Author Topic: Stewart Friesen Wins 34th Summer Nationals  (Read 659 times)

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Stewart Friesen Wins 34th Summer Nationals
« on: August 08, 2018, 08:49:56 AM »

Stewart Friesen Wins 34th Summer Nationals

 

RANSOMVILLE, NY (August 7, 2018) For the sixth time in his career, Stewart Friesen was celebrating in victory lane after winning the 34th edition of the Summer Nationals presented by Busch Beer, Stirling Lubricants, Wendt’s Propane, National Maintenance Contracting Corporation, and Stevenson’s Hardware for the Big Block Modified Super DIRTcar Series on Tuesday night at the Ransomville Speedway. Friesen’s victory would tie him with both Alan and Danny Johnson for the most wins in the event all-time and was his fifth Super DIRTcar Series win of 2018. In other action at the Big R, Ransomville, NY’s Kevin Wills was victorious in the Investors Service Sportsman for his third victory of the 2018 campaign.  Pete Stefanski from Wheatfield, NY won his third KiPo Chevrolet Street Stock feature of the season.   

“CB3” Chad Brachmann and Stewart Friesen were on the front row for the 34th running of the Summer Nationals with Friesen ripping to the lead as Matt Sheppard quickly took second away from Brachmann on the opening lap. Brett Hearn would challenge Brachmann for third place as Jimmy Phelps and Erick Rudolph raced for fifth place. Phelps and Rudolph would catch and battle with Brachmann for fourth place for several circuits as the top three pulled away from the rest of the field.

Friesen and Sheppard would catch lap traffic on lap 10, just as Danny Johnson slowed coming out turn four to bring out the races’ first caution. When the field got back on the loud pedal, Friesen and Sheppard would take off as the leaders. The caution would come back out on lap 17 as Erick Rudolph spun, in turn, four with Max McLaughlin, Kyle Coffey, and Ryan Susice all getting collected. The lap 22 restart would see Friesen and Sheppard out front with Hearn, Brachmann, and Phelps racing in the top five. Hearn would pull into the pits under the green flag. The red flag would come out on lap 24 as Mike Williams flipped in turn three. At the same time, Matt Farnham and Ryan Susice were hooked together exiting turn two. Williams was alert and climbed out of his car under his own power. On the restart, Mat Williamson took over third place and would go after “Super” Matt Sheppard. Sheppard would catch and battle Friesen for the lead on lap 34, just as Friesen hit lap traffic. Sheppard looked underneath Friesen on lap 39 exiting turn two, but Friesen would keep the lead. Friesen would continue to lead at the halfway mark over Sheppard, Williamson, Chad Brachmann, and Jimmy Phelps. Sheppard came to a stop in turn two to bring out the caution on lap 52. The restart would see Mat Williamson look underneath Friesen, but Friesen kept the lead. Fourth place running Chad Brachmann slowed on the front stretch to bring out the caution on lap 69. Matt Sheppard and Erick Rudolph would battle for sixth place for several laps off the lap 75 restart, as Friesen and Williamson pulled away. “Mr. Small Block” Pete Bicknell would also be in the battle with Rudolph and Sheppard. Sheppard would suffer a flat right rear tire on lap 86 to bring out the caution. 

Friesen would continue to show the way over Williamson, Brett Hearn, Phelps, and Erick Rudolph racing in the top five. Williamson would close the gap over Friesen, but Friesen was able to keep the lead. Friesen would win his fifth series race of the season and sixth Summer Nationals victory. Williamson, Hearn, Phelps, and Rudolph completed the top five.

“The Flyin’ Farmer” Kevin Wills and Noah Walker shared the front row for the 25-lap feature for the Investors Service Sportsman with Walker showing the way. After a ragged start to the main event, Noah Walker and Kevin Wills would battle for the lead as Dave DiPietro raced in third place on lap six. Wills would take the lead away on lap seven, as Walker went into the moat. Justin McKay spun on the front stretch to bring out the third caution of the event on lap eight. Walker would regain the lead on lap 10, as Tyler Thompson worked his way through the field, along with points leader Brett Senek. Derek Wagner, Chris Burek, and Brett Senek battled heavily for fifth place for several laps. The caution would come out on lap 22 as Brett Senek’s front end broke. Wills would go on to score the victory. 

Pete Stefanski and Pat O’Keefe were on the front row in the 20-lap feature for the KiPo Chevrolet Street Stocks with Stefanski showing the way. Jordan Moden would battle with O’Keefe for second as Mike Kramarz, Pat Dell, and Cory Sawyer raced on behind the lead trio. Sawyer, Dell, and Kramarz went three-wide for fourth place on lap four with Sawyer moving into fourth and then just one lap later, would move into third place after passing O’Keefe. Sawyer would take second away on lap eight, as Stefanski had a straightaway lead over the field. Jason Fontaine spun in turn four to bring out the caution on lap nine. The restart would see Stefanski in the lead as Sawyer and Chris Dziomba raced in the top three. The lead duo of Stefanski and Sawyer pulled away from the balance of the field. Stefanski would hold off Sawyer for his third feature win of the season.

NEWS AND NOTES:  Since 1973, the cars and stars of the Super DIRTcar Series have been coming to the Big R. In heat race action, Chris Burek flipped his Sportsman entry. He was able to race in the main event.

Friday night racing returns on August 10 as it is Autograph Night presented by FOAR Score Fan Club, Hy-Tech Concrete, Crop Production Services, Niagara Metals, and the Barker Lions Club. 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 –Busch Beer, Stirling Lubricants, Wendt’s Propane, National Maintenance Contracting Corporation, Stevenson’s Hardware NIGHT SUMMARY

Big Block Modified Super DIRTcar Series: STEWART FRIESEN, Mat Williamson, Brett Hearn, Jimmy Phelps, Erick Rudolph, Pete Bicknell, Max McLaughlin, Tommy Flannigan, Matt Sheppard, Rich Scagliotta, Rick Richner, Scott Kerwin, Allan Wills, Jeff McGinnis, Adam Roberts, Kenny Wills, Peter Britten, Jesse Cotriss, Chad Brachmann, John Smith, Greg Martin, Jim Zimmerman, Matt Farnham, Mike Williams, Ryan Susice, Kyle Coffey, Danny Johnson, Steve Lewis Jr  Did Not Start: Dave Rauscher

Qualifying Winners: Matt Sheppard, Jimmy Phelps, Brett Hearn

Fast Time: Stewart Friesen

 

Investors Service Sportsman: KEVIN WILLS, Noah Walker, Dave DiPietro, Garrison Krentz, Derek Wagner, Chris Burek, Tyler Thompson, AJ Custodi, James Henry, Brett Martin, Ed Cain, Zach George, Justin McKay, Dean Scott, Robbie Johnston, Brett Senek, Cameron Tuttle, Austin Susice, Darrell Borkenhagen, Orval Harris Did Not Start: Derrick Borkenhagen

Qualifying Winners: Cameron Tuttle, Dave DiPietro, Austin Susice

 

KiPo Chevrolet Street Stocks: PETE STEFANSKI, Cory Sawyer, Chris Dziomba, Mike Kramarz, Bryce Richardson, Pat Dell, Ken Camidge, Jordan Moden, Pat O’Keefe, Jim Coble, Randy Zimmerman, Jason Fontaine, Brandon Sherwood

Qualifying Winners: Cory Sawyer, Ken Camidge

 

 

About Ransomville Speedway:  Ransomville Speedway is located on Braley Road in the hamlet of Ransomville, just 20 minutes from Niagara Falls and Lockport. “The Big R” is a 3/8th-mile DIRTcar sanctioned facility that is the Home of the Summer Nationals. Ransomville also features a 1/16th -mile Go-Kart track for action on the “Little R” on Thursday nights! For more information, please visit us on the World Wide Web at www.ransomvillespeedway.com   as well as follow us on Twitter @Ransomville and like us on Facebook. You can also contact the speedway by phone by calling (716) 791-3602 or (716) 791-3611.

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(Contact –– Steven Petty: steven.j.petty@gmail.com, Ransomville Speedway (716) 791-3602)
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