Chilly curtain opens 2022 season at Land of Legends with Hangover II

Delayed from New Year's Day due to unseasonable warmth and soft ground conditions, frigid temperatures and a frozen track surface proved to be the winning combination for Shawn Mills and Austin Susice as they split twin 50s in 'Hangover II – Next Round' presented by Nashville’s Rockin Country Redneck Tavern to launch Land Of Legends Raceway's 2022 season.

The Saturday afternoon showdown held Jan. 22 attracted 77 full-fender entries with Mills and Susice each earning a cool $1,000 for their enduring efforts witnessed on a cold yet sunny day in the scenic Finger Lakes Region of New York State.

Jason Anasiewicz from Alden and Susice chased Mills in the lead-off 50-lap 6-Cylinder main while Mills and Tim Ellison from Waterloo crossed the stripe behind Susice in the 50-lap 4-Cylinder finale. Both runner-ups collected $300 and third-place finishers pocketed $200 in the 20th Hangover happening, this winter staged on the historic Ontario Co. Fairgrounds oval for a second straight time.

Special $100 'Female Finishing' awards presented by Nashville Tavern promotional partner Eric Martin were collected by 6-Cylinder racers McKenzie Loucks (Waterloo) and Megan Schoelles (Tonawanda), as well as 4-Cylinder runners Jamie Hill (Dundee) and Abby Post, while Bud's Apple Pie 'Best Appearing Car Award' winners Mike Kramarz (Niagara Falls/6-Cyl.) and David Kinner (Penn Yan/4-Cyl.) each pocketed a $75 event bonus.

Unlike LOLR's inaugural off-season enduro event run 1/1/21 with low 30s and muddy conditions prevailing throughout the day, an all-time 'Hangover' record low of -12 degrees greeted both dedicated speedway staffers and hearty racers when gates unlocked at 8:30 a.m. By the time the first green flag dropped at 12:15 p.m., temps rose to 16 for 6-Cylinder competition, eventually climbing to 21 degrees as 4-Cylinder drivers toured the tundra an hour later.

Looking to match his success found one year earlier, Susice bolted out front to open 6-Cyl. action yet his title defense only lasted a single circuit as fellow Western New York traveler Kramarz moved ahead the next time around. Contact by Kyle Wilkins knocked Kramarz high into the turn 3-4 snow bank giving Wilkins the lead yet Anasiewicz was in prime position to inherit first-place after Wilkins slipped up entering corner four on lap 13.

At the halfway mark Anasiewicz paced the dwindling 27-car starting field with last-place starter Mills, Wilkins and brother Kale Wilkins the only cars scored on the lead lap as genuine 'slide jobs' became the order of the day. Mills waited five more laps to make his winning move, forging the final lead change with still 20 to go then keeping his Mills Logging Pontiac G6 out front the remainder of the way.

“I honestly just looked forward, didn't even know where I was,” said Mills, the Windsor wheelman recognized as the final 6-Cylinder entry to sign in on raceday. “Like everybody else, I was having trouble (in turn 4). When you came out of there its a sheet of ice right to the wall so you can just literally shut the car down and drive through the bottom, that was about it.”

Mills was the lone driver to complete the prescribed distance as runner-up Anasiewicz aboard a Buick LeSabre ended the race one lap down while Susice settled for third-place two laps back steering his time-tested Toyota Camry.

“Wasn't really too bad out there, I had a windshield and heat,” Mills said. “Even took off my gloves because my hands were sweating.”

While a handful of lead changes highlighted the initial 25-mile main, Susice never relinquished the top spot in the 4-Cylinder matinee. Falling a lap behind in the early stages, Mills did in fact rally to pass Susice on lap 36 yet ran out of time in his attempt to track down the Ransomville ridge runner and sweep the afternoon card.

“Thought my (6-Cyl. Car) that's really nice was going to be better in the first race,” said Susice, who joins Tim Phillips as the only other back-to-back 'Hangover' race winner as Phillips captured 8-Cylinder events run at Ransomville Speedway in 2015 & '16.

LOLR returns to action in the springtime when the lone pre-season practice session for all divisions is held Sat., April 16. Highlighting the track's 45th year flying the DIRTcar Racing banner, the official 'season-opener' finally arrives on Sat., Apr. 23 with the mighty Big-Block Modifieds, 305 Sprints, Street Stocks and Hobby Stocks joining Sportsman teams in the first of five Gerald Haers Memorial Series qualifiers.

This article originally appeared on MPNnow: Chilly curtain opens 2022 season at Land of Legends with Hangover II