Jeff Anstett interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2020-10-14
Jeff Anstett is the former Race Director at the Ransomville Speedway and current Director of Race Day Operations (informal title). In this interview, Jeff discusses the growing electronic and technology needs of dirt track operations, including: the Raceday app, electronic scoring, transponders, jumbotron screens, and wireless communications. In the second half of the interview, Jeff also talks about racing karts at the Ransomville Speedway…
Contributor:
Occupational Folklife Project - Millar, Edward Y. - Stevens, Tom - Anstett, Jeff
Date:2020-01-01
Audio Recording
Jenn Martin interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2020-10-16
Jenn Martin has worked in various roles at the Ransomville Speedway since the late 1990s and early 2000s, including as General Manager of the track (2017-21). In this interview, Jenn shares how she first got into the world of dirt track racing, her early career working at the track, the importance of community to dirt tracks, and the various responsibilities of the General Manager…
Contributor:
Millar, Edward Y. - Martin, Jenn - Stevens, Tom - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2020-01-01
Audio Recording
Erick Rudolph interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2020-11-02
Erick Rudolph is a Modified driver from Ransomville, New York. In this interview, Erick talks about his family's connection to racing, his career path from racing Indoor Karts to TQ Midgets to Modifieds, the skill and techniques involved during a race, and memorable moments from his career.
Contributor:
Millar, Edward Y. - Rudolph, Erick - Stevens, Tom - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2020-01-01
Audio Recording
Tom Stevens interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2020-11-19
Tom Stevens is the Track Photographer at the Ransomville Speedway. In this interview, Tom reflects on his family's connection to racing and his interest in race photography, the types of scenes a track photographer tries to capture, the skills required to do photography of cars as they race by, the challenges of taking photographs at a dirt track, and the role of the track…
Contributor:
Millar, Edward Y. - Stevens, Tom - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2020-01-01
Audio Recording
Mike Williams interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2020-11-21
Mike Williams is a driver from Tuscarora Nation who competed in a number of divisions over his racing career, including Mini Stock Enduro, Bomber, BRP Late Model, Sportsman, and Modified. In this interview, Mike reflects on the relationship between the Tuscarora community and the Ransomville Speedway, discusses the time commitment and technical knowledge necessary to maintain a racing car, and shares anecdotes from his…
Contributor:
Millar, Edward Y. - Stevens, Tom - Williams, Mike - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2020-01-01
Audio Recording
Don Spatorico interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2020-12-01
Don Spatorico is a retired Sportsman driver and founder of Spats Graphics, a race car graphic design business. In this interview, Don talks about his family's connection to racing and his career in the Sportsman division, how race car graphics (and installations) have changed over the years and how he got his start, the process and consideration that goes into designing a race car…
Contributor:
Occupational Folklife Project - Millar, Edward Y. - Stevens, Tom - Spatorico, Don
Date:2020-01-01
Audio Recording
Derek Wagner interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2021-01-14
Derek Wagner is a Sportsman driver from Middleport who has been involved with dirt track racing since his youth. In this interview, Derek shares the unique way he became exposed to racing, the technicality, skill, and finesse needed as a driver, the challenge of balancing racing, work, and life commitments, and the importance of a race team to maintaining and fielding a car for…
Contributor:
Wagner, Derek - Millar, Edward Y. - Stevens, Tom - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2021
Audio Recording
April Matson interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar., 2021-01-21
April Matson is the Concessions Manager at the Ransomville Speedway, and has been attending races at the tracks since high school. In this interview April reflects on how she first started working in the concessions stand at the Ransomville Speedway, popular food items the track is known for including their 'flat dogs' and handcut fries, and the differences in the kitchen workflow comparing the…
Contributor:
Millar, Edward Y. - Matson, April M. - Stevens, Tom - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2021
Audio Recording
Dave Botsford interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2021-01-27
Dave Botsford is a longtime crew member and crew chief, who worked on different race teams over the years including: Alan Johnson, Danny Johnson, and most recently Derek Wagner. In this interview, Dave reflects on his career working on crews and learning from mentors like Billy Campbell, and shares anecdotes and stories from his nearly half-century of experience. He further discusses the depth of…
Contributor:
Millar, Edward Y. - Botsford, Dave - Stevens, Tom - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2021
Audio Recording
Rick Mooney interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2021-03-05
Rick Mooney is the Track Announcer at the Ransomville Speedway, and has been announcing at a number of dirt tracks in Western and Upstate New York since the early 1980s. In this interview, Rick talks about how he got his start announcing and his career path from early PA (public address) experience in high school through to track announcing for major series. Rick reflects…
Contributor:
Mooney, Rick - Millar, Edward Y. - Stevens, Tom - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2021
Audio Recording
Jayme Stone interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2021-03-10
Jayme Stone is a Kart driver from Ransomville, New York. In this interview, Jayme talks about how she first got into kart racing and her family's connection to the Ransomville Speedway, the technique, skills, and technology used in kart racing, a typical race day, and the challenges in racing karts.
Contributor:
Occupational Folklife Project - Millar, Edward Y. - Stevens, Tom - Stone, Jayme
Date:2021
Audio Recording
Dave Rinker interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2021-04-23
Dave Rinker is a longtime Pit Steward at the Ransomville Speedway, where he has worked in different track official roles in the pit area since 1989. In this interview, Dave shares memories from his and his brother Phil's early racing career; how he first started working at the track; the role and responsibility of the pit steward at a track; the relationship between the…
Contributor:
Millar, Edward Y. - Rinker, Dave - Stevens, Tom - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2021
Audio Recording
Dakota Miller interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2021-06-15
Dakota Miller is the starter at the Ransomville Speedway, who, although early in his track official career, has been involved since the age of 8 in the role by being a 'junior starter' in the grandstands. In this interview, Dakota shares why he became a 'junior starter', the roles and responsibilities of the starter position, the meaning of the different flags and gestures used…
Contributor:
Millar, Edward Y. - Stevens, Tom - Miller, Dakota - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2021
Audio Recording
Ryan Plante interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2021-06-29
Ryan Plante is a Mini Stock (4 Banger) driver from Lewiston, who grew up going with his father to races at local dirt tracks in Western New York and Ontario. In this interview, Ryan reflects on his father Paul's racing career and tagging along with his dad in the pits, the difference between racing and maintaining Mini Stock cars in contrast to Sportsman and…
Contributor:
Occupational Folklife Project - Millar, Edward Y. - Stevens, Tom - Plante, Ryan
Date:2021
Audio Recording
Peter Bicknell interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2021-07-07
Peter Bicknell is the founder of Bicknell Racing Products, a longtime Modifieds driver, and an inductee of the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame and the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame. In this interview, Peter reflects on the origin and operations of Bicknell Racing Products, one of the major Modified chassis manufacturers in North America, and how the work of Bicknell has changed over…
Contributor:
Bicknell, Peter - Millar, Edward Y. - Stevens, Tom - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2021
Audio Recording
John Nelson interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2021-07-09
John Nelson is the Race Director of the Ransomville Speedway and for the DIRTcar Northeast Series organization. In this interview, John reflects on his passion for racing from a young age and starting out working on a pit crew with Chuck (Charlie) Hoddick; his career as a track official starting out at his hometown Lancaster Speedway; differences between being a race director for a…
Contributor:
Nelson, John - Millar, Edward Y. - Stevens, Tom - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2021
Audio Recording
Jipp and Rick Ortiz interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2021-07-13 and 2021-07-27
Jipp and Rick Ortiz are two members of the local Ortiz family, a family who have had a historic connection to the Ransomville Speedway since its origin. Jipp's father -- and Rick's brother -- was Ed Ortiz (1931-2020), one of the founding members of the Ransomville Slowpokes local racing club who established the first Ransomville Speedway in a field behind a garage owned by…
Contributor:
Millar, Edward Y. - Ortiz, Rick - Ortiz, Jipp - Occupational Folklife Project
Audio RecordingJeff Anstett interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2020-10-14 Jeff Anstett is the former Race Director at the Ransomville Speedway and current Director of Race Day Operations (informal title). In this interview, Jeff discusses the growing electronic and technology needs of dirt track operations, including: the Raceday app, electronic scoring, transponders, jumbotron screens, and wireless communications. In the second half of the interview, Jeff also talks about racing karts at the Ransomville Speedway…
Audio RecordingJenn Martin interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2020-10-16 Jenn Martin has worked in various roles at the Ransomville Speedway since the late 1990s and early 2000s, including as General Manager of the track (2017-21). In this interview, Jenn shares how she first got into the world of dirt track racing, her early career working at the track, the importance of community to dirt tracks, and the various responsibilities of the General Manager…
Audio RecordingErick Rudolph interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2020-11-02 Erick Rudolph is a Modified driver from Ransomville, New York. In this interview, Erick talks about his family's connection to racing, his career path from racing Indoor Karts to TQ Midgets to Modifieds, the skill and techniques involved during a race, and memorable moments from his career.
Audio RecordingTom Stevens interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2020-11-19 Tom Stevens is the Track Photographer at the Ransomville Speedway. In this interview, Tom reflects on his family's connection to racing and his interest in race photography, the types of scenes a track photographer tries to capture, the skills required to do photography of cars as they race by, the challenges of taking photographs at a dirt track, and the role of the track…
Audio RecordingMike Williams interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2020-11-21 Mike Williams is a driver from Tuscarora Nation who competed in a number of divisions over his racing career, including Mini Stock Enduro, Bomber, BRP Late Model, Sportsman, and Modified. In this interview, Mike reflects on the relationship between the Tuscarora community and the Ransomville Speedway, discusses the time commitment and technical knowledge necessary to maintain a racing car, and shares anecdotes from his…
Audio RecordingDon Spatorico interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2020-12-01 Don Spatorico is a retired Sportsman driver and founder of Spats Graphics, a race car graphic design business. In this interview, Don talks about his family's connection to racing and his career in the Sportsman division, how race car graphics (and installations) have changed over the years and how he got his start, the process and consideration that goes into designing a race car…
Audio RecordingDerek Wagner interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2021-01-14 Derek Wagner is a Sportsman driver from Middleport who has been involved with dirt track racing since his youth. In this interview, Derek shares the unique way he became exposed to racing, the technicality, skill, and finesse needed as a driver, the challenge of balancing racing, work, and life commitments, and the importance of a race team to maintaining and fielding a car for…
Audio RecordingApril Matson interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar., 2021-01-21 April Matson is the Concessions Manager at the Ransomville Speedway, and has been attending races at the tracks since high school. In this interview April reflects on how she first started working in the concessions stand at the Ransomville Speedway, popular food items the track is known for including their 'flat dogs' and handcut fries, and the differences in the kitchen workflow comparing the…
Audio RecordingDave Botsford interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2021-01-27 Dave Botsford is a longtime crew member and crew chief, who worked on different race teams over the years including: Alan Johnson, Danny Johnson, and most recently Derek Wagner. In this interview, Dave reflects on his career working on crews and learning from mentors like Billy Campbell, and shares anecdotes and stories from his nearly half-century of experience. He further discusses the depth of…
Audio RecordingRick Mooney interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2021-03-05 Rick Mooney is the Track Announcer at the Ransomville Speedway, and has been announcing at a number of dirt tracks in Western and Upstate New York since the early 1980s. In this interview, Rick talks about how he got his start announcing and his career path from early PA (public address) experience in high school through to track announcing for major series. Rick reflects…
Audio RecordingJayme Stone interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2021-03-10 Jayme Stone is a Kart driver from Ransomville, New York. In this interview, Jayme talks about how she first got into kart racing and her family's connection to the Ransomville Speedway, the technique, skills, and technology used in kart racing, a typical race day, and the challenges in racing karts.
Audio RecordingDave Rinker interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2021-04-23 Dave Rinker is a longtime Pit Steward at the Ransomville Speedway, where he has worked in different track official roles in the pit area since 1989. In this interview, Dave shares memories from his and his brother Phil's early racing career; how he first started working at the track; the role and responsibility of the pit steward at a track; the relationship between the…
Audio RecordingDakota Miller interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2021-06-15 Dakota Miller is the starter at the Ransomville Speedway, who, although early in his track official career, has been involved since the age of 8 in the role by being a 'junior starter' in the grandstands. In this interview, Dakota shares why he became a 'junior starter', the roles and responsibilities of the starter position, the meaning of the different flags and gestures used…
Audio RecordingRyan Plante interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2021-06-29 Ryan Plante is a Mini Stock (4 Banger) driver from Lewiston, who grew up going with his father to races at local dirt tracks in Western New York and Ontario. In this interview, Ryan reflects on his father Paul's racing career and tagging along with his dad in the pits, the difference between racing and maintaining Mini Stock cars in contrast to Sportsman and…
Audio RecordingPeter Bicknell interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2021-07-07 Peter Bicknell is the founder of Bicknell Racing Products, a longtime Modifieds driver, and an inductee of the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame and the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame. In this interview, Peter reflects on the origin and operations of Bicknell Racing Products, one of the major Modified chassis manufacturers in North America, and how the work of Bicknell has changed over…
Audio RecordingJohn Nelson interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2021-07-09 John Nelson is the Race Director of the Ransomville Speedway and for the DIRTcar Northeast Series organization. In this interview, John reflects on his passion for racing from a young age and starting out working on a pit crew with Chuck (Charlie) Hoddick; his career as a track official starting out at his hometown Lancaster Speedway; differences between being a race director for a…
Audio RecordingJipp and Rick Ortiz interview conducted by Edward Y. Millar, 2021-07-13 and 2021-07-27 Jipp and Rick Ortiz are two members of the local Ortiz family, a family who have had a historic connection to the Ransomville Speedway since its origin. Jipp's father -- and Rick's brother -- was Ed Ortiz (1931-2020), one of the founding members of the Ransomville Slowpokes local racing club who established the first Ransomville Speedway in a field behind a garage owned by…