman: BUBBY PAWLAK, Cody Wolfe, Matt Foster, Brian Harris, Ken Washburn, Orval Harris, David Fingerlow, Jim Forester

Qualifying Winner: Cody Wolfe