Ransomville, NY – Friday, August 01, 2008 – The 24^th annual Alex Friesen Summer Nationals presented by Coors Light, Mighty Taco, and Hard Copy Wholesale took place last Friday night at Ransomville Speedway.  For the first time in its 24 years of existence, the event was moved to a weekend versus the first Tuesday in August.  A smart decision for sure as a packed grandstands enjoyed the racing action provided by the ninety-two cars in competition.

            Todd Burley of Spencerport, NY captured his first ever Alex Friesen Summer Nationals. Burley inherited the lead on lap sixty-four after contact between the top three of Vic Coffey, Burley, and Chad Brachmann and the lapped car of Mark Smoke left Brachmann around in the ring and Coffey with a flat tire. Coffey had led the entire distance to that point. Burley took the win followed by Scott Kerwin, Dale Planck, Stewart Friesen, and Robbie Krull.

            Coffey took the lead at the drop of the green and quickly distanced himself from the remainder of the field. The check seemed to have been written prior to lap thirty-seven as Coffey was the class of the field. Disaster struck for Vic after he kissed the concrete retaining wall allowing Burley to close in.  Brachmann joined the pair on lap forty-seven providing great racing for the fans. You could have put a blanket over the top three as they ran side by side, nose to tail and battled for the $6800 prize. Burley was able to pull alongside of the Coffey machine as they exited turn two of lap sixty.  Burley looked high and low and even into the frontstretch moat looking for a way by the Coffey machine. The lapped car of Mark Smoke played a part as Burley made contact with the slower machine on lap sixty-two. This allowed Brachmann by for position but Burley rebound and challenged the Wheatfield, NY driver.  What a change of events as contact between the top three and lapped traffic resulted in Brachmann spinning on the backstretch and Coffey getting a flat tire. Burley inherited the lead and the win.

 

 

            Indy driver PJ Chesson made an appearance at Ransomville and will no doubt never forget it. Chesson took a wild ride on lap two flipping end over end down the frontstretch. Chesson was a-okay but his racer suffered substantial damage. The event suffered four cautions in the first four laps.

 

 

            Don Rappleyea of Ransomville, NY became the fourteenth different winner aboard the Ki-Po Chevrolet Streetstock division last Friday night. Rappleyea took the lead away from Brandon Sherwood on a mid-race restart and was never headed after that point. Kenny Washburn came home in second followed by  Jaren Israel, Chris Burek, and Billy Coleman.  

 

 

 

Sean Letts of Ransomville, NY captured his first ever Ki-Po Chevrolet Streetstock feature main. Letts took the lead away from Jon Richael on lap two and quickly pulled away from the field enroute to becoming the fifteenth different winner in the division. Derrick Borkenhagen, Gerald Poole, Randy Zimmerman, and Wayne Close rounded out the top five.

 

 

Nick Cooper of Stanley, NY took top honors aboard the NYMM twenty lap feature main event.

           

 

 

COORS LIGHT, MIGHTY TACO, & HARD COPY WHOLESALE SUMMARY; 

 

MIGHTY TACO MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH (DIRTCAR 358 MOD SERIES) 68 LAPS – TODD BURLEY, Scott Kerwin, Dale Planck, Stewart Friesen, Robbie Krull, Jeff McGinnis, Tommy Flanigan, Pete Bicknell, Carey Terrance, Rick Richner, Danny O’Brien, Scott George, Chad Brachmann, Kevin Wills, Boyd MacTavish, Sam Crogan, Larry Wight, Chris Steele, Vic Coffey, John Lazore, Lance Willix, Mark Smoke, Bob Broomfield, Scott Wood, Jon Miller, Danny Johnson, Richie Vinson, Todd Gordon, Rick Hoctor, and Tim Jones. Heat Winners – Carey Terrance, Larry Wight, Vic Coffey, and Chad Brachmann.  Coors Light Fast Timer – Dale Planck. Consolation winner – Jeff McGinnis.

 

KI-PO CHEVROLET STREETSTOCK FEATURE FINISH #1 – DON RAPPLEYEA, Kenny Washburn, Jaren Israel, Chris Burek, Billy Coleman, Webb Nashwinter, Mike Childrose, Pat Burek, Mike Greenewalt, Gerald Poole, Brian Harris, Roger Israel, Pat Dell, Charles Harvey,  Tim Hall and Brandon Sherwood. Heat Winners – Brian Harris, Jon Richael, and Don Rappleyea.

 

KI-PO CHEVROLET STREETSTOCK FEATURE FINISH #2 – SEAN LETTS, Derrick Borkenhagen, Gerald Poole, Randy Zimmerman, Wayne Close, Alex Morris, Stuart Kumm, Ricky Washburn, Jon Richael, Mark Loveland, Scott Krull, Boots Martin, Richard Cavagnaro, Dave Conant, and Tim Raymond.