Media Contact: Steven Ovens - woodhullracewaypr@gmail.com or (315) 729-3825 For Immediate Release – August 9th, 2016 – Greg Mesler photo -
(WOODHULL, NY) – Billy Van Pelt took a little time to heat up in 2016. But now that the Westfield, PA driver for Grant Hilfiger Racing is on a roll, it’s going to be hard to slow him down in the final stretch run to the championship in the Insinger Performance 370 Modifieds.
Van Pelt started out the night as he had done five other times, winning his sixth heat race of the season. The seventeen-time track champion at Woodhull got off to a great start in the twenty-five-lap feature event, leading the opening laps.
Joe Dgien, Dillon Groover battled hard with each other for the runner up position in the beginning stages of the event. Groover took over the second spot on lap six and set out for the driver that he nearly beat for his first win on July 2nd.
With Dgien back to third, Donnie Lawsom emerged as a contender who would battle with Dgien for the podium spot. Lawson eventually got by Dgien and Groover both on a lap thirteen restart, with Groover losing several positions.
Groover eventually got back by Dgien for third, but it was all Van Pelt out front. Van Pelt picked up the victory over Lawson, Groover, Dgien and Mike Bills. Dgien would later refuse post-race tech inspection and would be disqualified.
The NAPA Crate Sportsman feature event would see Josh Keesey snag the early race lead, with Keesey looking for his second win of the season. Last week's Driver of the Week, Brandon Martin, battled point leader Chris Daugherty for the runner up spot early on. Daugherty would take second away and start his pursuit of Keesey.
Dayton Brewer redrew the ninth starting spot and was up to the seventh spot on lap three- just the beginning of his march to the front. Lap four saw Daugherty start to challenge Keesey for the lead but could not get by.
Lap eleven saw Daugherty change lines and utilize the outside of the speedway. That proved to be the race-winning move as he would outdrag Keesey to the line for the lead. Keesey didn't give up though, as he would work the back bumper of the Williams Construction and Sprayfoam No. 22jz.
As the race wore on, Daugherty and Keesey pulled away. But the battle on the track was for third with Martin, Brandon Butler and Brewer. Brewer would work his way by Butler on lap twenty-one and later would get by Martin on lap twenty-three.
Up front, Daugherty poured it on thick as he would come away with another victory on the 2016 season over Keesey, Brewer, Martin and Butler.
Bruce Miller won the SWL 360 Late Model feature event that had a thrilling end and a touch of misfortune for race dominator Glenn Whritenour. Whritenour led from the green flag with Steve LaBarron settling into the second spot.
Bruce Miller made his presence known as he battled LaBarron for the second spot, but had to drop back to third on a lap two caution flag. Miller would get by on the restart and set up a story line we have seen frequently in the Late Models- Whritenour, Miller and Stebbins or a combination of the three battling it out for wins.
Miller and Whritenour battled each other for the lead, with Whritenour pulling away at times. Several caution flags scattered throughout the event allowed Miller to close the gap on the leader, but a lap nineteen caution would change everything.
A caution on lap nineteen caution flew as the leaders were approaching the checkered flag, setting up a one-lap dash. But Whritenour came up slow with a flat tire. Whritenour was given two laps to change the tire but did not return.
Miller would drive on to the win over Jason McGregor, LaBarron, Stebbins and Mickey Seeley the top five.
Kurt Stebbins took the early lead in the Joe Willcox Performance Automatics twenty-lap feature event, and would not relinquish that spot for his third win of the 2016 season.
The battle in the race was from positions two through seven with Teddy Morseman, Tracy Dunn, Dylan Cecce, Whritenour, Brett Marlatt and Dennis Cummings putting on a show for the fans. The battle was intense, as these drivers continue to battle for position in the tight Street Stock points race.
The only glimmer of hope to catch Stebbins was lap traffic with four laps to go, but Stebbins cleared traffic without issue. Stebbins would obtain maximum points by not only winning his heat race but the feature as well.
Morseman, Dunn, Whritenour and Marlatt filled out the top five positions. Cecce was disqualified in post-race tech inspection for having three-wheel brakes. That will certainly shake up the point race with only four events remaining.
Chris Woodard needed a big night in the Daugherty Auto Sales Mini Stocks to get himself back in the points race, as point leader Ron Dailey Jr. had won several races over the last month. Woodard did just that, taking the lead on lap nine and scoring the victory.
Jeff Daugherty was the early leader, battling with John Hand Jr. for the top spot early. Woodard reeled Daugherty in on lap eight and started making moves to get by the young driver from Elmira. On lap nine, Woodard took the Harris Logging No. 97 to the lead off the second turn.
Dailey charged to the front of the pack late, challenging Daugherty for the second position. Dailey would be able to get by the 2015 Warrior track champion, as Woodard would get the win over Daugherty, Dailey, Rick Amidon and Brian Grant Jr.
Matt Prescott set the pace early for the Woodhull Auto Supply Front Wheel Drives, but it would be Carl LaBarron who would take home Front Wheel Drive glory at night's end. LaBarron won his first feature event of the 2016 season.
Prescott paced the field early, but Harrison Valley, PA pilot Codie Baker worked his way by Prescott for the lead down the backstretch on lap four. Prescott was now left to battle with point leader Shawn Gleason for the top spot.
LaBarron saw an opportunity and went to the outside lane on lap seven to steal the lead from Baker at the line to put lap eight on the board. He would spend the remaining twelve laps weaving in and out of lap traffic, trying to keep the battle for second behind him.
Prescott emerged as the runner-up finisher, but wouldn't give up chasing LaBarron down until the checkered flag was in sight. LaBarron took the win over Prescott, Baker, Dave Richmond and Gleason.
Ajay Potrzebowski Jr. took the lead on lap three of the Daugherty Auto Sales Warriors ten-lap feature event. Potrzebowski looked to pull away for yet another win on Saturday night, but some late race adversity almost saw the win evaporate.
Potrzebowski and Cole Youse had contact in the third turn with three laps to go, with the caution coming out and the No. 72 and 8 joining the tail of the field for the restart.
This handed the lead over to Corning, NY driver Brody Amidon. Amidon led lap eight on the restart, but Potrzebowski dove to the bottom in turn four to reclaim the lead at the white flag. Potrzebowski would hold on to the lead to score the win over Amidon with a career-best run of second, Youse third, Trevor Hamilton fourth and Kayley Potrzebowski the top five.
This Saturday at Woodhull Raceway, the 270 Micro Sprints will join a regular program taking the green flag at 6:30PM.
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 Shawknee Acres Farms Night Official Results August 6th, 2016
INSINGER PERFORMANCE 370 MODIFIEDS, 17 cars (25 Laps): BILLY VANPELT (4), Donnie Lawson, Dillon Groover, Mike Bills, Russell Morseman, Boyd MacTavish, Eric Fisher, Josh Nobriga, Ryan Tracey, Brian Doolittle, Kevin Chilson, Kenny Peoples Jr., Josh Sawyer, Andrew Jacobus, Bobby Davis DNS: Cory Costa DQ: Joe Dgien
H1- Joe Dgien, Mike Bills, Ryan Tracey H2- Billy Van Pelt, Russell Morseman, Kevin Chilson H3- Kenny Peoples Jr., Donnie Lawson, Eric Fisher
WOODHULL AUTO SUPPLY FWD, 13 cars (20 Laps): CARL LABARRON (1), Matt Prescott, Codie Baker, Dave Richmond, Shawn Gleason, Ron Hill, Joe Birdsall, Adam Delgrosso, Joe Gillespie, Robert Haynes, Jordan Keefer, Hans Seeger DNS: Nate Freeland
H1- Adam Delgrosso, Carl LaBarron, Matt Prescott H2- Dave Richmond, Codie Baker, Shawn Gleason
NAPA CRATE SPORTSMAN, 19 cars (25 Laps): CHRIS DAUGHERTY (5), Josh Keesey, Dayton Brewer, Brandon Martin, Brandon Butler, AJ Costley, Stacy Jackson, Mike Jackson, Steve Hartman III, Collin Brown, David Mayo, Tim Guild, Mike Buchanan, Greg Young, Mickey Wilbur, Jerry Aldrich, Tracy Stanford, Dan Michaud, Jake Dgien
H1- Brandon Butler, Collin Brown, Jake Dgien H2- Josh Keesey, Stacy Jackson, David Mayo H3- Chris Daugherty, Tim Guild, Brandon Martin
JOE WILLCOX PERFORMANCE AUTOMATICS STREET STOCKS, 13 cars (20 Laps): KURT STEBBINS (3), Teddy Morseman, Tracy Dunn, Glenn Whritenour, Brett Marlatt, Dennis Cummings, Zane King Jr., Trevor Tompkins, Brandon Morseman, Matt Hamilton, Allison Pierce, Dan Gardner DQ: Dylan Cecce
H1- Glenn Whritenour, Dennis Cummings, Tracy Dunn H2- Kurt Stebbins, Ted Morseman, Dan Gardner
SWL AWARDS 360 LATE MODELS: BRUCE MILLER (5), Jason McGregor, Steve LeBarron, Kurt Stebbins, Mickey Seeley, Bobby Lubberts, Wally Wade, Jacob McConnell, Glenn Whritenour, Zach Carley, Carl Hughes, Rick Loucks DNS: Jay McConnell
H1- Steve LeBarron, Bruce Miller, Glenn Whritenour H2- Carl Hughes, Jake McConnell, Wally Wade
DAUGHERTY AUTO SALES MINI STOCKS: CHRIS WOODARD (5), Jeffery Daugherty, Ron Dailey Jr., Rick Amidon, Brian Grant Jr., John Hand Jr., Karl Born, Brian Grant Sr., Chip Warner, Ajay Potrzebowski Sr., Jason Warner, Derrick Puryear, Scott Lehman, Ray Hyer, Chris Hand, Dave Little DNS: Pat Toupin
H1- Chip Warner, Chris Woodard, Brian Grant Jr. H2- Ray Hyer, John Hand Jr.,Brain Grant Sr.
DAUGHERTY AUTO SALES WARRIORS, 6 cars (10 laps): AJAY POTRZEBOWSKI JR. (5), Brody Amidon, Cole Youse, Trevor Hamilton, Kayley Potrzebowski, Noah Talada