Jeffery Daugherty Adds Woodhull Modified Win To Resume

Story By: STEVEN OVENS / WOODHULL RACEWAY – WOODHULL, NY – Jeffery Daugherty moved up to the Insinger Performance 370 Modified division three weeks ago, after a solid start to his Crate Sportsman career in 2017. It took one race for Daugherty to get his first Crate Sportsman victory, so it should shock nobody that just four races in Daugherty now has a Modified victory to his credit.

The night was sponsored by Dgien Trucking and the new ownership at Carapella’s Collision out of Corning. Woodhull also ran the fifth edition of the Jake Davis Memorial King of the Ring- won by the fifth different driver in five tries by Donnie Lawson. Read more about that in a separate PR story.

Daugherty led the 370 Modifieds to Scott Lyon’s green flag and would set a torrid pace to lead the event. The first caution would fly on lap seven, allowing the likes of Brandon Martin in the Davis family No. 60j, Brian Doolittle and Art Goodier to close in for the restart.

Once the field was back under green flag conditions, Daugherty once again set sail in the Williams Construction and Sprayfoam No. 22jz. He set such a quick pace, that the question remained of had he saved enough of his American Racer for the end of the event when the veterans would start making their way to the front?

Donnie Lawson was hoping to answer that question with an emphatic no, as he desperately wanted to sweep the night for his third Modified race in a row. He fought tooth and nail to get by Martin who was driving inspired on Jake Davis Memorial Night.

But as Lawson caught Daugherty with only five laps remaining, the rear of Daugherty’s started to come around entering turn one. Lawson got on the binders and at that moment had two choices- make a hard left and potentially lose the race going through the infield or tag Daugherty on his way around to finish him off.

The veteran driver chose the sportsman move of making a hard left to make a run through the infield and race another lap. Unfortunately for Lawson, Martin was able to get back by for second with a bad fast racecar.

While Lawson had to start over battling Martin for the second spot, Daugherty raced his way to Instant Heat Wood Pellets Victory Lane. Martin held off Lawson for second, Billy Van Pelt struggled his way from eleventh to fourth maintain the Modified point lead and Art Goodier brought home another top five after finishing second in the King of the Ring.

In Victory Lane, a happy crew met Daugherty who sounded more relieved than anything to nail down that first win in only his fourth start.

“That was definitely scary,” said a relieved Daugherty in Victory Lane about the near miss on lap twenty.

“As the race went on, the car was getting loose. I don’t know if it was the tires or not but I was trying to make adjustments to help out. This win definitely tops it (last season’s Crate win).”

In the NAPA Crate Sportsman division, Brandon Butler held off young hot shoe Stevie Hartman III for his second straight Sportsman win of 2017. A string of poor luck has found Butler starting toward the front of the field due to the handicap, but for the second straight week has had the equipment to fend off all challengers seeking victory.

Mike Jackson led the field to the green, but it wouldn’t take Butler long to get to the point and set the pace. Jake Dgien, Dale Welty, Hartman and Dayton Brewer all started up front and put on an incredible battle within the top five. Hartman and Welty raced each other even harder as these two are locked into the tightest point battle at the track with Welty only coming into the night with a three-point margin.

Once Hartman was able to secure the second spot, he set sail for Butler and started closing the gap Butler had built in short order. Hartman was glued to the bottom of the track all the way around the third-mile Steuben County oval, while Butler worked the bottom in three and four and half a car length higher in turns one and two.

Hartman pulled all the tricks in the book that he could think of to try and pull a tire up on Butler, but Butler would have none of it. Butler held off Hartman for the win over Dgien, Welty and Connor Brown with his best run of 2017. Hartman, by virtue of his three heat race points, will reclaim the NAPA Crate Sportsman point lead by just two markers over Welty.

In Victory Lane though, Butler was all business in a race his team came into the night with the expectation of winning.

“We’re really pleased to have won the last two races here,” said Butler.

“When I saw (Hartman) pull up alongside me, I knew it was going to be tough. Have to thank my family and my crew for helping keep this thing together when we struggled for a few weeks there.”

John Waters had some family commitments to keep on Saturday afternoon, but along with Bryce Davis were able to make it to Woodhull just in time to run the SWL Awards and Photos Crate Late Model feature. Waters and Davis would have to start at the tail but just as he has done six times this season, Waters ended his night talking to the announcer on the front stretch.

Kurt Stebbins took the lead from pole sitter Darin Horton on the opening lap and would lead the first six circuits in his No. 26. But Waters was lurking in the tire tracks of Stebbins and braved the choppy outside lane to sweep past Stebbins and lead lap number seven.

Stebbins maintained pace with Waters throughout the race, but Waters was definitely a tick faster on this night. Jason Knowles beat out Davis in a spirited battle for the third spot, while point leader Steve LeBarron rounded out the top five.

“We figured we would take our time getting here and it worked out for us,” said Waters.

The track had more moisture in it than normal as cloud cover and a wind that died off threw the track crew and the rest of the teams for a bit of a loop Saturday night.

“It had me worried because we came here with something different for the dry/slick track. I had the right front still a little too soft for the rough stuff but it worked out.”

Branden Morseman came off the trailer firing on all eight cylinders in the Joe Willcox Performance Automatics Street Stocks after a season of constant misfortune. Morseman drove from sixth to second on the low lane in his heat race, which nobody had done successfully for a majority of the night, as the outside was king early.

When the field lined up for the green flag, Morseman took off from the outside pole and looked to leave no doubt that he had shaken all of the bad luck 2017 had thrown at him. Morseman went on to lead nineteen and one-quarter laps. Unfortunately, the three-quarters of a lap he didn’t lead was led by Dylan Cecce who made a daring move in turn two to grab the win.

Cecce started in the fifth spot and patiently worked his way to third early on, racing Mick ‘The Quick’ Seeley for the runner up spot. When Seeley surrendered the spot on lap seven, Morseman had almost a full straightaway lead.

The driver out of Woodhull, who already had four wins to his credit, ran Morseman down and capitalized on an opportunity in lapped traffic. Cecce split a lapped car and Morseman entering turns one and two going for the lead.

Morseman and Cecce made contact as the No. 44m tried not to let Cecce just skate by, flattening the right rear tire of Morseman. Cecce cruised away through turns three and four, while Morseman held on for second. Brett Marlatt’s third place run was overshadowed by the battle for the lead, while Seeley finished fourth for the second week in a row and point leader Teddy Morseman finished fifth but lost a few valuable points to the winner.

“The harder I drove the car, the better it was,” said Cecce in Instant Heat Wood Pellets Victory Lane.

“I was trying to keep it on the bottom there for awhile and I wasn’t gaining on him. We’re usually not good on a heavy track, but we sure (had the motor) to keep it hammered down. I have to thank Grandma Hartman for the new right rear tire, I think that was the difference tonight.”

Ray Hyer looked to be on his way to a clean sweep of the night in the Daugherty’s Auto Sales & Service Mini Stocks. Hyer was in a different zip code in his heat race and was looking to take a big lead to a win in the feature. But it wouldn’t work out that way.

Ron Dailey Jr. saw the parting of the red sea ahead of him in third place, as the leaders got tangled up leaving the lead to Dailey. Dailey had settled in for what was sure to be a solid podium finish, but the skirmish would find Dailey celebrating what is likely his final win on his chassis ‘old faithful.’

Chris Woodard tried everything he had on a final restart, but it was Dailey over Woodard, Derrick Puryear, Corky Grant and Rookie of the Year contender Dylon Gleason.

“When I saw that happen, I thanked my lucky stars,” said Dailey about the mishap with the leaders.

“They were both better than me tonight. But we get to retire this car for me on a win. My boys will have this one out here now, but for me it’s retired. I can’t wait to get the new car out here hopefully next week because that will be a whole lot faster.”

Shawn Gleason took a few weeks off from Victory Lane in the Woodhull Auto Supply Front Wheel Drive division. But with his teammate Jeffery Daugherty winning in the Modifieds, it was only fitting that Gleason would win on the same night as this pair has done in the past at Woodhull.

Gleason, the eighth place starter, battled with tenth place starter Codie Baker and Matt Prescott during the event. Baker and Gleason are locked into a pretty tight point battle, but an eighth place finish for Baker is sure to widen the gap just a bit.

“Codie and I had a great race going there until I jumped over the cushion and we got together,” described Gleason.

“That was a racing deal, I didn’t mean for that to happen. I will apologize to him. But he’s forced me to try and run the top side and the car seems to like it.”

Cole Youse picked up five valuable points in the Daugherty’s Auto Sales & Service Warrior division, getting his fourth win on the High Banks this season. Youse would take the lead from early race leader Noah Talada, who ran in the top five most of the race and didn’t get the finish to show for his great run Saturday evening.

Brody Amidon was a young man possessed on Saturday, clawing his way from the back of the pack to the front. Amidon certainly showed confidence from his first career victory just a week before. Brooke McClain logged another podium finish in third, also having to move from the back of the pack to the front due to her high points handicap score.

Carter Crooker made some nifty moves in his own right to finish in the fourth spot, while Austin Labar scored his second straight Woodhull top five finish in the Codie Baker backup No. 14x machine.

“We’ve had a few rough weeks here at Woodhull so it’s good to be back here,” said Youse in Victory Lane.

“I saw Brody (Amidon) show his nose there and I knew it was going to shape up to be a good race. I just didn’t know how it was going to turn out.”

Woodhull Raceway also added a brand new winner to the record books on Saturday night. Hobby Stock driver Aaron Miller survived the rough and tumble ten lap feature to score his first career victory at “New York’s Toughest Bullring.”

Brent Williams and Carter Dennis fought for the lead exiting the second turn early on, but the back end of Williams’ car came around on him that started quite the adventure for the driver of the No. 21.

As Williams tried to save the car, Dennis’ machine was right there to absorb contact. The pair made pretty significant contact, sending Williams careening over the backstretch banking down toward the access road below the track.

Williams’ car began to bounce and before he knew it, Williams was resting on his right side in a half-rollover. Fortunately it was a slow roll and the car never fully turned over. Williams climbed from the machine and got a free ride to the pits and a check over from the Woodhull Volunteer Fire Department EMS staff.

Once racing resumed, something was visibly wrong with Dennis’ car forcing him to the pits. That left only Miller, to take the checkered flag in a race shortened to eight laps.

“(The car) got hot so I shut it off and couldn’t get it to start before we came out to race,” explained Miller of a problem that saw him barely take the initial green flag.

“This is pretty sweet (to be standing here).”

This coming Saturday at Woodhull Raceway is a special night as the Patriot Sprint Tour 360 sprint cars roll into town for their second and final stop at Woodhull for the season. Bryan Howland is scheduled to be in the house and Woodhull Raceway plans to honor him in his final planned Woodhull start.

Fans can visit Woodhull and take in the action for only a $18 general admission ticket for adults 13 and up, while senior passes and ages 8-12 are only $10. Children 7 and under are always free at Woodhull Raceway and camping is also free on the property.

It will be an exciting show featuring the 370 Modifieds, Crate Sportsman, Street Stocks, Mini Stocks and Front Wheel Drives. The Crate Late Models, Woodhull Warriors and Hobby Stocks will have the night off. Race time is set for 6:30PM.

Race fans are encouraged to sign up for the fastest alerts from Woodhull Raceway’s Rained Out Alert system by sending the text message “WoodhullAlert” to 84483, message and data rates may apply.

For more information race over to www.woodhullraceway.com, Like Woodhull Raceway on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WoodhullRaceway or Follow Woodhull on Twitter @WoodhullPR.

Woodhull Raceway is located in Woodhull, NY, just 30 minutes West of Corning, NY and competes weekly on Saturday nights from mid-April through Labor Day Weekend. The track offers several special events including the Patriot Sprint Tour 360 Sprints and the Short Track Super Series Modifieds in late-August.

Woodhull Raceway Dgien Trucking/Riverfront Collision Night Results July 15th, 2017

INSINGER PERFORMANCE 370 MODIFIEDS, 14 cars (25 laps): JEFFERY DAUGHERTY (1st Career Modified victory), Brandon Martin, Donnie Lawson, Billy Van Pelt, Art Goodier, Brian Doolittle, Kenny Peoples Jr., Dillon Groover, Russell Morseman, Josh Keesey, Bob Silvernail, Stacey Jackson, Kevin Chilson, Ryan Tracy

H1: Billy Van Pelt, Dillon Groover, Kenny Peoples Jr.
H2: Donnie Lawson, Brandon Martin, Brian Doolittle

NAPA CRATE SPORTSMAN, 20 cars (25 laps): BRANDON BUTLER (3), Stevie Hartman III, Jake Dgien, Dale Welty, Connor Brown, Bobby Peoples, Tim Guild, Mike Jackson, Dayton Brewer, Ajay Potrzebowski Jr., Aj Costley, Tim Schram, Dave Richmond, Kirk Reynolds, David DuBois, Adam Taft, Blake Lawson, Chris Hall, Jerry Aldrich DNS: Jordan Bacon

H1: Stevie Hartman III, Dayton Brewer, Tim Guild
H2: Bobby Peoples, Jake Dgien, David DuBois
H3: Connor Brown, Jerry Aldrich, Mike Jackson

SWL AWARDS CRATE LATE MODELS, 7 cars, (20 laps): JOHN WATERS (6), Kurt Stebbins, Jason Knowles, Bryce Davis, Steve LeBarron, Darin Horton, Randy Ralyea

H1: Jason Knowles, Darin Horton, Steve LeBarron

JOE WILLCOX PERFORMANCE AUTOMATICS STREET STOCKS, 14 cars (20 laps): DYLAN CECCE (5), Branden Morseman, Brett Marlatt, Mick Seeley, Teddy Morseman, Glenn Whritenour, Dan Gardner, Tracy Dunn, Kurt Stebbins, Jeredd Dennis, Jim Buck, Matt Hamilton, Jacob Buck, Jim Weatherley

H1: Dylan Cecce, Branden Morseman, Glenn Whritenour
H2: Brett Marlatt, Dan Gardner, Jeredd Dennis

DAUGHERTY AUTO SALES MINI STOCKS, 15 cars (20 laps): RON DAILEY JR. (2), Chris Woodard, Derrick Puryear, Corky Grant, Dylan Gleason, Scott Lehman, Ray Hyer, Karl Born, James LaGrange, John Hand Jr., Rick Amidon, Jason Ketrow, Chip Warner, Alan Crooker DNS: Chris Hand

H1: Corky Grant, Derrick Puryear, Ron Dailey Jr.
H2: Ray Hyer, Dylan Gleason, James LaGrange
H3: Chris Woodard, Alan Crooker, Jason Ketrow

WOODHULL AUTO SUPPLY FWD, 14 cars, (20 laps): SHAWN GLEASON (5), Matt Prescott, Nick Brown, Rob Gardner, Ed Goins, Bill Giles, Robert Haynes, Codie Baker, Scott Lehman Jr., Brendan Schweigart, Todd West, Nate Freeland, Ryan Austin, Chris Stives

H1: Nate Freeland, Ryan Austin, Nick Brown
H2: Shawn Gleason, Codie Baker, Scott Lehman Jr.

DAUGHERTY’S AUTO SALES & SERVICE WARRIORS, 11 cars (10 laps): COLE YOUSE (4), Brody Amidon, Brooke McClain, Carter Crooker, Austin Labar, Ronnie Dailey, Ashlynn Gardner, Noah Talada, Garrett Wilson, Tess Johnson, Trevor Hamilton

HOBBY STOCKS, 3 cars (10 laps): AARON MILLER (1st Career Woodhull Victory), Carter Dennis, Brent Williams