Story By: KENNY SHUPP / WOODHULL RACEWAY – WOODHULL, NY – For the first time in his career, Ajay Potrzebowski Jr. picked up a feature win on the high banks of the Woodhull Raceway.
Having won a feature in the youth Warrior Division several years ago, since then the third-generation pilot from Horseheads, NY has not been able to find his way back to victory lane albeit he has only run a limited schedule at the historic Steuben County facility.
Lining up third on the opening starting grid, Potrzebowski followed early race leader, Jake Dgien for the first eleven circuits before taking command on a lap twelve restart. From there he had to withstand a pair of yellow flag slowdowns on laps seventeen and twenty-two before going onto the popular win.
Jake Dgien held off a late race rally by Russ Morseman as the pair would go on to complete the podium finishing spots. Front row starter, Joe Dgien ran with the lead group the entire twenty-five lap distance to finish fourth while Donnie Lawson completed the top five.
Second generation pilot, Kenny Peoples wasted little time in taking command of the NAPA Crate Sportsman feature event from his outside front row starting position as he would pick-up his first feature win of the season.
Tim Guild would lead the opening lap before giving way to Peoples as the pair would distance themselves from the third pace finishing machine of Cayden Lawson who advanced four spots from his original seventh place starting position.
No less than a half dozen caution flags would slow the pace as veteran competitor, Stacy Jackson would begin the event in the last starting row to come home fourth while Blake Lawson would round out the top five after starting the event outside row four.
The Wicked Tee’s Front Wheel Drive Division would compete in the highly touted, Fast and Furious twenty-five lap feature and at the completion of the quarter century grind it was 2022 class Track Champion, Wesley Houghtaling taking home the $1,000 winners check as he held off a hard charging Adam DelGrosso who finished second. Third place went to Codie Baker who came out of semi-retirement for the event as he was chased across the line by Jason Porter who made the long haul from Freeport, Maine. Andrew Thomas would complete the top five finishers in the green to checkered event.
In the Southern Tier Customs Street Stock twenty lap feature event, Travis Webster and last week’s feature winner, Glen Whritenour would lead the field to the opening green flag with Whritenour taking command off the opening green flag. GW would remain in control till lap thirteen when he would exit the event with a broken rear suspension handing the top spot to Mick Seeley. Seeley would lead the last seven laps to claim the victory as he was followed across the line by 2022 Track Champion, Brett Crawford who just nipped Clayton McClean at the wire as the pair would complete the podium finishers.
Teddy Morseman would begin the event in the last starting row and would go on to finish fourth as Willy Easling would complete the top five.
Sixteen machines would take the opening green in the KMD Excavating Hobby Stock twenty lap A Main with Meadow Dgien and Brandon Conklin setting the early pace from their front row starting spots. Jeredd Dennis wasted no time in taking control on lap four from Meadow Dgien who surrendered the top spot after leading the opening trio of laps and from there Dennis, the two time and defending Track Champion would go on to his first win of the season. Only one late race caution flag would slow the pace with that coming on lap seventeen, however, Jeredd Dennis was not to be denied the victory as he was chased across the line by last weeks feature winner, Brandon Conklin with Mike Spencer, Paul Dgien and Kaiden Dgien completing the top five.
The Doug Gross Construction RUSH Crate Late Models found Steve LeBarron and Noah Tolada bring the fourteen-car field to the opening green. LeBarron would immediately assume the top spot and opened a sizable distance between himself and Brian Knowles. While negotiating lap traffic on lap eight, Knowles was collected by the spinning machine of Patrick Parker bringing out the first caution. On the ensuing restart, LeBarron was under fire from Jason Knowles with Austin Allen entering the fight as the top three would distance themselves from the field.
Lap seventeen and twenty-two yellow flag slowdowns would again bunch the field and on each restart, LeBarron was able to hold off relentless pressure from The Jet, Jason Knowles as he would go onto his first win of the 2023 season. Austin Allen would nip Knowles at the wire for second as the two would complete the podium finishers. Aaron Miller began the event in seventh and advanced three spots to claim fourth at the double checkered flags with John Haggerty rounding the top five after lining up eleventh on the opening grid.
The Wicked Tee’s Mini Stocks wrapped up the night of action as Travis Southard along with his companion, Danielle Thomas would bring the eleven-car field to the opening green. Last week’s feature winner, Ray Hyer disposed of both Southard and Thomas and was the new race leader by lap two and from there he would cruise to the win. Like Hyer, Chris Woodard has also spent a lot of years behind the wheel of a rear wheel driven 4 Cylinder Mini Stock. The Campbell, Ny speedster began the event inside row three and would break free of the pack and started to track down Hyer who was continuing to set the pace. However, Hyer was too tough to handle for the second consecutive week and went on to the win with Woodard finishing in the runner-up spot. Danielle Thomas stayed within the lead group the entire distance to claim third with John Hand and Craig DeCamp rounding the top five.
Congratulations to all competitors.
111 machines lined the pit area representing all eight of the weekly divisions that the track has to offer.
Several staff members from Superior Propane of Woodhull were on hand to dish out plaques to all feature winners in Pepsi Victory Lane.
Up next at Woodhull it will be Law Enforcement Night which includes all local Fire, Rescue and EMS members from across the region.
On the card for the May 20 event the Wicked Tee’s Mini Stocks will run a special 30 lap, $1,000 to win feature event. In addition to the NAPA Sportsman, the Insinger Performance Modifieds, the Doug Gross Construction RUSH Crate Late Models, KMD Excavating Hobby Stocks, Southern Tier Customs Street Stocks and Wicked Tee’s FWD Classes will all see action.
Also, the NYPENN IMCA Modifieds will make their first of two appearances at the speedway in what promises to be a must attend show.
Grandstand gates for the May 20, 2023 show open at 4:30 with racing at 6:30 pm.
WOODHULL RACEWAY RESULTS AND STORY. May 13, 2023. Superior Propane Night. Unofficial.
Car counts are based on opening night draw, not on how many cars start feature events.
WICKED TEE’S FWD (13 cars)
25 lap feature. WESLEY HOUGHTALING, Adam Delgrosso, Codie Baker, Jason Porter, Andrew Thomas, Preston Cobb, Joshua Stone, Robert Haynes, Garrett Wilson, Jacob Tubbs. DNS. Nate Freeland, Tyler Houghtaling, Carl O’Dell
INSINGER PERFORMANCE MODIFIEDS. (19 cars)
25 lap feature. AJAY POTRZEBOWSKI JR., Jake Dgien, Russ Morseman, Joe Dgien, Donnie Lawson, Brady Fultz, Dayton Brewer, Mike Bills, Ajay Potrzebowski Sr., Eric Grice, Cole Youse, Brian Doolittle, Steve Coots, Sheldon Gardner, Adam Coots, Ron Cartwright Jr., Josh Keesey, Aiden Grover, Bob Silvernail.
DOUG GROSS CONSTRUCTION RUSH CRATE LATE MODELS. (14 cars)
25 lap feature. STEVE LEBARRON, Austin Allen, Jason Knowles, Aaron Miller, John Haggerty, Jacob Tubbs, Brian Knowles, Wayne Robertson, Joe Layfield, Noah Talada, Patrick Parker, Rickie Loucks, Garrett Heffner, Brett Marlatt.
NAPA CRATE SPORTSMAN. (19 cars)
25 lap feature. KENNY PEOPLES JR., Tim Guild, Cayden Lawson, Stacy Jackson, Blake Lawson, Adam Taft, Kyle Leach, Quintin Buchanan, Kevin DeCamp, George Schweigart, Glenn Trowbridge, Isabel Barron, Connor Brown, David Mayo, AJ Costley, Matt Strauss, Ethan Decker.
SOUTHERN TIER CUSTOMS STREET STOCKS. (10 cars)
20 lap feature. MICK SEELEY, Brett Crawford, Clayton McClean, Teddy Morseman, Willy Easling, Like Boom, Jesse Tuthill, Glenn Whritenour, Travis Webster, Jim Buck
KMD EXCAVATING HOBBY STOCKS. (17 cars)
20 lap feature. JEREDD DENNIS, Brandon Conklin, Mike Spencer, Paul Dgien, Kaiden Dgien, Meadow Dgien, Dillon Philip, Brian Austin, Bradly Morseman, Dale Houghtaling, Tracy Dunn, Scott Brown, Glenn VanCise, Scooter Brown, Hunter Willilams, Thomas Bostwick, Stephen Knapp
WICKED TEE’S MINI STOCKS. (11 cars)
20 lap feature. RAY HYER (2), Chris Woodard, Danielle Thomas, John Hand, Craig DeCamp, Cody Morehouse, Travis Southard, Ryan Stone, Christopher Hand, Jaden Stone, Jessie Smith.
WICKED TEE’S WARRIORS. (8 cars)
10 lap feature. RUSSELL MORSEMAN IV, Kayleigh Morseman, Nolan Baker, Brayden Feenaughty, Jacob Stone, Courtney Thomas, Des-A-Rae Miles, Izzabella Morseman,