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First-Timer this season and Veteran Share Spotlight: Bills & Maher Double Up

With just three races remaining on the schedule, Genesee Kartway saw both new and familiar faces make their way to victory lane. Evan Sauder, Brantley Smith, and Brayden Bills each picked up feature wins in their first visit to the track, while veterans reminded everyone why they’re tough to beat.

The night kicked off with the Xtreme Budget Predators, where 10 karts went to battle. Jack Freeman and Joey Surman of Batavia, NY brought the field to green, with Freeman, the current point leader, grabbing the early advantage. The first caution came out quickly for David Covert and Justin Valyear, bunching the field back up. On the restart, Surman powered to the lead until another yellow slowed the field on lap 3 for Covert, Ken Cook, and Patrick Maher. From there, Surman held control for 10 straight laps until lap 13 when a loose tire brought out the final caution. On the restart, Surman once again took command, leading the last two laps to score his second win of the season. In victory lane he said, “We just built this kart 3 races ago, we’ve been having nonstop issues every week and had some again tonight, but we were able to get it done. This feels pretty good.”

The Senior Lite division was next, and it was all Brayden Bills of Ransomville, NY. Starting on the front row in his first visit of the season, Bills led all 15 laps of a caution-free event. After the dominant win, he said, “We ran here back in 2022, we know the layout, we got the gear right, and the tires were good enough to walk away and get it done.”

Another first-time visitor found success as Port Colborne, Ontario’s Evan Sauder picked up both his heat win and the 10-lap feature victory. Leading every lap, Sauder added Genesee Kartway to his successful 2025 résumé, which already included wins at Merrittville Speedway.

The Junior 1 division saw chaos throughout the feature, with seven cautions flying. Through it all, Brantley Smith of Bath, NY was the only driver able to stay consistent. Smith, who usually races at AMS and Weedsport, avoided the wrecks and pulled away late, winning by 3.413 seconds and keeping the streak of new faces in victory lane alive.

That streak ended in Junior 2, as Amherst, NY’s Ryan Maher showed his strength once again. Branson Smith grabbed the lead on lap 1, but Maher quickly fought back, reclaiming the top spot on lap 2. From there, Maher never looked back, leading the final 14 laps for yet another feature victory.

Maher wasn’t done there. In Junior 3, making his first official start in the division, he brought his Ransomville Kartway kart and put it to work. He jumped to the early lead with Chase Powers in tow, and after a lap 5 caution for Korbin Pearce, Maher stayed smooth on the restart, hitting every mark on his way to the win. In victory lane, he summed it up simply: “This was really fun and I was able to get it done.”

The night wrapped up with the Senior Heavy feature, where Matthew Barry and Dan Shinners started on the front row. But before they could even settle in, Brayden Bills powered from third to first exiting turn two on the opening lap. Bills pulled away in cruise control until the white flag lap when Austin Biggins spun at the exit of turn four, bringing out the caution. On the green-and-white restart, Barry gave it everything he had, but Bills hung tough, sweeping the night in his first trip to the track. “I know the tires were starting to fall off and he could have gotten me at any moment, but we kept strong, hit our marks, and got ’er done,” Bills said in victory lane.

Now only two point races remain at Genesee Kartway this season—Friday, August 22nd and Friday, August 29th—with racing starting at 7:00 pm both nights.

Photo Credit: EM Nearhood Photography

3 entries
Kids Novice (5-8 years old)
A Feature 1: 1. 51-Evan Sauder[1]; 2. 25-Xavier Cook[3]; 3. 3K-Kensley Martinez[2]

6 entries
Junior 1 (8-10 years old)
A Feature 1: 1. 96X-Brantley Smith[1]; 2. 7-Bentley Greene[4]; 3. 8-Blake Snyder[2]; 4. 13-Tucker Hazlett[3]; 5. 28H-Bennett Chappell[5]; 6. 24-Kenny Cook[6]

2 entries
Junior 2 (10-12 years old)
A Feature 1: 1. 33R-Ryan Maher[1]; 2. 26-Branson Smith[2]

3 entries
Junior 3 (12-15 years old)
A Feature 1: 1. 33R-Ryan Maher[1]; 2. 5C-Chase Powers[2]; 3. 22-Korbin Pearce[3]

3 entries
Senior Lites
A Feature 1: 1. 3-Brayden Bills[1]; 2. 10JR-Paige Gayton[2]; 3. 115-matthew barry[3]

5 entries
Senior Heavy
A Feature 1: 1. 3-Brayden Bills[3]; 2. 115-matthew barry[1]; 3. 25-Josh Nearhood[4]; 4. 77-Dan Shinners[2]; 5. 44-Austin Biggins[5]

11 entries
XTreme Budget Predator
A Feature 1: 1. 3J-Joey Surman[2]; 2. 136-David Pangrazio[4]; 3. 3-Fred Lord[5]; 4. 14-Jack Freeman[1]; 5. 169-Patrick Maher[7]; 6. 21-Michael Pfendler[3]; 7. 62K-Bill Kapelke[9]; 8. 87-David covert[6]; 9. C4-Ken Cook[11]; 10. 69-Justin Valyear[8]; 11. (DNS) 5R-Larry Richmond

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