DGIEN GRABS FIRST EVER MODIFIED FEATURE EVENT AT THE WOODHULL RACEWAY

Joe Kaminski Photo

Marshall O’Brian in Warriors, Blake Lawson in Crate Sportsman and Ray Hyer in Mini Stocks also pick-up first wins of 2022.  Brian Knowles and Brett Crawford triple up in Late Models and Street Stocks while Joe Birdsall doubles down in Hobby Stocks.  Ryan Austin continues domination of FWD Division in taking win five on the campaign

DGIEN GRABS FIRST EVER MODIFIED FEATURE EVENT AT THE WOODHULL RACEWAY

Story by Kenny Shupp Jr.  Promotions and Consulting LLC.

(Woodhull, NY) It was a night for first time feature winners at the Woodhull Raceway as Hometown Excavation in Addison, NY presented a Great 8 Show.  The track also honored all Veterans and Active-Duty Military members as it was Armed Forces Night at the historic Steuben County speed plant.  Jake Dgien has paid his dues in racing over the past several seasons.  He and his family-owned team have chased events up and down the eastern seaboard attempting to gain valuable experience racing against the best Modified drivers in the country.  From New York to Delaware to South Carolina to Georgia and Florida, Dgien has taken his knocks all the while competing in the Short Track Super Series and even competing locally at both Outlaw Speedway and Woodhull, Jake Dgien has gained tons of experience and he put all that to good use this past Saturday in claiming his first ever feature win in the Insinger Performance Modified Division at the Woodhull Raceway.  After finishing a close second a few weeks ago to then race winner, Billy VanPelt, Dgien again found himself in the cat bird seat behind race leader and last week’s feature winner, Bob Silvernail. In a twenty-five-lap feature that was littered with caution flags, it kept the field bunched up throughout allowing Dgien to keep Silvernail who began the event in third within striking distance from his sixth starting spot.  Veteran driver and former Woodhull Track Champion, Steve Coots and young gun, Cole Youse would bring the field to the opening green flag with Coots leading the first four circuits.  From there Silvernail took command and would hold the top spot thru no less than 7 yellow flags until lap nineteen when Dgien was finally able to wear him down and assume the lead which he would never surrender.  Try as he might, Silvernail kept Dgien within less than a half second but that is as close as he would get.  Joe Dgien, cousin to the feature winner began the event in eighth and was able to get into the top five and make his move into third, but that would be as far as he would go as a pair of Dgien’s sandwiched Silvernail in the top three finishing spots.  Brian Doolittle began the event in seventh, ran within the top five most of the event and came home with another solid fourth place finish while Cory Costa started the event in the last row, rode the wave of numerous yellow flags and rounded out the top five advancing some ten positions.

Third Generation pilot and high school student, Blake Lawson was finally able to follow in the footsteps of his father, Donnie and brother Cayden in picking up a feature win during the early part of the 2022 season.  Blake’s season has mirrored brother Cayden’s thus far in having a fast hot rod, only to succumb to problems and plenty of bad luck.  However, Lawson was able to take full advantage of his pole position starting spot as he and Rookie of the Year Contender, Levi Riley would bring the field to the opening green.  Lawson immediately took control of the twenty-five- lap feature and was able to hold the top spot throughout including four caution flag slow-downs.  Current high point man and April 30 feature winner, Josh Nobriga started sixth and got to the runner-up spot that is as far as he would go in claiming second at the finish as the lead duo was chased across the line by the third-place podium finisher, Kenny Peoples Jr. who had his best finish of the season.  Teddy Morseman lined up tenth and came home for a nice fourth place finish while Tim Guild would complete the top five.  For Blake Lawson it was his first ever feature win after brother Cayden captured his first ever on May 21.  Dad, Donnie has thus far in 2022 claimed one Modified feature win with that coming on April 30.

For the first half of the Armstrong RUSH Crate Late Model twenty lap feature it appeared as though class rookie contender and second- generation driver, Rickie Loucks was going to claim his first ever feature win.  In only his sixth ever outing in an adult class after coming thru the go-kart ranks, Loucks has taken his knocks thus far in the season.  However, after picking up his first ever heat win early in the evening he had the confidence and with his front row starting spot looked poised in leading the opening ten laps in the Stan and Pam Krise owned machine. However, a lap eleven restart was his undoing as Jason McGregor was able to get by and take command bringing current high point man, Brian Knowles right along with him as the pair would assume the top two spots.  Pork Chop Knowles would closely follow McGregor until making his move on lap seventeen in taking the lead and from there hold on for the remaining three laps in claiming his third win of the year.  A disappointed Jason McGregor would hold on to finish second followed by Austin Allen in third.  Rookie of the Year contenders, Aaron Miller and early race leader, Rickie Loucks would round the top five. 

Brett Crawford made short work of the Joe Willcox Performance twenty lap Street Stock feature event.  For the 2021 Class Track Champion, it was also his third trip to victory lane after earlier season wins on April 23 and May 21.  Mick the Quick Seeley and Mike Williams would bring the field to the opening green, but Crawford moved into the lead quickly from his second row starting spot and from there cruised to the win as he was followed across the line by two-time 2022 feature winner, Travis Webster with Branden Morseman claiming third.  Dan Gardner would advance three positions from his seventh starting spot in finishing fourth while Mike Williams would race within the top five the entire distance to nail down fifth. 

Another solid field of Hobby Stocks checked in for the night of competition as the upstart division continues to grow in both driver and fan appeal with sixteen drivers taking the opening green flag for the twenty lap A Main.  Mike Carapella and Dillon Phillip would lead the field with Carapella taking command in the early going, however it was Brian Austin wrestling away the top spot and taking charge thru lap sixteen before succumbing to relentless pressure from last week’s feature winner, Joe Birdsall.  “The Bird” would then go on to lead the remaining four circuits and make it back-to-back feature wins for the man who started his career in the Front Wheel Drive Division.  Birsdsall was followed across the line by Mike Spencer who continues to have a career season as Mike Carapella would come home third.  Like Carapella, Dillon Phillip would race within the top five the entire distance in claiming fourth while Scott Brown rounded the top five.  With the win Birdsall would move into the top spot in the points ahead of Spencer.

Earlier in the evening the Hobby Stock King of the Ring single elimination one on one event was held with Paul Dgien wearing the crown and robe as he was handed a Big Check for $250.00 compliments of Hometown Excavation.

In Wicked Tee’s Mini Stock twenty lap feature action, first timer, Kurt Babcock appeared to be the clear- cut winner, however a post- race inspection found an infraction relegating his machine to last place.  With the DQ, second place finisher, Ray Hyer was handed the victory lane trophy, his first of the 2022 campaign.  Chasing Hyer across the line was another veteran Mini Stock campaigner in Rick Amidon as the lead duo finished just ahead of a slew of Morseman 44 machines with Danielle Thomas claiming the third and final podium position, Dillon Morseman rode home for fourth while Thomas’ partner in life, Travis Southard would take home fifth place money. 

Ryan Austin was upended last week in the Front Wheel Drive feature ending his four consecutive week reign of terror in the class.  However, on this night Austin was in command off the drop of the green flag in winning the fifteen- lap feature.  Last week’s winner, Wesley Houghtaling jumped into a borrowed ride for the feature and brought it home for second as the top two finishers were followed by 2021 class champion, Codie Baker who was making his first appearance of the “22” season.  Kayley Bacon and Nick Brown would follow in completing the top five finishers.

Last but certainly not least the future of Motorsports took to the famous High Banks of the Woodhull Raceway as the Wicked Tee’s Youth Warrior Division competed in their 10-lap feature go.  Bradly Morseman had been virtually unstoppable sweeping the first five feature wins in convincing style.  Marshall O’Brian had played a secondary role to Morseman on each occasion, but on this night the Woodhull Raceway had found another first time ever feature winner as O’Brian was able to get to the lead and never look back to claim the victory.  After no less than three seasons of competition in the Warriors and with only a few nights that he was not in action, O’Brian was more than due for a win having watched the likes of Levi Riley, Ridge Cobb and now Morseman take home the first-place trophies week after week.  For the O’Brian family it was a jubilant victory lane as the Addison School student was finally able to claim a feature win in his immaculate looking 32 machine.  Morseman did ride home for second and with that continues to lead the point parade by a comfortable margin as Izzabella Morseman, Courtney Thomas and Jaden Stone would complete the top five.

Congratulations to all competitors including all the first time ever feature winners!

Up next at Woodhull the Nikk L Brew Restaurant in Canisteo, NY will present a Regular Great 8 Show featuring all the weekly classes.  In addition, the Armstrong RUSH Crate Late Models will race in a Special King of the Ring one on one elimination event where 2021 winner, Jason “Jet” Knowles will try and back up last year’s win.

Gates for the June 11 even open at 4:30 with racing at 6:30 pm.

For more information leading up to the event go to www.Facebook.com/WoodhullRaceway/.

Points, the 2022 schedule, rules, directions to the track, marketing partners and more can be located at www.woodhullraceway.com. 

WOODHULL RACEWAY RESULTS   June 4, 2022.  UNOFFICIAL

Car counts based on drivers that register at opening of night, not on how many run the features.

INSINGER PERFORMANCE MODIFIEDS.  (17 cars)

25 lap feature.  JACOB DGIEN, Bob Silvernail, Joe Dgien, Brian Doolittle, Cory Costa, Gregg Turner, Cole Youse, Donnie Lawson, Dayton Brewer, Brayden Bills, Steve Coots, Ajay Potrzebowski, Ron Cartwright, Russell Morseman, Brady Fultz, Shannon Whaley, Eric Grice.

NAPA CRATE SPORTSMAN.  (19 cars)

25 lap feature.  BLAKE LAWSON, Josh Nobriga, Kenny Peoples Jr., Teddy Morseman, Tim Guild, Cayden Lawson, Stacy Jackson, AJ Costley, Connor Brown, Levi Riley, Art Goodier, Ethan Decker, Isabel Barron, Steve Schrader, Kevin Decamp. Josh Makatura, Matt Strauss, Matt Sullivan, David Mayo.

ARMSTRONG RUSH CRATE LATE MODELS.  (10 cars)

20 lap feature.  BRIAN KNOWLES (3), Jason McGregor, Austin Allen, Aaron Miller, Rickie Loucks, Brett Marlatt, Jacob Tubbs, Jason Knowles, Joe Layfield, Jim Buck.

JOE WILLCOX PERFORMANCE AUTOMATICS STREET STOCKS.  (13 cars)

20 lap feature.  BRETT CRAWFORD (3), Travis Webster, Branden Morseman, Dan Gardner, Mike Williams, Laverne Knickerbocker, Dave Matwejow, Like Boom, Mick Seeley, Jesse Tuthill, Ray Hyer, Roland Duell, Glen Layfield.

HOBBY STOCKS.  (16 cars)

King of the Ring.  PAUL DGIEN.

20 lap feature.  JOE BIRSDALL (2), Mike Spencer, Mike Carapella, Dillon Phillip, Scott Brown, Brandon Birdsall, Jeredd Dennis, Greg Young, Brandon Conklin, Brian Austin, Paul Dgien, Brent Williams, Jason Ketrow, Kaiden Dgien, Keegan Smith, Meadow Dgien.

WICKED TEE’S MINI STOCKS.  (9 cars)

20 lap feature. RAY HYER, Rick Amidon, Jason Warner, Danielle Thomas, Dillon Morseman, Travis Southard, Ryan Stone, Jordan Costley.  DG. Kurt Babcock

FRONT WHEEL DRIVES.  (8 cars)

15 lap feature.  RYAN AUSTIN (5), Wesley Houghtaling, Codie Baker, Kayley Bacon, Nick Brown, Kevin Doud, Coty Maines.

WICKED TEE’S YOUTH WARRIORS.  (5 cars)

10 lap feature.  MARSHALL O’BRIAN, Bradly Morseman, Izzabella Morseman, Courtney Thomas, Jaden Stone