MATSON, SEIGMANN, AND JOSIASSE COLLECT WINS AT 8TH ANNUAL HANGOVER ENDURO AT RANSOMVILLE SPEEDWAY

(Alex and Helen Bruce Photos)

Ransomville, NY-Tuesday, January 1st, 2008-The 8th annual Hangover Enduro at Ransomville Speedway took place last Tuesday at the big R. A total of two hundred cars and a standing room only crowd made their way to Western New York for the annual affair.

Steve Matson of Ransomville, NY took top honors aboard the 6 Cylinder division. Matson took the lead on lap 16 and maintained the top spot through lap 38 when an early checkered was thrown. Matson-husband of head Ransomville Speedway cook April Matson-took the win over Pat O’Keefe and Gary Tamol.  O’Keefe led the early going prior to losing the top spot to Westin Blidy. Blidy was piloting a Mini-van and held the point position through lap six.  Mike Scifferle held on to the lead position from laps 7 thru 15 prior to losing the lead to Matson. Matson led the remaining distance.  A total of sixty-one cars took the green flag in the 6 Cylinder class.
 

The 8th Cylinder race was something to behold to say the least. For the first time in Ransomville Speedway history-the winners car was brought to victory lane via a front end loader.  Yes fans-you read correctly!! The winners car blew up on lap twenty-one. Because the car of Eric Vlasic was still running (several laps down), the race went on
as Vlasic unlapped himself each lap. Unfortunately for Vlasic, his car went up in smoke a few laps later.  Randy Siegmann was awarded the win and the order was given for his car to be brought to victory lane via the front end loader.  Funny to say the least-once again-it was a FIRST!  Kevin Aube and Jaren Israel rounded out the top three.  Aube was given the Most Creative award. Aube’s shark fin was nothing other than a
shopping cart.

When the final event took the track-the 4 Cylinder race-so did the snow flakes.  Visibility became an issue as did attrition as only three cars remained running on lap twenty-three.

Steve Lilico led the first go-round prior to losing the top spot to Mike Pahl.  Pahl led through lap seven when Mike Vogler made the pass for the top spot. Jesse Cotriss came from a lap down to un-lap himself and take the top spot on lap seventeen. Pahl regained the top spot and looked to be on his way to his second Hangover win however contact with another racer ended his day early. With the lap counter frozen-Andy Jankowiak was five laps down.  After un-lapping himself four of five laps-Jankowiak hit the guardrail and ended his day.  Despite being STOPPED-Jankowiak remained the race leader as the only other two running cars had several laps to go to un-lap themselves.  The only thing I can say-you had to be there to believe it!!!!!  Through the smoke and snow-turn three was NOT visable. Just when the #50 car of JP Josiasse un-lapped himself-Jankowiak was able to get his car going and maintain the lead position. Yes folks-Jankowiak sat for several circuits but still maintained the top spot as he was eleven laps ahead of the next car. Jankowiak continued to show the way through lap thirty-seven prior to coming to a stop in turn three.  Josiasse took over the top spot and went on to win aboard the thirty-nine lap 4 Cylinder main!!!!  Jankowiak came home a fine second.