10/5/2020
Ransomville Speedway
RANSOMVILLE DRIVERS HOPE TO ADD TO HISTORY OF OCTOBER WINS DURING OKTOBERFAST
While Super DIRT Week won’t be taking place in 2020, business is still going to be picking up on the DIRTcar circuit this week with the unprecedented OktoberFAST featuring six-straight nights of racing. The action starts Tuesday at the Albany-Saratoga Speedway and culminates on Sunday at Weedsport, and race fans everywhere can watch it live every night on DirtVision. You can cheer on your favorite drivers from home, including a number of Ransomville Speedway regulars that will be competing in the Big Block Modifieds, 358 Modifieds and Sportsman.
We are hoping to see a few Ransomville drivers take home checkered flags during OktoberFAST, and add to the history of wheelmen from the “Big R” scoring big victories during the month of October. A number of drivers connected to Ransomville Speedway have taken home trophies during Super DIRT Week at both the “Moody Mile” at the New York State Fairgorunds and its current home at Oswego Speedway.
The first to win during what became to be known as Super DIRT Week was Merv Treichler, who won the 200-lap race at Syracuse in 1981 & 82. Five-time Ransomville Modified champion “AJ Slideways” Alan Johnson denied Treichler a three-peat in 1983 when he won his first at Super DIRT Week. Johnson wouldn’t go back-to-back, but he did to score a second Syracuse win in 1989 and a third in 2003. The Johnson family has two additional Super DIRT Week wins with “The Doctor” Danny Johnson conquering the Mile in 1997 and 2006.
Some of the great stories from Super DIRT Week in the 21st century have had ties to Ransomville as well. Vic Coffey was a weekly campaigner at the “Big R” when he pulled the upset in the Big Block race in 2002. It was a little less of a surprise when he did again in 2007.
Stewart Friesen became the first Canadian to win the big one at Syracuse in 2010. He conquered the Moody Mile again in 2011, 2014 and the final race at the NYS Fairgrounds in 2015. Friesen bridged the gap of Super DIRT Week moving to its new home at Oswego as he won the first Big Block event held at the Steel Palace in 2016.
Mat Williamson brought the Canadian Maple Leaf back to Super DIRT Week victory lane last season when he won the Big Block race at Oswego while en route to the Super DIRTcar Series championship.
When it comes to the 358 Modified race at Super DIRT Week it’s no surprise that “Mr. Small Block” himself, Pete Bicknell is one of the event’s all-time winners. Bicknell won five times at Syracuse with back-to-back wins in 1982 & 83, and then a run of three-straight wins in 1998, 99 and 2000. Danny Johnson won the 358 race at Syracuse in both 1994 & 2006.
The Sportsman feature during Super DIRT Week has seen a wide range of winners throughout its history. Chad Brachmann added his name to the list in 1999. While Erick Rudolph is no stranger to Super DIRTcar victory lanes these days, it was a huge surprise when he won the Sportsman race at the Moody Mile in 2008. Rudolph was focusing primarily on asphalt at the time and was just starting to transition running dirt on a more regular basis.
During the past decade in the Sportsman, Ryan Susice took top honors in 2010 while Brad Rouse brought the winner’s trophy back across the border to Ontario in 2013. Last season, Kyle Inman was victorious in the Sportsman race at Oswego.
Ransomville was a hotbed for the Pro Stock division back in the day, and that reputation followed its drivers when they made their yearly appearance at the Moody Mile during Super DIRT Week. Jipp Ortiz was the first Ransomville Pro Stock driver to find success at Syracuse with back-to-back wins in 2000 & 2001. Dave Schulz netted his first win the following year and followed that up with wins in 2004 & 2005. Current Street Stock driver Pete Stefanski was also a two-time Pro Stock winner at Super DIRT Week with wins in 2009 & 2012.
On top of the main events, drivers from Ransomville have also scored checkered flags in Futures races and satellite events during Super DIRT Week. Mat Williamson, James Henry, Justin Wright, Greg Martin and Matt Farnham are just some to win Futures races. Danny Johnson, Erick Rudolph, Chad Brachmann and Mat Williamson have brought home wins in Super DIRT Week satellite events.
Best of luck to all the Ransomville teams competing during OktoberFAST this week!
Submitted By: Dave Buchanan