Hollidge Emerges From Battle With Rick Eckert To Win Thursday Night’s Ultimate Super Late Model Series ‘First State 40’ at Georgetown Speedway
Story By:BRETT DEYO /BD MOTORSPORTS MEDIA Photos By:RICK NEFF PHOTOS
GEORGETOWN, DE – June 3, 2016- Dale Hollidge wasn’t letting that one get away. Hollidge, the regional Super Late Model standout from Mechanicsville, Md., watched Rick Eckert slip by for the lead with two laps remaining in Thursday night’s Bi-Rite Auto Sales ‘First State 40’ at Georgetown Speedway. But Hollidge went back to the topside, re-passed Eckert in lapped traffic and took home a thrilling Ultimate Super Late Model Series victory worth $5,000 to kick off the four-night Colonial Clash Championship presented by Dirt Nation.
“I knew if I let that one get away, I would never hear the end of it,” Hollidge said after exiting his Gunter’s Honey mount. “I was either going to throw it in and make it stick or end up on the highway.”
The Bi-Rite Auto Sales ‘First State 40’ at Georgetown marked the northernmost trek by the Ultimate Super Late Model Series. A strong and diverse field of 28 Late Models entered the program with a capacity crowd taking in the first Super Late Model event under the BD Motorsports Media LLC promotional team.
Track conditions were fast and wide for the evening, with racers utilizing every bit of the expanded first and second turns.
Hollidge was far from a “follower” throughout the 40-lap main. Early on, Hollidge stalked race-leader Gregg Satterlee before swinging to the topside of the half-mile track to take over the lead.
“Guys like Gregg don’t make many mistakes,” Hollidge said. “If I stayed in line I was going to end up following him. I had to try rolling the outside and it worked.”
Eckert, making his debut at Georgetown, worked by Satterlee to run as the runner-up for the race’s second half.
Inside the final five laps, Hollidge slowed as he worked lapped traffic. Eckert was able to surge ahead on the 38th circuit, slipping inside Hollidge. However, with slower traffic in Eckert’s path, Hollidge was able to power back around with the white flag in the air and take the victory.
Eckert, of York, Pa., settled for second. Eckert set fast time earlier in the night with a lap of 18.720 seconds. Satterlee, of Rochester Mills, Pa., filled out the podium. Ricky Elliott of Seaford, Del., advanced from 11th to a fourth-place result and Walker Arthur of Forest, Va., completed the front five.
The top-10 drivers were locked into the main via time trials. Two heat race/semi events, won by Ricky Elliott and Glenn Elliott.
Scott Hitchens earned his second Crate 602 Sportsman win of the season at Georgetown and pocketed a cool $1,000 for the Blades No. 65 operation. Hitchens, of Dagsboro, Del., worked the outside lane past leader Jeremy Harrington and cruised to the win. Harrington made a late bid to reclaim the lead and spun entering turn three.
Long Island teenager Dillon Steuer chased Hitchens across the line, with Frank Holmes, Joseph Tracy and Hitchens’ teammate Dylan Betts, from the final row, in fifth.
The Delmarva Charger and Delaware Super Truck divisions were featured in extra-distance 15-lap main events. Geoff Carey survived a series of wild opening laps to dominate the Delmarva Charger main with Bud Sipple, Derek Swafford, Butch Hudson and Tippy Martinez in tow. The Delaware Super Truck main featured an extended side-by-side battle between Billy Cropper and David Smith. Ultimately, Cropper prevailed from the inside line and took the win with Smith, Robert Reed, Matt Long and Noah Vincent completing the front five.
Racing will resume at Georgetown on Friday, July 22 with a doubleheader of United Racing Club (URC) 360 Sprint Cars and big-block Modifieds headlining the program plus Crate 602 Sportsman, Delmarva Chargers and Delaware Super Trucks.
Georgetown Speedway, originally constructed by Melvin L. Joseph in 1949, is located at the intersection of Route 113 and Speedway Road in Georgetown, Del., just miles from the Delaware beaches and less than a 40-minute drive from Ocean City, Md.
A new website is live for the speedway at www.thegeorgetownspeedway.com. Like Georgetown Speedway on Facebook, follow @thegtownspdwy on Twitter, e-mail georgetownspeedway@gmail.com or contact Brett Deyo at 845.728.2781 during business hours for more information.
SUPER SIGHTINGS: The Georgetown pit area was busy with 28 Super Late Models, 20 Crate 602 Sportsman, 20 Super Trucks and 13 Delmarva Chargers taking part in the event….
Racing started on time at 7 p.m. and was completed in its entirety by 10:04 p.m. The Super Late Model Main was done shortly after 9:15 p.m. with Victory Lane interviews following….
The transponder loop was utilized for the first time this season during Super Late Model time trials. Expect a gradual transition to electronic scoring….
Fans were treated to a spectacular fireworks display on the Ultimate Super Late Model Series pace lap….
A grandstand was dedicated in the name of Lou Johnson, the longtime First State racer who now prepares the Georgetown track surface. Johnson has been instrumental in the revival of the track since it was originally reopened in 2006….
BI-RITE AUTO SALES ‘FIRST STATE 40’ EVENT SUMMARY: GEORGETOWN SPEEDWAY THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016
Ultimate Super Late Model Feature Finish (40 laps): DALE HOLLIDGE, Rick Eckert, Gregg Satterlee, Ricky Elliott, Walker Arthur, Kyle Hardy, Amanda Whaley, Kenny Pettyjohn, Danny Snyder, Dennis Franklin, Ross Robinson, Mark Pettyjohn, Jamie Lathroum, Kenny Collins, Jonathan DeHaven, Dustin Mitchell, Nick Davis, Kenny Moreland, Glenn Elliott, Donald Lingo, Austin Hubbard, Kerry King, Gary Stuhler, Andrew Mullins.
Did Not Qualify: Staci Warrington, Mark Parks, Shaun Jones, Rob Schirmer.
Crate 602 Sportsman Finish (20 laps): SCOTT HITCHENS, Dillon Steuer, Frank Holmes, Joseph Tracy, Dylan Betts, Kevin Gardner, Gary Langenstein, Adam White, Freddy Massey, Trey Hicks, Jeremy Harrington, Westley Smith, Daniel Hudson, Brett Ballard, Brian Hitz, Devin Dodson, Jordn Justice, Kevin Sockriter, Jason Rush, Duane Rust.
Delaware Super Truck Feature Finish (15 laps): BILLY CROPPER, David Smith, Robert Reed, Matt Long, Noah Vincent, Pac-Man Paczowski, Brian Meisenholder, Robert Smith, Matt Esham, Matt Smith, Dale Elliott, Luke Weidman, Kirk Miles, Tim Quay, Kara Klink, Action Jackson, Shannon Lewis, Michelle Jackson, Shane Clogg, Jerry Hill.
Delmarva Charger Feature Finish (15 laps): GEOFF CAREY, Bud Sipple, Derek Swafford, Butch Hudson, Tippy Martinez, Randy Merritt, Scott Calhoun, Bryan Peelman, Jay Sipple, Ashley Merritt, Tanner Marvel, Chuck Hudson, Jerry Barker.
