Media Contact: Steven Ovens - woodhullracewaypr@gmail.com or (315) 729-3825 For Immediate Release – May 8th, 2016 –
(WOODHULL, NY) – Cory Costa hasn’t had the best start to the 2016 season so far. His CO2 Motorsports team has been out at several dirt tracks in the Southern Tier and have more times than not, found themselves in someone else’s mess.
That would not be the case Saturday night at Woodhull as Costa and the team finally put a good night together, from start to finish. Costa would re-draw the pole for the 25-lap Insinger Performance 370 Modified feature and would dominate the race, leading from green to checkered.
The Corning, NY driver got off to a great start in his heat race by winning that race in convincing fashion as well. Costa and Russell Morseman would re-draw the front row for Scott Lyon’s green flag and Costa would jump out front immediately to set the pace.
The race saw a couple caution flags slow the field, as Dave DuBois spun in turn two. DuBois was racing with a heavy heart Saturday, as long time car owner and most recently dedicated crew member and supporter Skip Starkey passed away in a tragic accident earlier in the day. A moment of silence was held for Starkey during opening ceremonies Saturday night.
While Costa paced the field, ‘The Maniac’ Mike Bills took over the runner up spot from Dillon Groover and looked quite sporty in his No. 21M. Bills couldn’t close the gap on Costa but he also didn’t lose a ton of ground either, with Costa stretching no further than five to six car lengths.
Groover had a great battle with Billy Van Pelt late in the race, who had charged from his tenth starting position. Nephew and uncle battled nose-to-tail, door-to-door for the final 10 circuits with Van Pelt nipping Groover for the third spot at the line.
Out front though, Costa wasn’t going to be denied. He worked high and low, wherever the Costa’s Auto Body and Towing No. 02 wanted to go.
“It finally feels good to have one go our way,” said Costa in Instant Heat Wood Pellets Victory Lane. “To start the year out so rough and finally had some good luck here tonight.”
Costa spoke to being out front and not knowing where the other drivers were.
“I just tried not to look back. You look back and you get yourself out of the game, it’s all part of it just being a mind game.”
Bills finished a strong second ahead of Van Pelt, Groover and Morseman who had the No. 44 handling much better for him this week.
It’s been documented how Josh Keesey did not start the 2016 season as he would have hoped, as he found himself in someone else’s mess and on his lid on opening night. A new frame and a whole new outlook on the season saw Keesey walk away from the NAPA Crate Sportsman field for the 25-lap victory.
Keesey started in the fourth position as Collin Brown and Mike Williams led the field to green on Kickin’ Country 105.3FM Night. Brown would take the early lead, as the Rotsell’s Family Restaurant ride was bad fast all night long.
It wouldn’t take Keesey long before he would wrestle the top spot away as the field clicked off lap number four. While Keesey dominated the rest of the race, the battle was on from second on back with several veterans of Woodhull Raceway putting on a show for the fans in attendance.
Mike ‘Action’ Jackson was putting his many years of experience on display as he carved his way through the top five. Jackson would work for several laps to get around another strong competitor in Brandon Butler. But after passing Butler, he had to contend with defending track champion Chris Daugherty.
Daugherty had to start in the twelfth position after winning last week and the week prior, but charged through the field like he seems to do on a weekly basis. The Williams Construction and Sprayfoam 22jz was on a tear and put an immense amount of pressure on Jackson for the runner up spot- to no avail.
Keesey didn’t just walk away to victory unscathed though. While working lap traffic, Keesey made contact with a lap car that spun directly in front of him. The Campbell Building Supply No. 4 made contact with the left front corner and caused concern on just how much damage was done.
Whatever damage was there did not bother Keesey as he went on to complete the comeback in victory over Jackson, Daugherty, Butler and AJ Costley.
“I have to thank my guys,” said Keesey in what was a pretty emotional victory lane. “This is my second frame of the year, we’ve built three race cars in a matter of three weeks. I’ve just got incredible help in the shop and without them I’m not standing here.”
Keesey spoke to the team’s need to just not have the bad luck Saturday night.
“I kept telling these guys we don’t need any good luck, we just need to come up here and not get any bad luck.”
When asked if the damage worried him at all about finishing the race up front?
“The first couple corners felt like it, the right front was shimmying but it eventually went away.”
After the race, the No. 01 team of Josh Sawyer paid the $3,500 claimer on Chris Daugherty’s motor, as is allowed by the Woodhull Raceway Rulebook. Daugherty complied with the claimer and removed the engine after the races.
Woodhull Raceway rules allow for one claim per driver per calendar year, after the first two point shows are in the books. The claimer rules taken from page 20 of the rulebook posted online:
“The claimer gets motor in crate form (no carburetor, headers, fuel pump, or water pump). Anyone refusing a claim may not compete in any point races in that class for the rest of the calendar year and will be fined $500 which must be paid before competing again at the track.”
Daugherty and Sawyer left the speedway on good terms with a handshake with each other, acknowledging that they will race each other next week like any other week of racing.
Several drivers pull the Street Stock/Late Model chore of double-duty racing and another one of these masters of the two-car two-step found himself in victory lane for the first time in his career in a Late Model.
Kurt Stebbins started playing with an SWL Awards 360 Late Model last season and has had mixed success for not even having raced one for a full season. He put everything he learned together on Saturday night, running ten perfect laps to hold off veteran Steve LaBarron to get the win.
Stebbins had a long green flag run to close out the win and LaBarron closed in with just five laps remaining. One slip up was all LaBarron was looking for but it would not happen as Stebbins went on for the victory.
“I knew I had company but then I thought they were gone, and then I saw they were back there again and I said oh crap time to go,” said Stebbins. “This is twice as nerve wracking as that Street Stock up there.”
When mentioning his sponsors, Stebbins mentioned his parents bar ‘Just One More’. We think it’s pretty safe to say they had ‘just a few more’ in Wellsville to celebrate his first Late Model win on Saturday night.
The Joe Willcox Performance Automatics Street Stocks had two reasons to be excited Saturday night. First, they had an opportunity to potentially race for an added bonus as the division sponsor put on the first Clash for Cash of the season. Teddy Morseman held off Dylan Cecce and Dan Gardener to take the added bonus before intermission.
In the 35-lap feature event, Jared Hill and Branden Morseman led the field to green with Hill taking the early lead in the event, after a rough week last week on the High Banks. Hill would lead until Jeremy Potrzebowski would sneak underneath the No. 93 to claim the top spot.
The driver out of Elmira, NY would pace the field while Glenn Whritenour gave chase. Whritenour would eventually catch Potrzebowski and the two would put on a classic battle in the bullring. Both drivers took their turns leading laps, as they would find each other side-by-side across the start/finish line on several occasions.
Potrzebowski would nose out front for the closing laps to cross the finish line first over Whritenour, Teddy Morseman, Tracy Dunn and Kurt Stebbins.
However it was Potrzebowski’s No. T1 that would fail post-race inspection due to having a reverse mount bell housing/starter. It is stated on page 25 of the online Woodhull Rulebook that this part is prohibited.
That awarded the victory to Glenn Whritenour who collects his second victory of 2016 in the Street Stock division.
Ron Dailey Jr. set out on Saturday night to prove that there is no rivalry with Rich Sharpsteen in the Flyin’ X. With last week’s action behind him, Dailey proved it by dominating the Daugherty Auto Sales Mini Stock 20-lap feature. It was Dailey’s second win of the season.
Rookie Mini Stock competitor Jeffery Daugherty ran a brilliant race in just his fourth Mini Stock start, driving up from his sixth starting position. He picked off cars all throughout the feature event, eventually passing Chris Woodard on the low side to take over the runner-up spot. Daugherty needed a caution late to have a shot at Dailey, but would not get that chance.
Not even heavy lap traffic could slow Dailey down as he sliced his was through the field. Eventually pushing his teammate across the line, bump-draft style at the checkered flag. Daugherty had to settle for a career-best second place effort. Woodard was third followed by Rick Amidon and last week’s winner Karl Born.
“That was everything this car has,” said Dailey. “I got lucky and drew second tonight and took advantage. There’s at least ten guys that can win here on any given night.”
Speaking of driving it for all it was worth, Jay McConnell drove the race of his life to secure the win in the Woodhull Auto Supply Front Wheel Drives. Last week’s winner, Shawn Gleason, started twelfth and had picked off six cars when the caution flew on lap one.
From there it was McConnell out front and Gleason giving chase. Gleason was smooth and steady on the bottom, while McConnell was sliding through the corners driving with everything he had. Smooth and steady wouldn’t prevail in this one as McConnell had just enough to hold off Gleason for his first checkered flag of the season.
“I didn’t expect to beat him but I guess I did,” said McConnell. “I saw him a couple times poke up there, so I figured I better get this thing going.”
The first feature of the night was the Daugherty Auto Sales Warriors youth division, making their third start of the season. It was three winners in three events as newcomer Bradley Groover took the victory in his No. 78.
The Warrior feature was rough-and-tumble for several competitors with the 10-lap feature suffering from a case of yellow fever. The lead exchanged hands several times during the event, as it was Ajay Potrzebowski Jr. who looked poised to seal up his second win of the year.
Turn four was a thorn in Ajay’s side on this night though, as he went for a spin in the last corner on the last lap. This handed the lead over to Groover and Hamilton for the last restart, with Groover holding on for career victory number one. The soft-spoken Groover thanked his family and crew for giving him such a great race car to compete with.
Next week at Woodhull Raceway, Mike Emhof’s Patriot Sprint Tour will tackle the high banks for the first of two 360 sprint car specials of the season. The best 360 contingent in the Northeast will be joined by the Insinger Performance 370 Modifieds, NAPA Crate Sportsman, SWL 360 Late Models, Joe Willcox Performance Automatics Street Stocks, and Quad C division.
Pit gates will open at 3:30PM with general admission gates opening at 4:30PM with Scott Lyon’s first green flag of the night waving promptly at 6:30PM. General admission is just $18 for adults 13 and up, $9 for Seniors and ages 8-12 with children 7 and under always free at Woodhull Raceway.
Race fans are encouraged to sign up for the fastest alerts from Woodhull Raceway’s Rained Out Alert system by sending the text message “WoodhullAlert” to 84483, message and data rates may apply.
For more information race over to www.woodhullraceway.com, Like Woodhull Raceway on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WoodhullRaceway or Follow Woodhull on Twitter @WoodhullPR.
Woodhull Raceway is located in Woodhull, NY, just 30 minutes West of Corning, NY and competes weekly on Saturday nights from mid-April through Labor Day Weekend. The track offers several special events including the Patriot Sprint Tour 360 Sprints and the Short Track Super Series Modifieds in mid-August.
WOODHULL RACEWAY Kickin' Country 105.3FM Quick Results 5/7/2016:
INSINGER PERFORMANCE 370 MODIFIEDS, 16 cars (25 Laps): CORY COSTA (1), Mike Bills, Billy Van Pelt, Dillon Groover, Russell Morseman, Josh Nobriga, Kenny Peoples Jr., Donnie Lawson, Boyd McTavish, Eric Fisher, Frank Dunning, Brady Fultz, Brian Doolittle, Art Goodier, Dave DuBois DNS: Joe Dgien
H1: McTavish, MBills, Lawson
H2: Costa, Goodier, Morseman
NAPA CRATE SPORTSMAN, 26 cars (25 Laps): JOSH KEESEY (1), Mike Jackson, Chris Daugherty (motor claimed), Brandon Butler, AJ Costley, Tim Guild, Dayton Brewer, Collin Brown, Chris Fisher, Josh Sawyer, Zach Cary, Tracy Stanford, Tim Schram, Garett Rushlow, Stevie Hartman III, Mark Benson, John Sekoll, Scott Tubbs, Brandon Martin, Jerry Aldrich, David Mayo, Mike Williams, Mickey Wilbur, Jake Dgien, Stacey Jackson, Bobby Peoples
Lap Leaders: Brown 1-3, Keesey 4-25
H1: MJackson, Aldrich, Brown
H2: Mayo, Keesey, Martin
H3: Hartman III, Fisher, Sawyer
H4: Daugherty, Butler, Williams
JOE WILLCOX PERFORMANCE AUTOMATICS STREET STOCKS, 20 cars (35 Laps): GLENN WHRITENOUR (2), Teddy Morseman, Tracy Dunn, Kurt Stebbins, Kane Stebbins, Brett Marlatt, Willie Rice, LaVerne Knickerbocker, Jeredd Dennis, Jason Gleason, Dan Gardener, Branden Morseman, Dennis Cummings, Trevor Tompkins, Jared Hill, Jayson Smart, Dylan Cecce DQ: Jeremy Potrzebowski DNS: Allison Pierce, Gary Archer
Clash For Cash (10 Laps): TEDDY MORSEMAN, Dylan Cecce, Dan Gardener
H1: Gardener, Rice, Dennis
H2: Hill, BMorseman, Marlatt
H3: TMorseman, Dunn, Whritenour
SWL AWARDS 360 LATE MODELS, 8 cars (20 Laps): KURT STEBBINS (First Career 360 LM Win), Steve LaBarron, Glenn Whritenour, Rick Loucks, Carl Hughes, Jason McGregor, Bruce Miller, Mickey Seeley
Lap Leaders: Stebbins 1-20
H1: Miller, Whritenour, LaBarron
DAUGHERTY AUTO SALES MINI STOCKS, 21 cars (20 Laps): RON DAILEY JR. (2), Jeffery Daugherty, Chris Woodard, Rick Amidon, Karl Born, JJ Kreidler, John Hand Jr, David Whetham, Brian Grant Jr., Corky Grant, Chad Ayers, Mike Stone, Chip Warner, Chris Hand, Dave Little, Dave Kinner, Derrick Puryear, Rich Sharpsteen DNS: Bryan Thompson, Jason Warner, Mike Navone
Lap Leaders: Dailey Jr. 1-20
H1: Dailey Jr., Daugherty, Puryear
H2: Sharpsteen, Born, Woodard
H3: Whetham, Amidon, Grant Sr.
WOODHULL AUTO SUPPLY FRONT WHEEL DRIVES, 17 cars (20 Laps): JAY MCCONNELL (1), Shawn Gleason, Joe Birdsall, Codie Baker, Matt Prescott, Wes Houghtaling, Dave Richmond, Carl LaBarron, Nate Freeland, Jordan Keefer, Nick Brown, Jarod Brown, Robert Haynes, Billy Groover, Adam DelGrosso, Dylan Strade, Eric Farnham
H1: Richmond, Birdsall, Houghtaling H2: DelGrosso, Farnham, Freeland H3: Baker, Gleason, McConnell
DAUGHERTY AUTO SALES WARRIORS, 6 cars (10 Laps): BRADLEY GROOVER (1), Trevor Hamilton, Ajay Potrzebowski Jr., Kayley Potrzebowski, Brody Amidon, Cole Youse
Quick Notes: Start Time: 6:40pm End Time: 11:20pm 50/50 $587 Jr. Fan of the Week: Arie Smith, age 3, favorite driver: Art Goodier NAPA Auto Parts Driver of the Week: Karl Born