Story By: KENNY SHUPP / WOODHULL RACEWAY – WOODHULL, NY – Ajay Potrzebowski Jr. of Elmira picked up his second win of the season this past Saturday as he won his first ever Jim Williams Memorial Trophy.
A trio of sponsors teamed up to market the show including Schweigart’s Sugar Shack and Maple Products in Woodhull, Louie’s Gun Shop of Bath as well as TP’s Concrete and Construction in Hornell.
With the feature re-draw in place, Potrzebowski Jr. drew pole for the 25-lap feature event as he and Jake Dgien would lead the twenty car Modified field to the opening green. From the first lap on it was clear that the third- generation pilot had the car to beat as he was able to hold court at the top of the heap throughout the entire distance and go on to claim the win and with it stretch his current high point advantage in the Insinger Performance Modified Division. June third feature winner, Jake Dgien would chase Potrzebowski the entire distance after lining up outside of row one with his cousin and two-time 2023 feature winner, Joe Dgien coming home third at the finish. Russ Morseman continued one of his more consistent seasons by advancing three spots from seventh to claim fourth while veteran competitor Donnie Lawson would race within the lead pack the entire distance to round the top five.
Jeredd Dennis once again showed his mastery in the KMD Excavating Hobby Stock Division as the defending Track Champion picked up his fifth feature event win of the season, however it did not come easy by any means as he had to hold off a determined Kaiden Dgien as the two heavy weights put on another clinic in front of a packed grandstands.
Scott Brown and two- time 2023 feature winner, Tracy Dunn would lead the field to green, however it did not take long for sixth and seventh place starters Dennis and Dgien to march towards the front. After clearing Dunn to take command of the top two positions, Dennis and Dgien had everything in place to decide it man to man, however Dunn would keep the top two well within striking distance as the lead group would put several car lengths between themselves and the fourth place running Brandon Conklin. With the laps winding down and Dgien trying every trick in the book, it was Jeredd Dennis coming home for the “W” as he was able to keep Dgien and Dunn at bay. Conklin would nail down fourth place with Scott Brown completing the top five.
Kenny Peoples Jr. ran away and hid in claiming his fourth NAPA Crate Sportsman feature win of the season. Blake Lawson and Rookie of the Year contender, George Schweigart III led the sixteen-car field to the opening green, but it was Peoples Jr. taking command from his outside row two starting spot and cruising to the win. Isabel Barron lined up sixth on the opening grid and followed Peoples through traffic but was unable to make any serious threats in attempting to pick-up her first feature win of the season, however Barron’s runner-up finish keeps her solidly in second place in the point tally behind Peoples. Josh Nobriga passed five cars in route to a solid third place run as he was chased across the line by Blake Lawson who ran with the lead pack the entire distance as two- time 2023 feature winner, Stacy Jackson would complete the top five.
In the Doug Gross Construction RUSH Crate Late Model twenty lap feature, Steve LeBarron backed up his May 13 win as he nailed feature two on the season, but it did not come easy for the Troupsburg, NY speedster as he had the Knowles brothers all over him for the victory. LeBarron has been fast all season, but a few gremlins have kept him out of Pepsi Victory Lane, but he was not to be denied on this night as he held off relentless pressure by the Knowles Boys with defending Track Champ, Brian taking the runner-up spot over brother Jason who has one feature win to his credit this season. 2023 class Rookie of the Year, Brett Marlatt had his second fourth place finish in a row with Austin Allen, who won the past two CLM features rounding the top five.
An even dozen Southern Tier Customs Street Stocks would take the opening green. Teddy Morseman has been a picture of consistency thus far with no less than a handful of top five finishes in the ultra-competitive division which has produced five different winners in the first seven nights of competition. On this night the second- generation pilot was not to be denied as he held off one of the northeast’s toughest Street Stock drivers in Glenn Whritenour to take his first of 2023. Whritenour would take second less than a quarter of a second behind Morseman as the Jasper, NY speedster was trying to back up his opening night win. Last season’s Track Champion and June 3, 2023 feature winner, Brett Crawford took home third place money with Jim Buck having a great run finishing fourth with two time “23” winner and class Rookie contender, Clayton McClean rounding the top five.
John Hand Jr. rebounded after last weeks heartbreaking loss to pick up his first Wicked Tee’s 4 Cylinder Mini Stock feature of the season. Four-time feature winner in 2023, Ray Hyer along with Ryan Stone would start in the front row and bring the field to green. Hand would begin the event inside row two, but all eyes were on last row starter, Danielle Thomas who picked up last weeks feature win, her first ever. At the completion of the twenty- lap grind, Hand Jr. had finally gotten the monkey off his back after several good runs this season. Danielle Thomas kept her perfect 2023 top five feature finishes in-tact nailing second at the double checkers with last year’s Track Champion, Jason Warner completing the top three podium finishers. Hyer would come home fourth, the last car on the lead lap with Mike Dickerson finishing fifth.
The top two-point contenders in Wesley Houghtaling and Nate Freeland drew the front row starting spots for the Wicked Tee’s FWD twenty lap feature with Adam DelGrosso and Don Williams lining up right behind in row two. Houghtaling would take command off the drop of the opening green flag and go onto win number six on the campaign. However, it was no walk in the park as DelGrosso put continual pressure on the race leader but came up a half car length shy at the completion with Nate Freeland in tow. Nick Galusha and Troy Bennett would start the event in ninth and eleventh respectively and race through traffic to take home fourth and fifth place money.
Russ Morseman IV made it five victories in a row and six total on the season as he parked his potent triple four machine in Woodhull’s Pepsi Victory Lane after winning the ten lap Wicked Tee’s Youth Warrior Division feature.
Morseman began the event outside row two and wasted little time in making his way to the front of the field and cruise to the win. Kayleigh Morseman who picked up wins in two of the first three weeks once again had to settle for the runner-up spot chasing her cousin Russ across the line with yet another Morseman family member in Courtney Thomas rounding the final three podium spots after beginning the event in the last starting row. Brayden Feenaughty brought the field to the opening green from his inside row one starting position and wound up fourth at the finish with Markus Kerr, Jacob Stone, Alivia Sullivan and Justin Horton completing the field.
Congratulations to all competitors.
Woodhull Tidd Bits.
With a day filled with constant threats of rain and thunderstorms, the ownership and management team of the track never wavered in moving the show through as quickly as possible with everything placed solidly in the record book.
At the completion of the Hobby Stock feature the lights were dimmed and the thousands of fans in attendance were treated to the traditional Jim Williams Memorial Fireworks Extravaganza, an event which has become one of the most spectacular pyrotechnic shows in the Twin Tiers Region of NY and Pa.
Next Saturday, July 1, 2023 the Woodhull Raceway will lay dormant as the track will take a night off allowing drivers, crew members, car owners, fans, sponsors and employees to enjoy the July 4 Holiday Weekend with family and friends.
Racing will resume on July 8, 2023 with Race of Remembrance Night including a Great 8 Show all part of Mid-Season Double Point Championship Night presented by Southern Tier Customs, RLB Trucking along with Brown’s Used Cars. For those interested in purchasing Remembrance Signs all the information will be posted on the tracks Facebook.
WOODHULL RACEWAY RESULTS. JUNE 24, 2023. UNOFFICIAL!!!
Jim Williams Memorial Fireworks Extravaganza and Great 8 Show.
Schweigart Sugar Shack, Louie’s Gun Shop and TP’s Concrete and Construction Night.
INSINGER PERFORMANCE MODIFIEDS. (20 cars)
25 lap feature. AJAY POTRZEBOWSKI JR. (2), Jake Dgien, Joe Dgien, Russ Morseman, Donnie Lawson, Gil Tegg Jr., Josh Keesey, Ron Cartwright Jr., Brian Doolittle, Steve Coots, Aiden Groover, Ajay Potrzebowski Sr., Adam Coots, Eric Grice, Brayden Bills, Ryan Tracy, Brady Fultz, Jeffery Daugherty, Brandon Martin, Mike Bills.
NAPA CRATE SPORTSMAN. (16 cars)
25 lap feature. KENNY PEOPLES JR. (4), Isabel Barron, John Nobriga, Blake Lawson, Stacy Jackson, Brett Buono, Tim Guild, Connor Brown, Kyle Leach, Adam Taft, George Schweigart III, Kevin Decamp, Glenn Trowbridge, Cayden Lawson, Quintin Buchanan, Chris Clemens.
DOUG GROSS CONSTRUCTION RUSH CRATE LATE MODELS. (11 cars)
20 lap feature. STEVE LEBARRON (2), Brian Knowles, Jason Knowles, Brett Marlatt, Austin Allen, John Haggerty, Rickie Loucks, Joe Layfield, Garrett Heffner, Marshall O’Brian, Dennis Loucks.
SOUTHERN TIER CUSTOMS STREET STOCKS. (12 cars)
20 lap feature. TEDDY MORSEMAN, Glenn Whritenour, Brett Crawford, Jim Buck, Clayton McClean, Willy Easling, Travis Webster, Mick Seeley, Branden Morseman, Jesse Tuthill, Mike Williams, Luke Boom.
KMD EXCAVATION HOBBY STOCKS. (17 cars)
20 lap feature. JEREDD DENNIS (5), Kaiden Dgien, Tracy Dunn, Brandon Conklin, Scott Brown, Meadow Dgien, Dale Houghtaling, Scooter Brown, Stephen Knapp, Brian Austin, Adam Leubner, Bradly Morseman, Glenn VanCise, Mike Spencer, Hunter Williams, Dillon Philip, Paul Dgien.
WICKED TEE’S MINI STOCKS. (9 cars)
20 lap feature. JOHN HAND JR., Danielle Thomas, Jason Warner, Ray Hyer, Mike Dickerson, Ryan Stone, Jaden Stone, Joshua Stone, Tony Dickerson.
WICKED TEE’S FWD. (14 cars)
20 lap feature. WES HOUGHTALING (6), Adam DelGrosso, Nate Freeland, Nick Galusha, Troy Bennett, Shawn Stahl, Coty Maines, Tim TenEyck, Larry Beachel Jr., Don Williams, Holden Heineman, Kenneth Evans, Kyler Stahl, Travis Southard.
WICKED TEE’S WARRIORS. (8 cars)
10 lap feature. RUSS MORSEMAN IV (6), Kayleigh Morseman, Courtney Thomas, Brayden Feenaughty, Markus Kerr, Jacob Stone, Alivia Sullivan, Justin Horton.