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Pangrazio wins Mackenzie Kulesza Memorial at Ransomville Speedway

lockport union-sun & journal, n.y.
·5 min read

Jul. 26—Oakfield native Josh Pangrazio won the highlight race Friday night at Ransomville Speedway, taking the checkered flag of the Mackenzie Kulesza Street Stock Memorial for the KiPo Motors Street Stocks as SANY New York, Brawdy Construction, Shelby Crushed Stone and Livingston International presented the racing program.

In the night's other events, 13-time track champion Pete Bicknell from St. Catharines, Ontario won the Krown Undercoating Modified feature for his first Ransomville triumph of the season; Derek Wagner from Middleport won his third Investors Service Sportsman this season; Rocco Conte from Bergen held on to score his first Sunflowers of Sanborn Mini Stock feature of the summer; and Colby Adamczak from Akron won his fifth Kevin's Carpet Cleaning Novice Sportsman feature of the season.

Bicknell and Rick Richer shared the front row for the 30-lap Modified event with Bicknell showing the way and Erick Rudolph racing in third ahead of Greg Martin and Mat Williamson. The 2021 track champions, Rudolph and Williamson, would battle for much of the affair, with Rudolph being able to pull away after Williamson hopped the cushion prior to the halfway mark.

Martin would regain fifth after passing Jonathan Reid on the front straightaway with 10 laps remaining. Ryan Susice would take over sixth after passing Reid on lap 23. The battle was on for second late as Rudolph and Williamson would catch Richner. Bicknell would score the win, with Rudolph finishing in second.

Wagner and Brian Harris were on the front row for the Sportsman with Wagner in the lead ahead of Brett Senek. Scott Kerwin would take over third from Harris on lap three, and the top two would start to pull away from the field. Nelson Mason worked his way into fifth after starting 14th in just nine laps. The leaders would hit lap traffic with 10 remaining, which would allow Senek to reel in Wagner.

Jordan Moden hit the turn two wall to bring out the race's first caution on lap 17. On the restart, Wagner and Senek would battle for the lead as Kerwin would regain third from Dave DiPietro. Wagner and Senek continued to battle just as Mason would pass DiPietro to take over fourth. Wagner would hold off Senek to score the win, with Mason, Kerwin and Cam Tuttle completing the top five.

Dan Schulz and John Zimmerman brought the KiPo Motors Street Stocks to the green flag in the Kulesza Memorial, with Zimmerman having issues and bottlenecking the field. The initial restart would then put Dennis Cummings and Pangrazio on the front row. Cummings would take off in the lead with Ken Camidge, Damian Long and Simon Bissell racing in the top five early on.

Cummings' run would end on lap seven as he got into the loose stuff in turn one and hit the wall to bring out the caution. Pangrazio would take off in the lead on the restart, with Bissell in second and Pete Stefanski and Schulz battling for third. Schulz would take second away on lap 17. After another restart, Pangrazio would once again take off in the lead, with Schulz in second. Pangrazio would pull away from the field to earn his sixth win of the season.

Curtis Rung and Conte were on the front row for the Mini Stocks with Conte showing the way. Brad Whiteside would take over second and quickly go after Conte with Rung racing in third. Bill Weller Jr. would come to a stop on the back straightaway to bring out the caution on lap six.

On the restart, Ryan Plante would move up to take over second place and would battle with Whiteside as Conte started to pull away from the field. Cody Griffin would bring out the caution with two laps remaining after blowing up the motor on his No. 93. Whiteside would catch Conte on the restart, but Conte would hold on to score the feature win.

Jim Forster and Adamczak shared the front row for the Novice Sportsman, with Adamczak showing the way. Greenley George would take over third following a pair of early cautions, then set her sights on second-place Noah Mamo. Adamczak and Mamo would pull away from the field. The caution would come out with five laps remaining, allowing Mamo to close in. George would take over second with three laps remaining, but Adamczak was able to hold on for the win.

Thursday at the Little R, the Fisher's Auto Repair Senior Lites raced for $100-to-win, which was earned by Eric Veihdeffer. Colin Spatorico won the Mike Barry Motors Senior Heavy. Dylan Clemons won the Frontier Auto Wrecking Junior 3. Thomas Ruggiero won the SJE Shocks Junior 2. Jenson Cook won the Slack Karts Junior 1 feature. Ryan Barry, Margaret McGruder and Easton Carpenter picked up the wins in the Just Signs & Designs Novice.

Go-karts will be back in action Thursday featuring the complete SANY New York/Burris Racing program, headlined by the $100-to-win Senior Heavy feature.

Friday on the big track is the Dick Wilkinson Memorial for the Sunflowers of Sanborn Mini Stocks, plus kids rides. Niagara Metals, Jetport Restaurant and Tim Hortons will be presenting a racing program that will also feature the Krown Undercoating Modifieds, Investors Service Sportsman, KiPo Motors Street Stocks and the Kevin's Carpet Cleaning Novice Sportsman.

Also upcoming is the annual Super DIRTcar Series Summer Nationals, which will take to Ransomville on Aug. 24. Sporting a $7,500 prize, the event brings top drivers from across the country, with defending Series champion Matt Sheppard and NASCAR Truck Series winner Stewart Friesen dominating at the Big R in recent years.