Story By: KENNY SHUPP / WOODHULL RACEWAY – WOODHULL, NY – It was Law Enforcement Night at the Woodhull Raceway with Reaper Forestry Mulching onboard to help promote the Great 8 Show in addition to the running of the NYPENN Modified Tour.
With afternoon rainstorms, the skies parted late in the day allowing Woodhull to get their May 20 show into the books albeit a late start due to massive track preparations, however the show did go on and into the record books.
Ray Hyer kept his perfect record in-tact winning the shortened 20 lap Wicked Tee’s sponsored $1,000 to win Mini Stock Special. Originally scheduled for 30 laps, due to the lateness of the show it was bumped back ten laps, however that made no difference to the veteran, Hyer as he cruised to the win from his outside front row starting spot. Travis Southard would lead the fourteen car field to the opening green, but it was Hyer jumping out to the early advantage and never looked back in making it three straight trips to victory lane as he remains perfect on the 2023 season and in doing so had his biggest payday in his long driving career which has found him competing in virtually every division that has ever competed at Woodhull in its fifty-eight year history.
Following Hyer across the line was Teddy Morseman Jr. who began the event inside row three. Craig DeCamp had one of his best runs of the season finishing third while Danielle Thomas would finish fourth after running in the lead pack the entire distance. Tony Dickerson continues his impressive and consistent 2023 season by rounding the top five after beginning the event outside the top ten.
Joe Dgien wasted little time in powering his way into the lead from his second row starting spot as he would go on to claim his first victory of the season in the Insinger Performance Modified Division. Dgien’s dominating performance sends a message to the rest of the field that he is on a mission to defend his 2022 class championship.
A pair of second-generation drivers in Dayton Brewer and Mike Bills would lead the seventeen-car field to the opening green, but Dgien had assumed the top spot early in the twenty-five-lap grind.
A half dozen yellow flags would keep the field bunched and, on each re-start, Dgien would open a comfortable margin over the rest of the field.
May 13, 2023, feature winner, Ajay Potrzebowski Jr. had worked his way through traffic from his third row starting spot and was up to second by the halfway mark as three cautions on laps seventeen to twenty would put the third-generation pilot squarely on Dgien’s rear bumper, however Dgien was up to the challenge as he crossed the line with a comfortable winning margin over Potrzebowski who wound up second. Josy Keesey finally had a good run after two consecutive weeks of setbacks, none of his own doing as he found his way to the podium in finishing third. Russ Morseman came back to claim fourth after going to the rear after getting swept up in an early event incident in turns three and four. Donnie Lawson put on yet another of his patented consistent and patient runs to round out the top five finishers.
Jason Knowles found his way back into Woodhull’s Pepsi Victory Lane in claiming the twenty lap Doug Gross Construction RUSH Crate Late Model feature but did not come easy as he had to hold off relentless pressure from last week’s winner, Steve LeBarron.
Knowles would begin the event alongside LeBarron in row three but was able to get by coming through traffic and that was the difference as the pair would march to the front and distance themselves from the rest of the field.
Knowles was able to fend off numerous challenges by LeBarron and that is how they would finish the event. Brian Knowles would begin the event in the ninth spot on the opening grid and move into the top three, but that is as far as he would go as he was followed across the line by last year’s Rookie of the Year, Brett Marlatt who would claim fourth. Austin Allen would make a nice recovery from a lap three spin to drive home to a hard earned fifth place finish.
It was age and experience versus youth and exuberance as Stacy Jackson and Blake Lawson would lead the fifteen-car field to the opening green in the twenty-five lap NAPA Crate Sportsman feature go.
After a year of wrecked equipment and frustration, Jackson was finally able to put it all together in claiming the victory, his first of the season. 2022 Sportsman Track Champion, Isabel Barron would rebound nicely from last week’s set back to chase Jackson across the line after beginning the event outside row two with May 13 feature winner, Kenny Peoples capping off the top three podium finishers after starting fifth on the grid. Veteran driver, Tim Guild advanced two positions from the opening green to finish fourth as Blake Lawson would race in the lead pack the entire distance to round the top five.
Jeredd Dennis has many accomplishments in the popular KMD Excavating Hobby Stock Class including multiple feature wins and track titles. By the luck of the re-draw, Dennis would start the twenty lap Hobby Stock feature inside row two, pass a pair of seasoned drivers in Tracy Dunn and Brian Austin who would line up in front of him as he would to on to back up last week’s feature victory. Dunn would put in a solid effort to claim the runner-up spot as he was chased across the line by Teddy Morseman Jr who competed in no less than three divisions on the night. Class sponsor, Paul Dgien of KMD Excavating was once again able to rely on his consistent driving to bring home fourth advancing one spot from his third row starting position. Like Dgien before him, opening night winner, Brandon Conklin would also advance one position to round the top five.
Clayton McClean sold off his Hobby Stock equipment a couple seasons ago and took a year off to regroup. He came back this year in a sharp looking and well- prepared Southern Tier Customs Street Stock and has been strong in every outing. McClean was able to draw pole position for the twenty-lap feature and took full advantage of his front row starting spot to claim his first win of the campaign.
Travis Webster was able to shake off a pair of dismal finishes to claim the runner-up spot after lining up fourth on the opening grid as he was challenged by Kurt Stebbins who would nail the third spot. Stebbins had a night off from his regular Saturday night gig of promoting the Genesee Speedway in Batavia and returned to the track where he has had so much success in the past. Last week’s winner, Mick Seeley continues to have a stellar 2023 season and after last weeks feature win, he would put on another solid performance to claim fourth at the double checkers with Jimmy Grant making a rare Woodhull appearance taking home fifth place money.
Wes Houghtaling continues to dominate the Wicked Tee’s FWD Division, however Nate Freeland has returned to Woodhull this season after a long lay-off and he has given Houghtaling fits the past couple weeks. Again, on this night the pair would go toe to toe in the twenty-lap feature, but it was Houghtaling holding off opening night winner, Freeland, to claim his second of the season backing up last week’s victory. Richard Wager, Andrew Thomas and Tyler Houghtaling would go on to complete the top five.
Prior to intermission, the Wicked Tee’s Youth Warrior Division would find an impressive nine competitors take to the high banked one-third of a mile clay oval and after several caution flags mostly for laze spins opening night winner, Kayleigh Morseman would go on to claim win number two on the season. Brayden Feenaughty lined up in the last starting row, kept his nose clean in claiming second as he was followed across the line by Izzabella Morseman who continues her impressive sophomore season in the division. Her brother, Russ Morseman IV would recover from an early event incident to nip Nolan Baker at the line as they would finish fourth and fifth respectfully. Courtney Thomas, Jacob Stone, Des-A Rae Miles and Alivia Sullivan would complete the field.
The NYPENN IMCA Division would make their first of two appearances at Woodhull for the 2023 season bringing along a solid field of twelve drivers. Eddie Sites would hold off relentless pressure from Rich Michael Jr to claim the win as the pair went at it over the closing laps.
Congratulations to all competitors on the night and to everyone who showed patience regarding the very late start and early Sunday morning finish due to the afternoon rains which caused extensive track preparation.
Up next week at Woodhull it’s the Annual George Williams Memorial Great 8 Show including a special 30 lap, $2,500 to win Insinger Performance Modified feature to kick off the first holiday weekend of the 2023 season.
WOODHULL RACEWAY RESULTS. May 20, 2023. UNOFFICIAL
Car counts based on opening night draw, not on how many compete in features.
Steuben County Law Enforcement Night. Reaper Forestry Mulching.
INSINGER PERFORMANCE MODIFIEDS. (17 cars)
25 lap feature. JOE DGIEN, Ajay Potrzebowski Jr., Josh Keesey, Russ Morseman, Donnie Lawson, Brian Doolittle, Bob Silvernail, Steve Coots, Sheldon Gardner, Dayton Brewer, Jake Dgien, Ajay Potrzebowski Sr., Wally Wade, Adam Coots, Brady Fultz, Cole Youse, Mike Bills.
NAPA 602 CRATE SPORTSMAN. (15 cars)
25 lap feature. STACY JACKSON, Isabel Barron, Kenny Peoples Jr., Tim Guild, Blake Lawson, Cayden Lawson, Connor Brown, Carter Crooker, AJ Costley, Kevin DeCamp, Ethan Decker, George Schweigart, Quinton Buchanon, Kyle Leach.
DOUG GROSS CONSTRUCTION RUSH CRATE LATE MODELS. (13 cars)
20 lap feature. JASON KNOWLES, Steve LeBarron, Brian Knowles, Brett Marlatt, Austin Allen, Rickie Loucks, Joe Layfield, Garrett Heffner, Jacob Tubbs, Marshall O’Brian, John Waters, Kurt Stebbins, Pat Parker
NYPENN IMCA MODIFIEDS. (12 cars)
25 lap feature. EDDIE SITES, Rich Michael Jr., Jake Maynard, Tyler Stoddard, Shawn Bruce, Lance Conley, Jake McConnell, Tyler Belcher, Bob Maynard, Rodney Morgan, Brad Sites, Gary Roberts.
SOUTHERN TIER CUSTOMS STREET STOCKS. (15 cars)
20 lap feature. CLAYTON MCCLEAN, Travis Webster, Kurt Stebbins, Mick Seeley, Jimmy Grant, Brett Crawford, Jim Buck, Jesse Tuthill, Teddy Morseman Jr., Willy Easling, Like Boom, Leonard Kobbe Jr., Lenny Kobbe, Branden Morseman.
KMD EXCAVATING HOBBY STOCKS. (13 cars)
20 lap feature. JEREDD DENNIS (2), Tracy Dunn, Teddy Morseman Jr., Paul Dgien, Brandon Conklin, Mike Spencer, Kaiden Dgien, Brian Austin, Meadow Dgien, Glenn VanCise, Scott Brown, Dale Houghtaling, Hunter Williams.
WICKED TEE’S MINI STOCKS. (14 cars)
20 lap feature. RAY HYER (3), Teddy Morseman Jr., Craig DeCamp, Danielle Thomas, Tony Dickerson, Jason Warner, Chis Hand, Jaden Stone, Ryan Stone, John Hand, Travis Southard, Jordan Costley, Chris Woodard. DQ. Willy Easling.
WICKED TEE’S FWD. (8 cars)
20 lap feature. WESLEY HOUGHTALING (2), Nate Freeland, Richard Wagner, Andrew Thomas, Tyler Houghtaling, Kevin Doud, Joah Stone
WICKED TEE’S WARRIORS. (9 cars)
10 lap feature. KAYLEIGH MORSEMAN (2), Brandon Feenaughty, Izzabella Morseman, Russ Morseman IV, Nolan Baker, Courtney Thomas, Jacob Stone, Des-A-Rae Miles, Alivia Sullivan.