4/19/2019
Ransomville Speedway
$400-TO-WIN DICK WILKINSON TRIBUTE MINI STOCK RACE ADDED FOR JULY 12
RANSOMVILLE, N.Y. (April 19, 2019) - Ransomville Speedway will honor the memory of the oldest feature winner in speedway history on Friday, July 12 with the Dick Wilkinson Tribute Race for the Gippster’s Collision Mini Stocks.
On May 11, 2012, just one week after his 73rd birthday, Dick Wilkinson won the Fireball division (now Mini Stock division) feature to set a new benchmark for the oldest feature winner in the history of Ransomville Speedway. Wilkinson passed away this February, and now his family and Tim Phillips Garage are paying tribute to him with this special race.
Former racer and owner of Tim Phillips Garage, Tim Phillips, is the son-of-law of Wilkinson. Phillips has put up $400 for the winner of the Dick Wilkinson Tribute Race, with the runner-up taking $175 and $135 for the third place finisher. Tim’s son and Dick’s grandson, Kyle, raced go-karts at the “Little R” go-kart track before moving up to sprint cars.
Wilkinson had a long on again-off again involvement in motorsports that spanned over 50 years. He raced late models on the dirt at Ransomville and on the pavement at Lancaster Speedway during the 1960s. He also owned a 358 Modified that was piloted by Mark Sylvies. Wilkinson then spent several seasons in the grandstands as a fan before getting the itch to get back behind the wheel in 2008. “I didn’t race because I couldn’t afford it,” he told Dave Roberts in 2012, “I really did want to try it again. So when the Fireball division was at the track, we decided to give it a try.”
Wilkinson served in the U.S Army Reserve and New York Army National Guard for a combined 40 years of service. He also was a member of the Lewiston #1 Fire Company.
The Dick Wilkinson Tribute Race joins the $2,000-to-win “Super Fan” Joseph Scholtisek Special for the Krown Undercoating 358 Modified on a jam packed race card for July 12. The Investors Service Sportsman, Ki-Po Chevrolet Street Stocks and Stevenson’s Hardware Novice Sportsman will also be in action plus Power Wheels races for the kids.
Article Credit: Dave Buchanan
Submitted By: Dave Buchanan