Story By: KENNY SHUPP / WOODHULL RACEWAY – WOODHULL, NY – Ajay Potrzebowski Sr. was able to hold off a stellar field on Modifieds to claim the 2nd Annual Honoring Alice Williams Special Event at the Woodhull Raceway on Tuesday, August 8, 2023.
A full field of twenty-four Modifieds checked in for the fifty-five lap $5,500 to win event, which also offered a huge amount of lap money with local business, BH Log Hauling coming on board to sponsor the Modified Division for this unique, mid-week show.
By the luck of the re-draw, 2022 Woodhull Modified Track Champion, Joe Dgien of nearby Addison, NY along with Ajay Potrzebowski Sr. of Elmira would lead the field to the opening green flag with Potrzebowski immediately taking command of the fifty-five- lap grind with Dgien in tow.
A pair of caution flags would wave during the first three circuits however it was the third yellow of the event which would spell doom for Dgien. While making an outside pass of race leader, Potrzebowski contact was made between the lead duo right at the flag stand with Dgien going head on into the front straight away concrete bouncing all the way into turn one with the rest of the field taking evasive action.
Unfortunately, the front-end damage to Dgien’s car was far to extensive for any repairs to be made and with that his night was done.
Once back to green, Potrzebowski continued to set the pace with second row starter, Brady Fultz moving into the runner-up slot with first time Woodhull competitor, Tanner Van Doren of Schnechsville, Pa. glued to the rear bumper of the Herbie Wright owned, Fultz driven machine.
All the while the lead trio were slugging it out for position, ninth place starter, Erick Rudolph was quietly working his way through the field and by lap fifteen was up to fourth with Potrzebowski, Fultz and Van Doren leading the way.
Just two laps later, on lap seventeen, the cushion pounding Tanner VanDoren’s night would come to an end with a mechanical issue as he entered turn one.
Once back to green Rudolph was able to clear Fultz for second and set his sights on Potrzebowski Sr. who has been competing weekly at Woodhull in 2023 along with son, Ajay Potrzebowski Jr. who already has four feature wins at the track as he is tied with Joe Dgien for the most wins in class heading into the night.
For the next thirty-six laps, the lead group would run nose to tail around the bottom of the high banked one-third of a mile clay oval with less than a second separating the top three.
All the while that was going on most eyes were on a torrid battle raging between the eighth place starting, Ron Cartwright Jr. and Danny Creeden who began the feature inside row eight. For most of the event the pair swapped paint, rubbed wheels and bent each other’s side bars as the gloves came off with neither driver giving an inch as it was by far the best battle on the track.
Stacy Jackson, piloting one of the Herrington Motorsports/BH Log Hauling entries using a spec 358 engine made it into the re-draw by claiming the third and final qualifying heat event was pacing himself nicely and rode the rim into the fourth spot after clearing the Donnie Lason machine and was drawing a bead on the third place running Fultz and for the next ten laps the two ran side by side with Fultz on the bottom and Jackson making tracks on the berm. Lap after lap, the margin was too close to call at the line relying on transponder technology in deciding which driver was third.
Sadly, Jackson’s brilliant drive would come up two laps short as his car coasted to a stop at the top of turn two succumbing to a flat right rear tire on lap fifty-three.
Once back to green, piloting his Fastline Performance, AMP General Construction, Teo Pro Car sponsored #72 machine all Potrzebowski needed to do was hit his marks as he held a three car length advantage over Rudolph with Fultz still glued to the rear bumper of the third generation Ransomville speedster. With the double checkered flags waving, Ajay Potrzebowski had won the biggest Modified Feature event of his career leading all fifty-five laps picking up the $5,500 winners check with Rudolph finishing second and Fultz completing the top three podium finishers.
Donnie Lawson would begin the event in the seventh starting position and on a racing surface that fit perfectly into his driving style, the second-generation pilot ran the bottom flawlessly to advance three positions in claiming fourth at the finish.
With all the slicing and dicing between Cartwright and Creeden it all came down to a drag race off turn four to the flag stand with Middletown, New York’s Danny Creeden nipping Cartwright by a mere foot at the line to complete the top five.
Ron Cartwright Jr. wound up sixth at the completion as he was chased across the line by Brandon Martin who was making a rare appearance driving as a team mate to Stacy Jackson in a second Herrington Motorsports/BH Log Hauling entry. Eighth place went to Jake Dgien who was swept up in an early event incident, went pit side and returned to the rear of the field and raced his way back into the top ten. Brayden Bills put on a steady performance to claim ninth place money with Rochester, NY’s Gil Tegg Jr. coming home tenth in a spec 358 engine strapped between the pipes.
Heat wins went to Outlaw Speedway owner/promoter, Tyler Siri who won the opener with Joe Dgien taking heat two. Stacy Jackson won the third and final qualifier.
Also on the card for the Honoring Alice Williams event was the highly acclaimed RUSH Crate Late Model Touring Series.
It had been some nine years since the Vicki Emig led organization had last appeared at Woodhull and they did not disappoint with thirty-four machines converging on the historic Steuben County oval all looking for the $4,000 winners check with local sponsorship coming from Empire Crushing of Painted Post as well as Davis Electric in Canisteo.
Four qualifying heats were required with those going to current Woodhull Raceway point leader, Austin Allen, Genesee Speedway and McKean County Speedway’s promoter, Kurt Stebbins, first time ever Woodhull visitor Logan Jaquay and former RUSH Series Champion, Bryce Davis.
A pair of Consolation events were required to set the feature field with Brock Pinkerous and Jason Knowles claiming wins.
RUSH Series Defending Champion, Jeremy Wonderling won the Dash event with Alan Chapman successfully taking home the non-qualifiers victory.
In the fourth lap feature event, Jeremy Wonderling would lead from start to finish as he held off Bryce Davis and Joe Martin who would take the top three spots with Austin Allen and Austin Hauser completing the top five.
For a more comprehensive look at the entire RUSH Crate Late Model full race report along with additional related news go to www.rushlatemodels.com.
The third and final feature of the night would bring the upstart Empire Street Stock Series onto the speedway.
The Mike Welch led touring group has been the talk of northeast racing circles throughout all of 2023 with a multitude of different venues climbing on board.
A solid field of eighteen classy looking Street Stocks would find their way to Woodhull for the maiden voyage, and it turned out to be without question the best feature of the night.
Susquehanna, Pa. driver and many time 2023 Outlaw Speedway feature winner Shane Wolfe Jr. along with Woodhull regular, Travis Webster would lead the field to green for their thirty-lap, $1,000 to win event.
Wolfe would lead in the early going after a spirited battle with Jimmy Grant who had disposed of Webster and moved into second.
Fifth place starter and multi time Outlaw Speedway and Woodhull Raceway Track Champion, Glen Whritenour wasted little time climbing into third and brought the eighth place starting machine of Dylan Cecce along with him.
Lap after lap Wolfe was under heavy fire from Grant and Whritenour with Cecce close behind.
The brilliant run by Grant came to an end with his slow spin between turns one and two just past the midway point allowing Whritenour and Cecce a shot at the high flying, rim riding Shane Wolfe Jr.
Lap after lap GW and Wolfe ran side by side until the latter made just one slip off turn two giving Whritenour a decisive advantage and allowing Cecce to sneak by into second. During the closing circuits, Wolfe could not fully recover to challenge the leaders as it would be settled between perhaps the top two Street Stock drivers to ever compete in New York.
Cecce closed to a car length of the rear spoiler of the Whritenour machine but that is as close as he would get as the crowd was on their feet cheering on two of their local favorites with Glen Whritenour taking a hard-earned victory over Cecce and Wolfe Jr. Travis Webster put on a steady drive running in the lead group the entire distance to take home fourth place money while the two time and defending Southern Tier Customs Woodhull Raceway Street Stock Champion, Brett Crawford would advance one spot from his original starting position to round the top five.
Early evening heat wins went to Brandon Sherwood who made a long tow from Sanborn, NY, Jimmy Grant a Land of Legends Speedway feature winner in 2023 and Dylan Cecce who originally from nearby Addison now resides in Williamsport, Pa.
2ND ANNUAL HONORING ALICE NIGHT AT THE WOODHULL RACEWAY RESULTS. UNOFFICIAL. 8/8/2023.
BH Log Hauling, Empire Crushing, Davis Electric and White’s Repair Nightly Sponsors.
INSINGER PERFORMANCE MODIFIEDS. (24 cars)
55 lap feature. $5,500 to win. 1) AJAY POTRZEBOWSKI SR.,2) Erick Rudolph, 3) Brady Fultz, 4)Donnie Lawson, 5) Danny Creeden, 6) Ron Cartwright Jr., 7) Brandon Martin, 8) Jake Dgien, 9) Brayden Bills, 10) Gill Tegg Jr., 11) Brian Doolittle, 12) Russ Morseman,13) Dayton Brewer, 14) Stacy Jackson, 15) Tyler Siri, 16) Ajay Potrzebowski Jr., 17) Wally Wade, 18) Adam Coots,19) Steve Coots,20) Tanner Van Doren, 21)Joe Dgien, 22) Ryan Tracy, 23) Reese Hackett. DNS. Eric Grice.
Heats. Tyler Siri, Joe Dgien, Stacy Jackson
RUSH CRATE LATE MODEL TOURING SERIES. (34 cars)
40 lap feature. $4,000 to win. 1) JEREMY WONDERLING,2) Bryce Davis, 3) Joe Martin, 4) Austin Allen, 5) Austin Hauser, 6) Kurt Stebbins, 7) Chad Homan, 8) Brian Knowles, 9) Mike Wonderling,10) Logan Jaquay, 11) Aaron Miller,12) Dusty Waters, 13) Jason Knowles,14) Brad Messler,15) Craig Graham, 16) Brandt Graham, 17) Jim Rasey,18) Zach Carley, 19) Brett Marlatt,20) Steve LeBarron, 21) John Waters, 22) Rickie Loucks, 23) Cody Dawson,24) Joe Layfield, 25) Chuck LaFleur. DQ, Brock Pinkerous
Heats. Austin Allen, Kurt Stebbins, Logan Jaquay, Bryce Davis.
Dash. Jeremy Wonderling
Consi. #1 Brock Pinkerous
Consi. #2 Jason Knowles
Non-Qualifier. ALAN CHAPMAN, Jacob Tubbs, Hunter Proctor, Patrick Parker, Marshall O’Brian, Todd Chapman, Noah Talada, Jason Dobson,
EMPIRE STREET STOCKS. (18 cars)
30 lap feature. $1,000 to win. 1) GLEN WHRITENOUR, 2) Dylan Cecce, 3) Shane Wolf. Jr., 4) Travis Webster, 5) Brett Crawford,6) Willy Easling, 7) Brandon Sherwood, 8) Teddy Morseman, 9) Jimmy Grant, 10) Mike Williams,11) Chris Dziomba, 12) Jim Buck, 13) Joseph Giardina,14) Sherman Gage, 15) Mick Seeley,16) Mike Wilbur, 17) Josh Webster, 18) Justin Neff
Heats. Brandon Sherwood, Jimmy Grant, Dylan Cecce.