Story By: KENNY SHUPP / WOODHULL RACEWAY – WOODHULL, NY – It was the Mid-Season Double Point Show at the Woodhull Raceway as the track celebrated the 2nd Annual Race of Remembrance Night. Each Adult Division feature winner pocketed an additional $200 compliments of the track ownership.
A trio of marketing partners were onboard to sponsor the night of action including Southern Tier Customs of Woodhull, RLB Trucking in Jasper along with Browns Used Cars of Hornell.
In the Insinger Performance Modified twenty-five lap feature event, Russ Morseman would lead the seventeen-car field to the opening green flag. No less than four caution flags would slow the pace during the first ten laps of the feature with Morseman able to set the pace on every re-start. However, it was on a lap eleven re-boot that the entire complexity of the event would change as the lead pack was entering turn one, contact was made between the leaders sending Morseman spinning in front of the field with the second place running car of Brady Fultz being towed from the track. From there two-time 2023 feature winner, Joe Dgien would assume command and lead till lap twenty when Ajay Potrzebowski Jr. would blast by Dgien on the bottom exiting turn two and take control. Dgien would try every trick in the book to retake the top spot back, but to no avail as Ajay Jr. would hold on for win three on the campaign and extend his point advantage. Dgien would hold on for second place with Dayton Brewer advancing from twelfth to take the third spot. Ajay Potrzebowski Sr. would move up four positions from the opening grid to claim fourth with Brian Doolittle advancing nine spots from his fourteenth starting slot to round the top five finishers.
Originally Jake Dgien had finished fifth in the final finishing order, however his impressive drive from the rear of the field to fifth was nullified for not crossing the scales at the completion of the feature event.
Brett Marlatt took full advantage of his pole position redraw spot in leading the Doug Gross Construction RUSH Crate Late Model field to the opening green flag. Yellow fever was the name of the game in the twenty-lap affair as one slow-down after another kept the field bunched and Marlatt on his toes for every restart. However, the former Street Stock Track Champion and Woodhull RUSH CLM 2022 Rookie of the Year was not to be denied his second trip to Pepsi Victory Lane backing-up his June 3 win. The current high point contender, Austin Allen kept Marlatt easily within striking distance throughout and looked poised to take the top position away in heavy lap traffic, but Marlatt was able to maintain his composure and go on for the popular win. Allen had to settle for a solid runner-up finish as he was chased across the line by May 20 feature winner, Jason Knowles as 2022 Class Track Champion, Brian Knowles and Aaron Miller would complete the top five.
Like Marlatt before him, Brett Crawford would also take control of the Southern Tier Customs Street Stock twenty-lap A-Main off the drop of the opening green and lead the entire distance to pick-up his second win of the year. For Crawford it was another near perfect drive as he looks to back up his past two season point titles. Teddy Morseman would line up outside row two at the start and move into second late in the event but could not muster any type of a rally to challenge Crawford as he would settle for second at the double checkered flags. Willy Easling would begin the event in the last starting spot and claw his way to the third-place podium spot with Jim Buck and Mick Seeley completing the top five.
A pair of 2023 NAPA Crate Sportsman feature winners in Connor Brown and Stacy Jackson would bring the fourteen-car field to the opening green. However, it only took three laps for current high point man, Kenny Peoples Jr. to assume control and once out in front he would cruise to win five on the year. In a rare appearance, Josh Nobriga would begin the twenty-five-lap grind in the seventh starting position and move quickly to second and set sail for race leader Peoples Jr. With a handful of laps remaining, Nobriga had cut the advantage to less than eight car lengths, but that is as close as he would get as Peoples Jr. would take the win over Nobriga. A spirited battle was on for third and forth as Stacy Jackson beat Cayden Lawson to the line by a couple car lengths with Blake Lawson following his younger brother the entire distance in claiming fifth.
Perhaps the most competitive class that races weekly at the Woodhull Raceway was up next for their 20-lap feature and once again the KMD Excavation Hobby Stocks did not disappoint those in attendance. Third generation pilot and Rookie of the Year contender, Bradly Morseman would set the pace in the early going as he was chased by veteran competitor, Brian Austin. Lap after lap the field was two and three wide racing for position as Jeredd Dennis was methodically working his way to the front from his inside row four starting position. Morseman would lead the first seven circuits before being overhauled by Dennis who would then go on to his sixth win of the 2023 season. Mike Spencer would follow Dennis through the field and once up to second, he and Dennis would distance themselves from the rest of the field with Spencer giving it everything he had but came up just a car length shy and had to settle for second. Tracy Dunn, who has picked up a pair of feature wins so far in 2023 put on another solid performance finishing third as did Brandon Conklin who nailed fourth place. Brian Austin raced with the lead pack the entire distance and took home fifth place money at the pay window.
At the completion of the KMD Excavation Hobby Stock feature in post-race inspection it was determined that the power plant under the hood of the feature winning machine of Dennis was deemed to not to be in compliance with the rules thus he was disqualified giving the win to Mike Spencer, his first trip to Pepsi Victory Lane this season and with the DQ it moved everyone behind Spencer in the finishing order up one position.
Last but certainly not least for the Adult Classes, the combined Mini Stocks and FWD took to the high baked one-third of a mile clay oval for their twenty lap Wicked Tee’s feature contest. Ray Hyer has been on fire throughout the entire season at Woodhull but had to go to a back-up machine after qualifying heat action was recorded. However, that did not stop him from mowing the field down and going on to record win five of the year. June 24 Mini Stock feature winner, John Hand put on another solid run finishing second as the lead duo was followed across the line by Jason Warner, Craig Decamp and Ryan Stone.
Overall feature winner, Wes Houghtaling was also the FWD victor as he claimed feature win seven and his third in a row. Following Houghtaling across the line was June 10 winner, Don Williams as former Woodhull Raceway FWD Champion Cody Baker nailed third, opening night winner, Nate Freeland was fourth and Tyler Houghtaling completing the top five.
Russ Morseman IV continued his dominance in the Wicked Tee’s Youth Warrior Division as he led all ten laps in picking up his seventh feature of the year and sixth in a row. Marcus Kerr would begin the event in row three and drive a flawless race to nail the second spot with Courtney Thomas advancing from last to third. Two-time 2023 feature winner, Kayleigh Morseman would finish fourth with Brayden Feenaughty rounding the top five. Alivia Sullivan, Des-a-Rae Miles and Jacob Stone completed the field.
Congratulations to all competitors!
Up next at Woodhull on Saturday, July 15, 2023 the Empire Super Sprints will make their lone appearance at the historic Steuben County speed plant in addition to a Regular Great 8 Show plus King of the Bull Ring one-on-one competition for the Southern Tier Customs Street Stock Division.
It will mark the first time since 2008 that the 360-winged ESS Sprints have raced on the high banked one-third of a mile clay oval.
A trio of partners will be onboard to sponsor the July 15 event including Hometown Excavation, AA Construction along with CS Tree Service.
WOODHULL RACEWAY RESULTS. JULY 8, 2023. UNOFFICIAL
Southern Tier Customs, RLB Trucking and Brown’s Used Cars Race of Remembrance Night.
Mid-Season Double Point Championship Night. $200 extra to each adult class feature winner.
INSINGER PERFORMANCE MODIFIEDS. (19 cars)
25 lap feature. AJAY POTRZEBOWSKI JR. (3), Joe Dgien, Dayton Brewer, Ajay Potrzebowski Sr., Brian Doolittle, Aiden Grover, Brayden Bills, Eric Grice, Ryan Tracy, Russ Morseman, Adam Coots, Bob Silvernail, Steve Coots, Brady Fultz, Donnie Lawson, Josh Keesey. DQ, Jake Dgien (did not cross scales) DNS, Mike Bills, Gil Tegg Jr.
NAPA CRATE SPORTSMAN. (14 cars)
25 lap feature. KENNY PEOPLES JR. (5), Josh Nobriga, Stacy Jackson, Cayden Lawson, Blake Lawson, Quintin Buchannan, Tim Guild, George Schweigart Jr., Reese Hackett, Connor Brown, Glenn Trowbridge, Chris Clemens, Kyle Leach, Ethan decker.
DOUG GROSS CONSTRUCTION RUSH CRATE LATE MODELS. (16 cars)
20 lap feature. BRETT MARLATT (2), Austin Allen, Jason Knowles, Brian Knowles, Aaron Miller, Steve LeBarron, Joe Layfield, Jacob Tubbs, Rickie Loucks, Noah Talada, Pat Parker, Garrett Heffner, Tony Kelley, Marshall O’Brian, Jake Wilbur, John Haggerty
SOUTHERN TIER CUSTOMS STREET STOCKS. (8 cars)
20 lap feature. BRETT CRAWFORD (2), Teddy Morseman, Wily Easling, Jim Buck, Mick Seeley, Jesse Tuthill, Mike Williams, Travis Webster.
KMD EXCAVATION HOBBY STOCKS. (18 cars)
20 lap feature. MIKE SPENCER, Tracy Dunn, Brandon Conklin, Brian Austin, Jason Ketrow, Joe Birdsall, Dale Houghtaling, Meadow Dgien, Scott Brown, Adam Leubner, Mike Carapella, Kaiden Dgien, Zach Cooper, Glenn VanCise, Bradly Morseman, Stephen Knapp, Paul Dgien.
WICKED TEE’S MINI STOCKS. (10 cars)
20 lap feature. RAY HYER (5), John Hand Jr., Jason Warner, Craig Decamp, Ryan Stone, Danielle Thomas, Jaden Stone, Josh Stone, Don Potter, Jordan Costley.
WICKED TEE’S FWD. (8 cars)
20 lap feature. WES HOUGHTALING (7), Don Williams, Codie Baker, Nate Freeland, Tyler Houghtaling, Matthew Stone, Jacob Tubbs, Andrew Thomas
WICKED TEE’S WARRIORS. (8 cars)
10 lap feature. RUSS MORSEMAN IV (7), Markus Kerr, Courtney Thomas, Kayleigh Morseman, Brayden Feenaughty, Alivia Sullivan, Des-A-Rae Miles, Jacob Stone.