Story By: KENNY SHUPP / WOODHULL RACEWAY – WOODHULL, NY – For the second week in a row racers and fans were treated to perfect weather conditions at the Woodhull Raceway as a pair of return sponsors in S & W Pools along with Twin-Tier Detailing were on board to market the June 15, 2024, show.
In the Insinger Performance Modified Division, young high school student, Aiden Grover along with Brian Doolittle would bring the nineteen-car field to green with Grover leading the way over the first handful of circuits before opening night winner, Josh Keesey would take over the point and lead the next three circuits.
June 1 Modified feature winner, Jake Dgien lined up fifth on the opening grid and was not really showing his hand until lap thirteen when he blasted by Keesey and into the lead which he would hold until lap twenty-one when problems sent his potent machine pit side.
Up till the lap twenty-one loss of Dgien a spirited battle was shaping up between Dgien and last week’s winner, Ajay Potrzebowski who had distanced themselves from the rest of the field.
Four yellow flags would slow the pace coming on laps eight, ten and twenty-one with the final yellow rag waving on lap twenty-four, but Potrzebowski was up to the challenges of Brady Fultz who was now running second and that is just how the pair would finish with AJ Jr., making it two in a row with Fultz having to settle for yet another bridesmaid finish.
2022 Woodhull Raceway Modified Track Champion, Joe Dgien very quietly went about his business lining up ninth on the opening grid, used the cautions to his advantage to advance to third and complete the podium.
Early race leaders, Josh Keesey and Aiden Grover would both drift late in the going to round out the top five.
Kenny Peoples Jr. has been on a tear the past few weeks in the Hometown Excavation Sportsman Division picking up a pair of feature wins just a week ago.
On this night the second-generation Addison, NY pilot would line up tenth on the grid as he would have his work cut out for him.
Two seasoned veterans in Dale Welty of Montour Falls and Tim Guild of Rathbone brought the nineteen-car field to the opening green with Guild getting the jump, however Welty would dog him in the opening laps as the pair would run side by side.
While Guild and Welty were slugging it out for the lead, Peoples Jr. was passing cars at will as he move through traffic and just prior to the halfway mark he placed his potent 5K machine into the number one position and from there it was on cruise control.
With Peoples comfortably in control all eyes were on the battle for second on back as Welty and Guild continued to punch/counter punch for second all the while a pair of the Lawson brothers in Blake and Cayden were duking it out for spots four and five.
With the laps winding down and no late race caution flags to bunch the field, Peoples was able to nail his third in a row and fourth overall as he was followed by Dale Welty who had one of his better Woodhull Raceway finishes in recent memory. Tim Guild would complete the top three podium finishers with Blake Lawson getting the family bragging rights for the week as he was able to hold off Cayden as the two would complete the top five.
In Empire Crushing RUSH Crate Late Model feature action, Chuck LaFleur and 2023 Track Champ, Austin Allen would bring the twelve-car field to green with LaFleur leading the first six laps before Allen would flex his muscle and take control of the twenty-lap affair on lap seven.
Three caution flags on laps four, eight and twelve would slow he pace, but the second half of the event went caution free allowing Allen to stretch his advantage over Brett Marlatt who had climbed into the runner-up position after starting the main event fifth.
Marlatt was looking to make it three in a row, but Austin Allen was just too much to manage on this night as he would go on to win number one on the season after spending most of 2024 traveling with the RUSH CLM Touring Series.
The two Canisteo, NY natives would flash under the double checkered flags with Allen holding off Marlatt with Rich McNeal advancing from ninth to finish third.
Making his first appearance of the season, Garrett Heffner would put on a steady performance to finish fourth with veteran Boliver, NY speedster, Joe Layfield completing the top five finishers.
Prior to intermission, The Empire Crushing RUWH CLM drivers would participate in their traditional King of the Ring one-on-one single elimination event where Troupsburg driver, Steve LeBarron would wear the cape and crown for winning the event as he beat out Austin Allen in the final round.
Part time competitor, Glen Whritenour had so much fun winning the Southern Tier Customs feature one week ago that he decided to make a return engagement and it paid off as the Jasper, NY pilot was able to successfully able to back up last week’s victory.
Stock Car Willie, Mike Williams along with two-time 2024 Street Stock feature winner, Clayton McClean would bring the eleven-car field to the opening green, but it was Whritenour by the luck of the re-draw would start third and wasted no time getting to the lead and never looking back. Once in command and in clean air, GW was the class of the field throughout most of the twenty lap event, however Teddy Morseman was able to work from inside row four to pass McClean and set sail for Whritenour, but it was to little to late as Morseman would have to settle for another second place finish behind Whritenour.
Clayton McClean was once again rock solid in completing the podium with Bradly Morseman (Teddy’s son) and May 25 winner, Mike Spencer rounding the top five.
For the Sawyer’s Camper and RV Repair and Service Center Hobby Stocks it was the first of four legs of the North/South Shootout pitting cars from Woodhull against those from Bradford Speedway in Pa.
Canisteo driver, Joe Birdsall has been hit and miss throughout the early part of the 2024 season picking and choosing his nights, but he was able to pull the number one pill placing his potent 88 machine on the pole for the twenty lap A Main Event.
Brandon Conklin would join Birdsall in the front row as the two would lead the charge into turn one of the opening lap.
Birdsall got the jump early on and led throughout the entire distance in claiming his first win of 2024 in convincing fashion as he held off Dillon Philip who passed several good cars in moving from inside row four to claim second at the completion.
Young lady competitor, Meadow Dgien had yet another solid effort advancing from tenth to take home third place money as she continues to turn heads.
Fourth and fifth went to a pair of veteran drivers as Scott Brown was able to nip Greg Young at the line as the two completed the top five running order.
In typical Joe Birdsall fashion, his victory lane celebration would find him going roof top and shot gunning a couple of cold ones much to the delight of the huge fan base in attendance.
In Big Jim’s Wicked Tee’s Quad C action, Wes Houghtaling came into the night riding a wave of three straight trips to victory lane and was hoping to make it four.
2023 Track Champion, Chris Hand and point runner-up, Danielle Thomas would draw the front row for the twenty-lap grind and with their potent machines up front and Houghtaling buried mid pack on the start it appeared like a new face might find victory lane.
However, Houghtaling had other things to say about that as he convincingly drove his front wheel creation around race leader, Travis Southard on lap six to take command and go on to win five and fourth in a row. Houghtaling also won the season opener on April 20.
Two-time 2024 winner, Danielle Thomas was able to get around her boyfriend, Travis Southard to claim second at the end of the twenty-lap feature with Matt Prescott and Michael Morton completing the top five finishers.
Early in the evening Big Jim’s Wicked Tee’s Youth Warrior Division took to the high banked one-third of a mile clay oval for their ten-lap feature with the big question going in, could Markus Kerr add to his four-race win streak.
Kerr would have problems on the opening lap and was never a factor opening the field wide open and it was April 27 and May 4, 2024, winner, Kayleigh Morseman taking advantage as she would go on to pick up the win, her third on the campaign.
Izzabella Morseman continues to knock down podium finishes as she would have yet another runner-up finish.
Morseman was chased across the line by Courtney Thomas, Kolston Decamp, Caiden Thomas and Markuss Kerr who completed the field.
Congratulations to all competitors.
Up next at Woodhull it will be Race of Remembrance Night with extra money on the line for all qualifying heat race winners done in memory of all those drivers, fans, employees, family members and friends we have lost.
WOODHULL RACEWAY RESULTS. Super 7 Show. JUNE 15, 2024, UNOFFICIAL.
S and D Pools and Twin-Tier Detailing Night.
INSINGER PERFORMANCE MODIFIEDS. (19 cars) 25 lap feature.
AJAY POTRZWBOWSKI JR. (2), Brady Fultz, Joe Dgien, Josh Keesey, Aiden Grover, Donnie Lawson, Brian Doolittle, Carter Crooker, Russ Morseman Dayton Brewer, Stacy Jackson, Mike Ward, Josh Nobriga, Larry Keegan, Chris Ostrowski. DNF, Jake Dgien, Ryan Tracy, Russ Morseman IV. DQ, Bob Silvernail.
HOMETOWN EXCAVATION SPORTSMAN. (19 cars) 25 lap feature.
KENNY PEOPLES JR, (4), Dale Welty, Tim Guild, Blake Lawson, Cayden Lawson, Todd Titus, Isabel Barron, Quintin Buchanan, Eric Brigham, Braylon Lawson, Kevin Decamp, Collin Brown, Buck Brown, Glenn Trowbridge, Adam Taft. DNF, Connor Brown, Braden Buchanan, Derrick Shaffer, Jordan Costley.
EMPIRE CRUSHING LLC RUSH CRATE LATE MODELS. (12 cars) 20 lap feature.
AUSTIN ALLEN, Brett Marlatt, Rich McNeal, Garrett Heffner, Joe Layfield. DNF, Brian Knowles, Chuck LaFleur, Steve LeBarron, Marshall O’Brian, Rickie Loucks, Joe Lane, Jason Knowles.
CLM King of the Ring. STEVE LEBARRON.
SOUTHERN TIER CUSTOMS STREET STOCKS. (11 cars) 20 lap feature.
GLEN WHRITENOUR (3), Teddy Morseman, Clayton McClean, Bradly Morseman, Mike Spencer, Mick Seeley, Mike Williams, Jim Buck. DNF, Luke boom, Kevin Garland. DQ Branden Morseman.
SAWYER’S CAMPER AND RV SERVICE AND REPAIR HOBBY STOCKS. (17 cars) 20 lap feature.
North/South Shootout. Round 1
JOE BIRDSALL, Dillon Philip, Meadow Dgien, Scott Brown, Greg Young, Brandon Conklin, Mike Carapella, Hunter Williams, Drew Whritenour, Mike Palmer. DNF, Scooter Brown, Cannon Palmer, Kaiden Dgien, Dale Houghtaling, Jason Warner, Jason Ketrow. DNS, Jeredd Dennis.
BIG JIM’S WICKED TEE’S QUAD C. (14 cars) 20 lap feature. Quad C Results attained from myracepass.
WES HOUGHTALING. (5), Danielle Thomas, Travis Southard, Matt Prescott, Michael Morton, Ryan Stone, Jeff Lafler, Scott McCray Jr., Josh Stone, Kevin Williams, Michael Prescott, Chris Hand, Derrick Evans,
BIG JIM’S WICKED TEE’S YOUTH WARRIORS. (6 cars) 10 lap feature.
KAYLEIGH MORSEMAN (3), Izzabella Morseman, Courtney Thomas, Kolston Decamp, Cadin Thomas, Markus Kerr.