Story By: KENNY SHUPP / WOODHULL RACEWAY – WOODHULL, NY – For the second time this season, the 2022 Insinger Performance Modified Track Champion, Joe Dgien firmly planted his potent machine in the Woodhull Raceway Pepsi Victory Lane on Sawyer’s RV and Camper Service and Repair Night.
In addition, the track also welcomed Active-Duty Armed Forces personnel to the track for the June 10, 2023 event.
By the luck of the re-draw, Dgien and Donnie Lawson would lead the seventeen- car field to green with Dgien immediately assuming command of the twenty-five-lap event. Only three caution flags slowed the event for single car mechanical problems on laps seven, fifteen and twenty-two and on each re-start Dgien was able to pull away to a commanding lead and as the double checkers waved on the field he had a five car length advantage over Donnie Lawson with Russ Morseman making a late race pass of Ajay Potrzebowski Jr. as they would finish third and fourth respectively. Brian Doolittle would begin the event in fourth, race with the lead pack throughout the entire distance to round the top five.
The largest field of the season took the opening green flag in the NAPA Crate Sportsman twenty-five lap feature as veteran competitor Tony Harris would lead the twenty-car field to the opening green flag. Yellow fever was the name of the game in the early going as a trio of caution flags would appear before the second lap could be completed. When the event finally got going Harris would assume the lead followed by 2022 Track Champion, Isabel Barron.
By the halfway mark Harris was still in command with Barron glued to his rear bumper as the lead duo began to distance themselves from the third place running machine of Connor Brown with Blake Lawson and Kenny Peoples Jr. in the top five.
With a handful of laps to go Peoples Jr. was beginning to make noise as he powered around the outside of both Lawson and Brown and was rapidly closing in on both Barron and Harris, but time ran out as Harris would take the win chased across the line by Barron with Peoples Jr. completing the top three podium finishers. Fourth place went to opening night feature winner, Connor Brown with Blake Lawson nailing down fifth.
Young gun, Aaron Miller and veteran driver, John Haggerty would bring the Doug Gross Construction RUSH Crate Late Model eighteen car starting field to the opening green flag with Miller immediately jumping into the lead. Caution one would fly on lap seven for the disabled machine of Brian Knowles entering pit road. On the restart Miller would hold onto the lead until lap ten when inside row two starter, Austin Allen would take control just before the second caution flag would wave. At the half-way mark Allen was still setting a torrid pace, but opening night winner and former RUSH Series Champion, John Waters was flying through traffic on the outside of the speedway and was up to second place. Inside of five to go and it was still Allen in control with Waters now just a few car lengths behind, however time would run out and that is how they would finish with Austin Allen taking his first feature win of the season. Waters would have to settle for second after beginning the event in tenth as Aaron Miller would keep things close by finishing third. Last week’s feature winner, Brett Marlatt and May 20 winner, Jason Knowles would complete the top five.
The Wicked Tee’s sponsored Mini Stocks and Front Wheel Drives ran a combined twenty lap feature with just a few early event yellow flags slowing the pace. After suffering mechanical woes last week, four- time 2023 Mini Stock feature winner, Ray Hyer found his way back into Pepsi Victory Lane making it five wins on the campaign as he was followed across the line by John Hand Jr. with Danielle Thomas, Jaden Stone and John Cogswell completing the top five.
In the Front Wheel Drive’s, Don Williams began the event outside row six and was able to make his way into the top spot by lap fifteen and from there go on to pick up his first ever feature win at Woodhull and with that ended the four-week reign of terror put on by Wesley Houghtaling who would have to settle for second place. Following the lead duo across the line in third was Ridge Cobb with Preston Cobb and Kevin Bacon rounding the top five.
It took several tries before the Southern Tier Customs Street Stocks could get a lap into the books as caution after caution flag for multiple car wrecks would find several drivers heading pit side for repairs.
When things did get settled and everyone found their rhythm the remainder of the twenty-lap feature went off with a hitch as Branden Morseman was finally able to put all the pieces together in claiming his first feature win of the season. However, his win was hard earned as one- time 2023 feature winner, Mick Seeley kept putting incredible pressure on Morseman as the pair distanced themselves from the rest of the field. Jesse Tuthill who would begin the event in the last starting row and would put on masterful drive finishing third, perhaps his best outing at Woodhull in several years of trying. Travis Webster and opening night winner, Glen Whritenour would complete the top five.
Kaiden Dgien looked to be on his way to his first feature win of the season in the KMD Excavation Hobby Stock feature until lap seventeen when took a nasty flip ended his night prematurely. After the red flag stoppage, Jeredd Dennis would go on to his fourth win of the 2023 season after a spirited battle with Dgien prior to the accident. Last week’s winner, Tracy Dunn had another solid feature in finishing second as he was chased across the line by opening night winner, Brandon Conklin. Paul Dgien would put on a nice drive winding up fourth after starting seventh while Scott Brown would improve five spots to complete the top five. The KMD Excavating Hobby Stock Division continues to grow each week providing fans with some of the most competitive racing week in and week out.
It was not a total loss for Kaiden Dgien as he wore the cape and crown earlier in the evening defeating Bradly Morseman in the final round to claim the King of the Bull Ring one-on-one single elimination for the KMD Excavation Hobby Stocks
After a lap one red flag for a front straight away collision between Kaytlin Morseman and Izzabella Morseman, things settled down and the remainder of the ten lap Wicked Tee’s Warrior feature was run off without any other incident. Russ Morseman IV was once again the class of the field as he led the entire distance in claiming his fourth win of the season and third in a row. Markus Kerr came home in second place as he was followed across the line by Courtney Thomas, Alivia Sullivan and Brayden Feenaughty who completed the top five. The remainder of the finishing order included Des-A-Rae Miles, Kayleigh Morseman, Izzabella Morseman and Jacob Stone.
During intermission Tracy Dunn who competes in the KMD Excavation Hobby Stocks was presented with the Driver of the Week Award for his feature win on June 3, 2023. Also, during intermission activities, Brayden Feenaughty who competes in the Wicked Tee’s Youth Warrior Division was chosen as the Junior Fan of the Week’s Favorite Driver.
Congratulations to all competitors.
Up next week at Woodhull it will be a Regular Great 8 Show in addition to a King of the Bull Ring Special for the Doug Gross Construction RUSH Crate Late Models. Also, the ladies will get their turn on the high banked one-third of a mile clay oval in a special Hobby Stock Powder Puff Race.
WOODHULL RACEWAY RESULTS. JUNE 10, 2023. UNOFFICIAL!
Sawyers RV and Camper Repair and Service Night. Active-Duty Armed Service Night.
INSINGER PERFORMANCE MODIFIEDS. (17 cars)
25 lap feature. JOE DGIEN (2), Donnie Lawson, Russ Morseman, Ajay Potrzebowski Jr., Brian Doolittle, Josh Keesey, Jake Dgien, Dayton Brewer, Ajay Potrzebowski Sr., Steve Coots, Bob Silvernail, Adam Coots, Aiden Grover, Brady Fultz, Wally Wade, Brayden Bills, Eric Grice.
NAPA CRATE SPORTSMAN. (20 cars)
25 lap feature. TONY HARRIS, Isabel Barron, Kenny Peoples Jr, Connor Brown Blake Lawson, Ethan Decker, George Schweigart, Carter Crooker, Kreg Crooker, Greg Crooker, Dalton Maynard, David Mayo, Kyle Leach, Glenn Trowbridge, Tim Guild, Stacy Jackson, Quintin Buchanan, Cayden Lawson, Adam Taft, Keviin Decamp.
DOUG GROSS CONSTRUCTION RUSH CRATE LATE MODELS. (18 cars)
20 lap feature. AUSTIN ALLEN, John Waters, Aaron Miller, Brett Marlatt, Jason Knowles, Jake Wilbur, Jacob Tubbs, Garrett Heffner, Rickie Loucks, Joe Layfield, Todd Chapman, Tony Kelley, Noah Talada, Steve LeBarron, Marshall O’Brian, Chuck LaFleur, John Haggerty, Brian Knowles.
SOUTHERN TIER CUSTOMS STREET STOCKS. (12 cars)
20 lap feature. BRANDEN MORSEMAN, Mick Seeley, Jesse Tuthill, Travis Webster, Glenn Whritenour, Brett Crawford, Jim Buck, Luke Boom, Teddy Morseman, Mike Williams, Willy Easling, Clayton McClean
KMD EXCAVATION HOBBY STOCKS. (16 cars)
20 lap feature. JEREDD DENNIS (4), Tracy Dunn, Brandon Conklin, Paul Dgien, Scott Brown, Bradly Morseman, Mike Spencer, Glenn VanCise, Stephen Knapp, Hunter Williams, Meadow Dgien, Kaiden Dgien, Dale Houghtaling, Thomas Bostwick, Jeremy Smith, Blake Furman,
King of the Bull Ring. KAIDEN DGIEN
WICKED TEE’S MINI STOCKS. (8 cars)
20 lap feature. RAY HYER (4), John Hand Jr., Danielle Thomas, Jaden Stone, John Cogswell, Ryan Stone, Travis Southard, Joshua Stone.
WICKED TEE’S FWD. (11 cars)
20 lap feature. DON WILLIAMS, Wes Houghtaling, Ridge Cobb, Preston Cobb, Kevin Bacon, Kevin Doud, Andrew Thomas, John Michael, Ken Weatherly, Nate Freeland, Bill Weatherly.
WICKED TEE’S YOUTH WARRIORS. (9 cars)
10 lap feature. RUSS MORSEMAN IV (4), Markus Kerr, Courtney Thomas, Alivia Sullivan, Brayden Feenaughty, Des-A-Rae Miles, Keyleigh Morseman, Izzabella Morseman, Jacob Stone.