Walsh Wheels 25-Year-Old Chassis to First Feature Win
COLUMN BY: Brooke Johnpier – DIRT TRACK AT GENESEE BATAVIA, NY – Jasper Engines and Transmissions night at The Dirt Track at Genesee on Saturday night started off with a bang — the Weis Performance Mini Stock make-up feature race from May 9 ran.
Mike Becker started on the pole and held it for the first lap, but coming out of Turn 2 as they went around the 3/8-mile again, Cole Susice took over the lead. He held the lead for the duration of the 15-lap race, even with lapped traffic coming into play on Lap 8, fellow competitor Racelyn Lippa going side-by-side with him in the corners, and having to restart single-file. Susice held first through it all, picking up the win.
Next up on the racing action card were the Heat races. The winners of those were:
Blue Diamond Racing Products Novice Sportsmen: Lucas Newton
Conte’s Auto Street Stocks: Byron DeWitt and Jesse Qutermous
Ron & Newt’s Sales & Service Bandits: Victor Baxter
Kolb Family Automotive Sportsmen: Phil Vigneri III, and Bliss
585 Auto Repair RUSH Late Models: Doug Ricotta and David Pangrazio
Mini Stocks: Lippa and Susice
After that, feature races started, with the Vintage Modifieds taking to the dirt oval first. Before the Heats, they had a Hot Lap session, but they did not have a race to determine where anyone would start.
Tim Sebring led the 13-car field to green, and was still in the lead as they came out of Turn 2, but fellow competitor #36 (this author sincerely apologizes for the lack of a name here, but trying to listen to the announcer over the roar of engines is near impossible, and MyRacePass has only 10 drivers listed) drifted right up into the Turn 1 wall, drawing a caution. Sebring held the lead once again as they raced out of the first corner after the restart, but Tom Fletcher stole first from Sebring on the bottom as they came out of Turn 4.
Five laps later, Fletcher had come up on lapped traffic. He was just beginning to weave his way through, putting some space between him and Jipp Ortiz, who had passed Sebring about three laps before, when Fletcher and Ortiz battled a little too hard and got the caution flag thrown. The two of them made contact, resulting in Ortiz heading pit-side.
On the restart, Fletcher shot back out to the lead with no problems. He held it to win the race in general, as well as the Modified division of the race. Tom Church won the Sportsman Modified division of the race, and Jim Roberts won the Coupe division of the race.
All of the drivers agreed on one thing, though: the track was good.
“Lapped traffic was kinda tough, but the track was awesome,” said Fletcher. “Way, way better than last year.”
Church agreed with Fletcher.
“I think the track [worked good],” said Church.
Roberts also thought the track was a good helper.
“The bottom [was] good. It worked out,” said Roberts.
Next up were the Novice Sportsmen. Jonathan Almekinder started on the pole, but almost immediately Newton shot into the top spot. However, the Transitowne Dodge of Williamsville caution flag came out, making for a 100% restart as no laps were scored.
Once again, Newton took over the lead from Almekinder and held that position for the entire 12-lap main event. The Oakfield, NY, native hit lapped traffic on Lap 8, but nothing stopped him from winning once again.
Newton was excited in Victory Lane, especially after coming off a fresh win the night before at Ransomville Speedway in Ransomville, NY.
“It’s really fun driving these big cars,” said Newton. “Definitely [a step up] from go-karts.”
Following the way the Heat races were run, the Street Stocks came out next. Mike Kelly had the pole for this one and held it as he ran side-by-side with Trent Chamberlain down the front straightaway, but Chamberlain took over first as they came out of Turn 2.
Chamberlain was flying away until Lap 15 when Zachary Walsh went down on the bottom going into Turn 3, and slid by him to sneak into the lead. The Byron, NY, resident held off Chamberlain to win the 20-lap A-Main.
Before being interviewed in Victory Lane, Walsh did victory doughnuts in the infield, kicking up major amounts of dust and applause from the audience.
“It’s an unreal feeling [to win],” said Walsh. “This car was built in 2001. I’m kinda speechless.”
The Bandits were after that, with only three cars taking to the dirt. However, pole-sitter Baxter, and eventual race winner, Chase Powers, put on a hell of a show for the fans.
Baxter took the initial lead, but Powers was right on his bumper. Powers tapped the left rear part of Baxter’s car, sending Baxter all out of whack, and drawing the caution. Because there were only three cars on the field, and the third car was a lap down, Baxter got the lead back, and Powers was put behind him in second for the restart. Baxter held the lead once again, but Powers was not letting up. They were nose-to-tail for the remaining laps, and then Powers gave it his all on the final turn, getting all up in Baxter’s business. Both of them slammed into each other, trying to vie for the win, but Powers came out on top. The driver from Dale, NY, got into first place right in front of the flagstand as the checkered flag waved.
Powers was super grateful that he was able to pull off that win.
“It means a lot to me to win,” said Powers in Victory Lane.
After that were the Sportsman Modifieds. Bliss had the pole position, and stayed in first for a little while, but Tony Pangrazio stole the lead from him coming out of Turn 3. Three laps later, Bliss swapped places with Pangrazio, slipping back into the front, and putting some space between himself and Pangrazio.
However, Pangrazio had more things to worry about than just trying to get back into the lead — Vigneri had come up alongside him and was looking to crack second. As they raced around the track, they kept swapping second and third place, running side-by-side down the straights, and gaining or losing a position in the corners. That continued until Vigneri finally got by him on Lap 20.
Meanwhile, Bliss had put a few car-lengths between himself and Vigneri. He was able to hold first to win for the first time since June 10, 2023.
“[I] finally did something right, and didn’t screw things up,” the Warsaw, NY, native joked in Victory Lane.
The RUSH Late Models came out next, with Jon Rivers on the pole. He shot out to the lead right away, but before he could really do anything, the caution flag was thrown due to Brian Nethers spinning out.
On the restart, D. Pangrazio claimed the lead, but it was short-lived: Jimmy Button spun out, drawing another caution. That didn’t stop Pangrazio, though. He took over the lead again, but deja vu struck with yet another caution coming out, this time for a massive pile-up in Turn 4.
This time around, Pangrazio started on the pole, and he kept it, before yet another caution came out. This time it was Micheal Hetzel spinning.
The restart was single-file, and with nobody there to go side-by-side with him off the line, Pangrazio kept the lead. A lap later, though, Jimmy Johnson got by him coming out of Turn 2. Dave DuBois followed Johnson’s lead — he got by Pangrazio a lap later coming out of Turn 3. Before DuBois could go after Johnson, the caution was thrown yet again: Rivers had spun in Turn 2.
The restart saw Johnson keep the lead, but nothing happened before Button spun again drawing the yellow flag. Once again, Johnson kept first, but this time DuBois was right there. As they came off of Turn 4, Johnson went too high and hit the wall, drawing the caution again and giving DuBois the lead.
This time around, DuBois was the driver that held first place, but that was short-lived as Alan Chapman slowed, drawing the eighth caution of the race. Just as Pangrazio was nearing DuBois to try and get by him going into Turn 2 on the restart, the ninth caution flag came out: Bill Taylor spun in Turn 2.
This next restart didn’t get too far before the tenth caution of the night came out for Hetzel spinning. On the restart, Pangrazio was extremely close behind DuBois, but he just couldn’t get past him. Johnson couldn’t get past Pangrazio, either, and when he tried, he ended up going over the Turn 4 banking again, drawing the final caution of the race.
The green and white flags waved for the final go-around, and DuBois held off Pangrazio to win.
DuBois couldn’t help but agree with the Vintage Modifieds drivers about the track conditions.
“It’s Genesee Speedway,” said DuBois, from Corfu, NY. “But it’s getting better and better every week.”
Finally, the Mini Stocks came out to cap off the racing action. Wesley Hughes sat in first as the field raced into Turn 1, but he lost it pretty quickly as Cody Wise took it from him by going high. Behind him, though, Susice was slowly gaining, closing the gap between himself and Wise.
Six laps later, Susice got him down the back chute, claiming the lead once again. Two laps later, Susice caught up to lapped traffic, but a caution was thrown, forcing a single-file restart. Susice was able to hold off Wise to win his second feature of the night.
“I was trying to make the top work, but I went back down to the bottom,” said Susice about how he raced.
The Dirt Track at Genesee races again next Saturday night, June 20, with the 358 Modifieds back in action. Pit gates open at 5 p.m., grandstand gates open at 5:30, and racing gets underway at 7.
FULL RESULTS:
RUSH Late Model
A Feature 1: 1. 012-Dave DuBois[5]; 2. 136-David Pangrazio[4]; 3. 01-Doug Ricotta[3]; 4. 34-Brian Nethers[7]; 5. 85-Jon Rivers[1]; 6. 21B-Billy DuBois[6]; 7. 1-Bill Taylor[8]; 8. 93J-Jimmy Johnson[2]; 9. 64C-Alan Chapman[10]; 10. 22-Jimmy Button[9]; 11. (BF) 78H-Micheal Hetzel[11]
Sportsman Modified
A Feature 1: 1. 27Z-Ray Bliss[1]; 2. 12V-Phil Vigneri III[4]; 3. 41-Tony Pangrazio[2]; 4. 11N-Ricky Newton[7]; 5. 00-Sam Hoxie[3]; 6. 8-John Venuto[9]; 7. 93-Matt Richmond[5]; 8. 44-Dave Conant[8]; 9. 1H-Rob Richmond[11]; 10. 35-Joe Mickey[6]; 11. 76M-Andrew Joy[12]; 12. 73G-Gordon Hermanson Jr[10]; 13. (DNS) 25-Chris Hawkins
Street Stocks
A Feature 1: 1. Z15-Zachary Walsh[3]; 2. 28-Trent Chamberlain[2]; 3. 2Q-Jesse Qutermous[5]; 4. 34-byron dewitt[6]; 5. 717-Rich Conte[13]; 6. 15-Bobby Lippa Jr[4]; 7. 2-Dale Rissinger[7]; 8. 22M-Mike McCarthy[9]; 9. 84M-Mike Kelly[1]; 10. 78-Carl Shetler[11]; 11. 00-Damian Long[12]; 12. 85-Seth Johnson[8]; 13. 58-Carl Shetler Sr[10]
Mini Stocks
A Feature 1: 1. 9-Cole Susice[5]; 2. 17-Racelyn Lippa[3]; 3. 7-Mike Becker[2]; 4. 78S-Carson Shetler[8]; 5. 8X-Chris McGuire[11]; 6. 4V-Zach Venuto[7]; 7. 6-Wesley Hughes[1]; 8. 8W-Cody Wise[4]; 9. 11-Eric Brumstead[10]; 10. 02-Kevin Napier[9]; 11. (DNS) 72-Zachery Virgilio; 12. (DNS) 10JR-Paige Gayton; 13. (DNS) 22K-Jeremy Kramer
Novice Sportsman
A Feature 1: 1. 54N-Lucas Newton[2]; 2. 117-Jonathan Almekinder[1]; 3. 44-Aideen Rusnock[3]; 4. X-Jericho Gurney[6]; 5. 1-Paul Marshall[5]; 6. 18-Josh McManus[4]
