RPW Exclusive: Point Championship Season Nearing Its End At Woodhull

Column By: ROBERT SYMONDS / RPW – WOODHULL, NY – As the season nears the end for 2018, Woodhull Raceway starts to see some flair from the drivers. Not just impeccable speeds from the likes of Kurt Stebbins and even Jeremy Wonderling in a borrowed car, but some hard decisions being made on and off the race track.

Though some tempers were flaring on the track, some drivers tried to get the edge on their competitors in the pits and at their race shop. Such drivers AJ Niedermaier (HS) and Adam Austin (MS) received a disqualification for illegal motors plus loss of points, money, and another hit of 50 points to their points as the race for the championship whines down.

Another perceived case of “drama” was a motor claim out for one of the championship contenders in the NAPA Crate Sportsman division. In a definition posted by the track today, Woodhull Raceway announced that Adam Taft “No. 20h team made a motor claim ($4,000) for the motor from the Kenny Peoples Jr No. 5k team. Taft met all requirements of not having yet claimed a motor this season, had run in all 2018 points events, finished on the lead lap and made payment within 10 minutes after the feature was complete.”

This was a high stakes move as there is 1 week of racing left to determine the 2018 Track Champions. With only 7 points separating both Jake Dgien (current point leader) and Kenny People Jr, Peoples is left without his main race motor; though there is still optimism in Peoples’ future.

“Actually I do feel pretty good,” Kenny Peoples Jr said Saturday night during the motor reclaim. “Number 2 exhaust port had water pouring out of it. I knew after the feature tonight that we were in trouble so we were going to have to put a new motor in the car anyways. They ended up doing us a favor. I knew something was definitely wrong, the motor was running up near 240 (degrees).”

Adam Taft felt the move was good for him and his team moving into the soon to be post season.

“I just know that he (Kenny Peoples Jr) has been running good all year here and since I have a backup car now, I wanted a motor for it. So I figured I would buy another motor that has been running good over here,” Adam Taft said after strapped the motor into the back of his trailer.

Though Adam Taft had given the money to the officials within 10 minutes after the race had completed, rumors had spread around the pits that evening that the points leader, Jake Dgien, had given Adam Taft the money to pay for Kenny Peoples Jr’s motor.

Race Pro Weekly had reached out to Jake Dgien for comment on this piece of information. Putting all rumors to rest, Jake Dgien said “Hell no” also stating that his money would not be spent on a used crate motor.

As for Kenny Peoples Jr not having a motor, the next plan of action for the 5K seemed uncertain to some for next week’s championship race. The answered lied with Bobby Peoples. Bobby offered the motor for Kenny to race once he heard of the motor reclaim.

As the early morning motor reclaim drew to a close, the Peoples clan knew they had a long week ahead of them and so do the other race teams as championship night approaches.