RPW Column: Mat Williamson Survives Mid-Race Restart Crash To Win Opener At Ransomville

Column By: MARTY CZEKALA / RPW – RANSOMVILLE, NY – Defending track champion Mat Williamson missed a front row jam in Ryan Susice’s crash from the lead after an inadvertent late race restart to win the 64th season opener at Ransomville Speedway in the 358 Modified feature.

On lap 17, Williamson ran in P3 until an inadvertent caution call from the tower led to the field being bunched, erasing a sub-1.5-second lead that Ryan Susice had on Gary Lindberg. On the double file restart with 14 to go, Lindberg crowded Susice contacting the #38 and forcing him into the turn one moat. The Canadian was sent to the rear for causing the contact putting Williamson, third on the restart, into the lead.

“37 (Lindberg) was just crowding me. I thought I gave him enough room. He got into the left rear. When it did, It popped the tire and got creamed from behind. There was no reason for that yellow. It sucks the whole restart was kind of for nothing. Just an error on the tower, which those things happen,” Susice told RPW. “The front axle is bent, the rear clip is bad, tires are bad, the car was junk at that point,” when explaining the damage.

The winner in Williamson had the best view from his perspective.

“Obviously, you don’t want to see Ryan wreck a racecar. Ryan’s gonna be upset. He was leading the race and probably would’ve won. Almost looked like Ryan broke the wheel right when they connected. We’ll take them when we get them,” Williamson said.

Susice and Lindberg brought the field to green and held serve for the front two spots to open a second lead on Chad Brachmann before the first yellow for a slow Robbie Johnson on the front straight.

Lap eight was the best chance for Lindberg to take the lead on “The Ransomville Renegade” as he looked to the inside of Susice but couldn’t stick the pass and fell behind off of two.

A ten-lap run began, which featured Williamson testing different grooves of “The Big R.” Williamson moved from sixth to fourth, passing Erick Rudolph and Brachmann, then third on James Sweeting with a slide job entering turn three.

Following the caution from the tower would be the moment of the race where the front row made contact on the restart, ending Susice’s chances at a win. Lindberg’s night would be done early as he drove his car under red flag conditions, parking his 37s.

This led to a classic Ransomville front row between the defending co-champions in Williamson and Rudolph. Still, it wouldn’t be enough for the latter as the defending Super Dirt Week 200 champion would park it in victory lane.

“I got him (Sweeting) on the bottom. I think that was probably the race for the win, what we didn’t know at the time,” Williamson explained on his pass for third at the time. “I was following James and would get a run on the outside. He’d move up on the straightaway and play protection. We made contact in 3 and 4, but one of them deals. I was good outside, and I was going to make contact if I didn’t lift on the straights.”

In other racing action tonight, Scott Kerwin led from wire to wire in the first Sportsman feature of ’22 at Ransomville. Kerwin and defending track champion Senek made up the front row to green. Only one yellow flew for the feature as Jordan Moden dealt with a flat right rear. Kerwin would hold serve on the restart and get back into formation right.

“We had a good car. I was watching the times when crossing the front straightaway there and see who clicked second and how far they were behind and slowed up toward the end and hit my marks,” Kerwin said.

Kerwin believes his front row spot in last week’s “Test and Tune” was critical in helping him grab the win.

“It’s big. Competition is tough here. Everybody is so close in this deal. It’s who makes the four corners better. Lot easier when you start in the front row.”

Tonight, other winners included Josh Pangrazio in Street Stocks, Chris Leone in Mini Stocks, and Colby Adamczak in Novice Sportsman.

73 cars signed in tonight.

Next Friday is another full card at Ransomville Speedway, racing beginning at 7:15pm. For more content with Williamson and Kerwin, like the RSN Trackside page on Facebook.

358 Modifieds (30 Laps)
6 Mat Williamson (16:55), 2. 25 Erick Rudolph (1.737s), 3. 3 Chad Brachmann (5.427s), 4. 11j James Sweeting (6.532s), 5. 71 Mike Bowman (7.642s), 6. 42 Pete Bicknell (8.740s), 7. 11s Steve Lewis (11.010s), 8. 0 Glenn Styres (12.554s), 9. 1 Andy Smith (13.398s), 10. 9 Jonathon Reid (14.206s), 11. 55c Jesse Cotriss (15.169s), 12. 10 Garrett Krummert (15.789s), 13. 38 Ryan Susice (16.221s), 14. 26 Ricky Richner (1.360s), 15. 37s Gary Lindberg (-13L), 16. 33j Robbie Johnson (-25L), 17. 1K Greg Martin (-26L)
Heat Winners: 3 Brachmann, 11j Sweeting
Fastest Lap: 37s Lindberg 17.874s (Lap 4)

Sportsman (25 Laps)
1K Scott Kerwin (12:07), 2. 111b Brett Senek (2.282s), 3. 35T Cam Tuttle (3.621s), 4. 61 Derek Wagner (5.364s), 5. 72 James Friesen (5.752s), 6. 14D Dylan Duhow (10.255s), 7. 3JM Justin McKay (11.635s), 8. 75 AJ Custodi (11.712), 9. 63 Jessica Krigisch (15.312s), 10. 66 Brett Martin (15.740s), 11. 68 Dave Dipietro (17.731s), 12. 24 Orval Harris (19.003s), 13. 28 Jordan Moden (-1L), 14. 07 Brian Harris (-13L), 15. 71 Jake Bansmer (-16L)
Heat Winners: 35T Tuttle, 14D Duhow
Fastest Lap: 1K Kerwin 18.370s (Lap 5)

Street Stocks (20 Laps)
7 Josh Pangrazio (21:52), 2. 66 Dan Schulz (1.256s), 3. 2 Pete Stefanski (3.680s), 4. 52 Jesse Qutermous (3.917s), 5. 22 Simon Bissell (5.099s), 6. 34t Tommy Bowen (7.866s), 7. 17g Gary Camidge (10.817s), 8. 3 Randy Zimmerman (-1L), 9. 31x Ronnie Richter (-1L), 10. 5 Joey Zimmerman (-17L), 11. 15 Zack Walsh
Heat Winners: 7 Pangrazio, 52 Qutermous
Fastest Lap: 7 Pangrazio 19.058s (Lap 12)

Mini Stocks (15 Laps)
62 Chris Leone (17:46), 2. 46 Brad Whiteside (0.189s), 3. 62x Ryan Plante (4.864s), 4. 26 Dave Dussault (10.699s), 5. 316 Jeffery Wynes (19.848s), 6. 53 Nevin Hazel (22.260s), 7. 37 Cody Griffin (-1L), 8. 20 Travis Hayes (-1L), 9. 11p Pete Nigro (-1L), 10. 24R Curtis Rung (-3L), 11. 33 Brandon Tierney (-3L), 12. 198 Cole Susice (-7L), 13. 38 Ian Paul (-12L), 14. 77 Jacob Soles (-12L), 15. 25A Anthony Haag (-13L), 16. 7 Mike Becker (-13L)
Heat Winners: 24R Rung, 62 Leone
Fastest Lap: 62 Leone 21.785s (Lap 2)

Novice Sportsman (15 Laps)
42 Colby Adamczyk (9:21), 2. 3N Noah Mamo (1.209s), 3. Brandon Close (2.195s), 4. 26 Greenley George (4.902s), 5. 24 Tyler Moore (5.688s), 6. 19R Cameron Rowling (-8L), 7. 55 Dillon Adamczyk (-14L), 8. 05 Aiden Harris
Heat Winner: 42 Adamczyk
Fastest Lap: 42 Adamczyk 19.350s (Lap 4)