Story By: KENNY SHUPP / WOODHULL RACEWAY – WOODHULL, NY – Cold and blustery conditions could not deter the Woodhull Raceway from opening the main gates for the first official event of the 2024 season.
Representatives of Alfred State College were on board to sponsor the event making it fifty -nine consecutive years of dirt track race action at the historic Steuben County New York Speed plant.
Twenty-one Insinger Performance Modifieds took to the high banked one-third of a mile clay oval and in their twenty-five lap feature it was Stacy Jackson and Josh Keesey bringing the field to green.
Keesey, a former Woodhull Raceway 602 Crate Sportsman Track Champion had recently returned to action after a short stint in semi-retirement to team up with car owner, Bill Dominick and the pair was a force to contend with in 2023 and came right out of the gate swinging in “24”.
Keesey was able to hold off Kauneonga Lake, NY speedster, Justin Holland who was making a rare appearance at Woodhull to claim his first ever Modified Feature win after a spirited battle between the lead duo.
Russ Morseman would begin the event inside row two and advance one spot to claim the third podium position, however the drive of the night came from Brady Fultz who lined up inside row ten on the opening grid and would drive through a tough field to finish fourth.
2023 Woodhull Raceway Track Champion, Ajay Potrzebowski Jr. advanced two spots from the opening green to round the top five.
2023 was a tough year for Isabel Barron in Crate Sportsman action. After claiming her first ever track title in 2022, last season was marred with problems throughout the entire year in fact the off season brought even more problems as her crew chief/father, had to undergo a medical procedure which may have put the team even further into a deep hole.
However, on this night the young blonde Corning, NY speedster was not going to be denied a trip to victory lane as she barnstormed from her tenth starting position on the opening green to pick up the popular win.
2023 Track Champion, Kenny Peoples Jr., began the twenty-five-lap feature outside row two and would go on to pick-up the runner-up spot as he was chased across the line by other veteran Crate Sportsman competitors in Tim Guild, Dale Welty and Greg Crooker who completed the top five.
Steve LeBarron wasted little time disposing of the Empire Crushing RUSH CLM field. LeBarron and Brian Knowles would lead the field to green, but it was LeBarron taking charge and going on to the win.
Chad Homan, making a rare appearance at Woodhull made the tow from Penfield, NY to claim second at the end of the twenty lap A Main after starting fourth on the opening green.
Brett Marlatt would make his way from the sixth starting spot to round the podium as he was followed across the line by pole sitter, Brian Knowles with 2023 class Rookie of the Year, Marshall O’Brian having his best run coming from eighth to wrap up the top five.
Glen Whritenour of nearby Jasper once again proved his prowess of the high banked Woodhull Raceway as he along with Lawrenceville, Pa driver, Mick Seeley would bring the Southern Tier Customs Street Stock field to green.
Whritenour would set the pace throughout the entire distance and go on to the win over last year’s Street Stock Track Champion, Teddy Morseman Jr. who had to settle for second.
Travis Webster Sr. advanced four positions from seventh to claim third at the double-checkered flags followed by Mike Williams and Joseph Giardina who completed the top five.
In Sawyer’s RV Service and Repair Hobby Stock twenty lap feature action Dillon Phillip was able to hold Brando Conklin at bay to claim the opening night victory.
Veteran wheelman, Scott Brown finished third at the end of the twenty-lap contest with Glenn VanCise and Jason Ketrow completing the top five.
Big Jim’s Wicked Tee’s Quad C combined once again found Wesley Houghtaling the class of the field as he cruised to the win in the twenty-lap nightly finale.
Travis Southard went on to claim the runner-up spot with Danielle Thomas completing the top three podium.
Ryan Stone and Sherman Gage would go on to complete the top five.
Prior to intermission, the Wicked Tee’s Youth Warrior Division ran their first ten lap feature event of the season and in the three-car field it was Kayleigh Morseman picking up the popular win over Marcu Kerr and Izzabella Morseman.
Congratulations to all competitors.
WOODHULL RACEWAY QUICK RESULTS. UNOFFICIAL. April 20, 2024
All results as per My Race Pass and UNOFFICIAL as of press time.
INSINGER PERFORMANCE MODIFIEDS. 25 lap feature.
JOSH KEESEY, Justin Holland, Russ Morseman, Brady Fultz, Ajay Potrzebowski Jr., Chris Ostrowsky, Russ Morseman IV, Steve Coots, Ryan Tracy, Adam Coots, Josh Nobriga, Dayton Brewer, Gregg Turner, Ron Cartwright Jr., Jake Dgien, Joe Dgien, Donnie Lawson, Alan Rudalavage, Thomas Moon, Stacy Jackson, Brian Doolittle.
HOMETOWN EXCAVATION 602 CRATE SPORTSMAN. 25 lap feature
ISABEL BARRON, Kenny Peoples Jr., Tim Guild, Dale Welty, Greg Crooker, Blake Lawson, Carter Crooker, Todd Titus, Colton Herrington, Quintin Buchanan, Cayden Lawson, Braylon Lawson, Glenn Trowbridge, Adam Taft, Ethan Decker, Colin Brown, Jacob Trowbridge, Kyle Leach.
EMPIRE CRUSHING LLC RUSH CRATE LATE MODELS. 20 lap feature
STEVE LEBARRON, Chad Homan, Brett Marlatt, Brian Knowles, Marshall O’Brian, Rickie Loucks, Joe Layfield, Rich McNeal, John Waters, Michael Smith, Dennis Loucks.
SOUTHERN TIER CUSTOMS STREET STOCKS. 20 lap feature
GLEN WHRITENOUR, Teddy Morseman Jr., Travis Webster Sr., Michael Williams, Joseph Giardina, Jim Buck, Jesse Tuthill, Mick Seeley, Bradly Morseman, James Weatherly, Luke Boom
SAWYERS CAMPER AND RV SERVICE CENTER HOBBY STOCKS 20 lap feature
DILLON PHILLIP, Brandon Conklin, Scott Brown, Glenn VanCise, Jason Ketrow, Brian Austin, Andrew Whritenour, Hunter Williams, Stephen Knapp, Jason Warner, Cannon Palmer
BIG JIM’S WICKED TEES QUAD C. 20 lap feature
WES HOUGHTALING, Travis Southard, Danielle Thomas, Ryan Stone, Sherman gage, Joshua Stone, Chris Hand, Jeffery Lafler, Bill Weatherly
BIG JIM’S WICKED TEES WARRIORS. 10 lap feature
KAYLEIGH MORSEMAN, Marcus Kerr, Izzabella Morseman.