PAT WARD WINS THE ALEX FRIESEN SUMMER NATIONALS AT RANSOMVILLE SPEEDWAY; SPATORICO, NASHWINTER, AND CONANT ALSO COLLECT WINS

PAT WARD WINS THE ALEX FRIESEN SUMMER NATIONALS AT RANSOMVILLE
SPEEDWAY; SPATORICO, NASHWINTER, AND CONANT ALSO COLLECT WINS

(Alex and Helen Bruce Photos)

Tuesday, August 14, 2007 – Side-lined by a week-the Alex Friesen Summer Nationals took the green flag last Tuesday night at Ransomville Speedway. The originally scheduled date of August 7th was met with late afternoon rain-showers forcing officials to post pone the event until the 14th. Bright blue skies greeted race fans and drivers last Tuesday providing for a packed grandstands and pit area.
     Pat Ward of Genoa, NY took top honors last Friday night aboard the Alex Friesen Summer Nationals 75 lap main. The invader took over the point position from rookie Jeff McGinnis on lap twenty-eight and led the remaining distance aboard his Gypsum Express sponsored #42p. Ward picked up his first ever win in the Alex Friesen Summer Nationals.
     McGinnis led the early stages setting a quick pace early on. After enjoying a fifteen car length advantage, McGinnis saw his lead erased as a caution on lap twenty-six for Todd Gordon bunched up the field. Ward secured the second position on the restart and quickly moved in on McGinnis for the lead. Ward made the pass on lap twenty-
eight and quickly pulled away from the field. A caution on lap thirty-three slowed the pace putting Johnson to the inside of Ward.
     Ward was able to maintain the lead on the restart and quickly put distance between himself and the Doctor. Ward maintained the top spot through the seventy-five lap mark and collected the $4000 win. Johnson, Bicknell, McGinnis, and Todd Burley rounded out the top five. Twenty eight of the thirty entries took the green. A blown motor side lined Stewart Friesen during qualifying action and mechanical woes slowed
Curtis Friesen’s efforts as well.

Don Spatorico of Ransomville, NY took top honors for the seventh time aboard the Original Pizza Logs Sportsman main. Spatorico passed Tyler MacPherson on the highside of lap twenty of the twenty-five lap main and held the top spot the remaining distance. MacPherson and Martin entertained fans with a great side by side battle for the point position for ten laps prior to MacPherson securing the position. MacPherson would lead the next two laps prior to surrendering the top spot to the #5 machine. MacPherson, Martin, Ed Cain, and Larry Wight rounded out the top five.

Webb Nashwinter of Ransomville, NY collected his second win aboard the Johnston’s Restaurant Streetstock division. Nashwinter took command of the first fifteen lap main at the drop of the green and maintained it for the entire distance. Roger Israel ran a close second but was unable to mount a challenge for the point position. Israel finished in second followed by Wayne Close, Nate Vetter, and Brian
Lonneville. A pair of cautions slowed the main.

Dave Conant captured his second win of the season aboard the Johnston’s Restaurant Streetstock division. Conant inherited the lead on lap eight after Allan Wills spun in turn two. Conant was never seriously challenged after that point. Wills had led laps 1-8. Brandon Sherwood, Kirk Tuttle, Ricky Washburn, and Patrick Dell rounded out the top five.

ALEX FRIESEN SUMMER NATIONALS FEATURE FINISH – PAT WARD, Danny
Johnson, Pete Bicknell, Jeff McGinnis, Todd Burley, Robbie Krull, Scott
Kerwin, Scott Wood, Chad Brachmann, Ricky Richner, Gill Tegg, Kevin
Wills, Mark Golding, Sam Crogan, Dave Just, Jon Miller, Roger Chrysler,
Rich Vinson, Boyd MacTavish, Scott George, Randy Chrysler, Brian Sage,
Todd Gordon, George Bosse, Joe Kubiniec, Dave Kubiniec, Corey
Brachmann, and Vic Coffey. Heat Winners – Pete Bicknell, Scott Kerwin,
and Brian Sage.

ORIGINAL PIZZA LOGS SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH – DON SPATORICO, Tyler
MacPherson, Greg Martin, Ed Cain, Larry Wight, Scott Just, Luke
Carelton, Justin Wright, John Smith, Tony Purgarich, John Panattoni,
Rick Ballente, Jessy Cotriss, Jeff Cosgrove, Bob Broomfield, Jim
Zimmerman, Zach Zempe, Mark Williams, Dennis Ginacola, Sandy Pembleton,
Steve Miller, Tommy Flannigan, Peter Gordon, and Steve Schumacher. Heat
Winners – Bob Broomfield, Sandy Pembleton, and Jipp Ortiz.

JOHNSTON’S RESTAURANT STREETSTOCK FEATURE FINISH #1 – WEBB NASHWINTER,
Roger Israel, Wayne Close, Nate Vetter, Brian Lonneville, Derek
Borkenhagen, Randy Zimmerman, Chris Burek, Brian Sparks, Charles
Harvey, Boots Martin, John Cobb, Ryan Susice, Bob Urtel, and Tim
Raymond. Heat Winners – Webb Nashwinter, Joe Rickard, and Dave Conant.

JOHNSTON’S RESTAURANT STREETSTOCK FEATURE FINISH # 2 – DAVE CONANT,
Brandon Sherwood, Kirk Tuttle, Ricky Washburn, Pat Dell, Sean Letts,
Carla Duchnick, Gerald Poole, Ken Washburn, Ben Harms, Allan Wills, Joe
Rickard Jr., Jaren Israel, Brandon Poole, and Brian Harms.