WNY AUTO RACING
Go-Kart racers seed Ransomville's future
Published: August 16, 2009, 11:18 pm
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When Selena Smith took the checkered flag after winning the Novice class feature of last Thursday night's Go-Kart program at Ransomville Speedway, the smile on the face of the 11- year-old youngster from Ransomville was very wide.
"My dad said I did a good job in the race and he said that it was amazing," said the daughter of DIRT Sportsman racer Derek Smith.
The excitement of the winning moment coupled with the fun and the racing skills she is developing makes it easy to understand why so many kids have enjoyed running in the Go-Kart program each Thursday. It is Ransomville's farm system of sorts, helping to ensure a supply of future racers for the Friday night stock car ranks.
This is one reason why for the last several seasons Ransomville has enjoyed both solid car counts in Go-Karts and stock cars. The track also has had a few of its Karters graduate to other tracks as well.
"In the last 18 years, we've got a real graduation group here," said Ransomville co-promoter Joel Friesen. "From my nephew, Stewart Friesen, to Chuck Hossfeld, who made it to the NASCAR trucks to Kirk Sherwood, who made it to NASCAR Busch North races, and Dave Wollaber, a Lancaster Modified champion and Bobby Holmes, another good stock car racer, all started here."
"They garner a good basic knowledge of racing in Karts here that helps them catapult into larger cars. I say this town must just have Valvoline and racing fuel in the water here. It's an involved community," Hossfeld said.
"It's a good way for the kids to learn," said Danny Knoll Jr., who currently drives asphalt Modifieds. "My daughter Katy has three years experience and she's miles ahead of where I was when I was 8 years old.
"This racing is just as important to the parents as if they were in a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series ride. They put as much effort and usually everyone gets along great although it is still intense racing. The laps that these kids are able to put on at such a young age is irreplaceable. The Go-Kart program is a natural feeder program for the stock cars. It gives kids the racing bug early."
"I've been racing almost two years," said Katy, a third grader at St. Leo's. "It can be hard because I flipped here once. I've won a couple races but not that many."
Her older brother, Danny III, won in Micro Sprints Saturday at Paradise Speedway in Caledonia.
Sean Cott was a veteran DIRT Sportsman driver at Ransomville. He now spends his time guiding the efforts of his sons, Timmy and Cody Cott.
"Timmy is 14 and runs both the Karts and a Street Stock here this year," said Sean Cott. "Cody is 11 and runs in Junior II. We're just playing. It's something I can share with them that my dad shared with me. Hopefully they'll share it with their kids."
"I started here six years ago in the Novice class and I'm in Junior Restricted now," said Timmy Cott. "It's a lot different going from the Kart to the stock car on Friday because the stock car is way more loose. Karts is still good experience."
One dad, Steve Veihdeffer of V-Kidz Racing, never raced himself but brings his two sons, Eric, 8, and Matt, 11, each week. According to Steve Veihdeffer, of Niagara Falls, his two Karts cost about $5,000 to $6,000 each. Steve was introduced to the racing by former stock car racer, "Turbo" Tom Walker.
Jeff Anstett serves as Ransomville's stock car race director on Fridays, but competes in the Stock Medium Kart class.
"I've been doing this for 10 years and it's fun," said Anstett of Newfane. "It's a stress reliever coming out on Thursdays and not having to worry about the pressure of working at the track.
"We have former Go-Kart guys like Nate Reynolds, Ryan Susice and Erick Rudolph driving in the big cars now. These are people who moved up from here to stock cars and you know they'll do well. On a good night we have over 70 Karts here with an average of 65. So it's good."
"It's a great family-oriented sport," said track video director Jim Mullen of Batavia, whose daughter Alyssa, 11, competes in Junior II. "Ransomville breeds speed, talent and has everything a kid could ever look for to furthering a racing career."
Other winners last Thursday were: Nicholas Tarnowski, Novice; Ryan Coppins, Junior II; Casey Smalley, Junior Restricted; Austin Susice, Junior I and Jacob Stefanski, Stock Medium.
Victory Lane / The weekend winners
Dunn Tire RP DRAGS:
Quick 16: Bill Leber
Top ET: T.J. Mendola
Mod ET: Joe Karosik
Sleds-Bikes: Mike Nearhoof
Street: Jim Bruckman
STOCK CARS:
Modifieds: Sege Fidanza
SST Sportsman: Billy Burd
Street Stocks: Tim Garlock
4-Cylinders: Ken Hejna
Holland Speedway SST Sportsman: Amy Catalano
Cup Lites: Scott Wylie
Late Models: Dave Whittaker
Chargers: Jim Loffredo
TQ Midgets: Jamie Collard
Pro Fours: Nik Welshans
Hornets: Eric Brown
Queen Bees: Mae Urban
Figure 8: Jason Adams
Ransomville Speedway 358 Modifieds:Jeff McGinnis
Sportsman: Ryan Susice
Street Stocks: Pat Dell, Gerald Poole
Firehall Enduro: Jimmy Pringle
Arcade International Late Models: John Lacki
E-Mods: Rich Michael Jr.
Street Stocks:Andy Michael
Mini Stocks: Levi Watson
Pure Stocks: John Ellwood
Genesee Speedway Sportsman: Rob Pratt
Late Models: Brian Kotarski
Sprint Cars: Mike Lauterborn
Street Stocks: Jeb Walworth
Mini Stocks: Dan Norton
Wyoming County Sportsman: John Barber
Super Stocks: Bobby Lippa Jr.
Cup Lites: Mark Hock
4-Cylinders: Eric Haistreiter
Stateline Speedway Late Models: Scott Johnson
E-Mods: Randy Hall
Outlaw Cadets: Chad Carlson
Sportsman: Dan Nocero Jr.
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