Ryan Watt Lights Up The Georgetown Speedway Modified Field Friday Night

Story By: BRETT DEYO / GEORGETOWN SPEEDWAY – GEORGETOWN, DE – Ryan Watt punched his ticket to Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway on Friday night.

Watt not only earned a $3,000 top prize in the L&J Sheet Metal Modified main event at Georgetown Speedway, he also received a guaranteed starting position in the $53,000-to-win ‘Speed Showcase 200’ Oct. 15-17 at Port Royal Speedway.

The victory for Boyertown, Pa., native Watt was his first in a Modified at the Delaware half-mile oval in 2020. He previously scored a wingless Sprint Car win on July 24.

The historic Georgetown facility played host to 122 race cars on a smooth racing surface.

“The track was really wide tonight,” offered Watt after exiting the Ron Roberts-owned No. 14W. “It was nice. You could race all over it and there was no dominant groove.

“My car was sticking right through the center.”

Watt rolled off the grid third in the 24-car field. For the first nine laps of the event, he chased pole starter David Van Horn Jr., making a rare Friday night start at Georgetown in Fred Vahlsing’s No. 323ov. Watt worked the inside lane repeatedly on Van Horn during a crowd-pleasing battle.

At lap 10, Watt took over a top spot he would not relinquish while spirited battles for position continued through the top-10.

Richie Pratt Jr. put the Daniel Sommeling-owned No. 51 into second on lap 15 and chased Watt for the remainder of the distance. The Woodbury Heights, N.J., driver earned a $2,000 runner-up finish.

Ringoes, N.J.’s Van Horn settled for third, followed by 14th-starter Joseph Watson of Milford, Del., and current Sunoco Championship Series leader Billy Pauch Jr. of Milford, N.J., up from 12th in Rick Holsten’s No. 96.

$75 Ad-Art Sign Company Modified heat winners were Ryan Riddle, Jimmy Horton and Pauch Jr.

Steven Drevicki negotiated tricky late-race lapped traffic to pick up the Rapid Tire USAC East Coast wingless 360 Sprint Car victory. The Reading, Pa., driver threaded the needle through slower cars to best a charging Alex Bright en route to a $1,500 victory.

The win for Drevicki was his fifth this season with the USAC East Coast group.

Drevicki took over the lead on the fifth circuit of the 25-lap main. Bright arrived in second on lap nine and chased him to the finish. Kyle Spence, Briggs Danner and Nash Ely completed the front five.

The Chesapeake Paving/J.W. Brown Trucking Crate 602 Sportsman 20-lap main spun off caution-free from start to finish. Stephen Kemery of Sicklerville, N.J., led the entire event after starting from the outside pole. He earned $1,000 plus a guaranteed starting berth in the ‘Speed Showcase 50’ Crate 602 Sportsman $2,500-to-win event at Port Royal Speedway Oct. 15-17.

The all-time Georgetown Speedway Crate 602 Sportsman win leader Scott Hitchens chased Kemery for the entire distance, applying pressure inside the final seven laps.

Kemery withstood the challenge and bested Hitchens, invader Jesse Leiby, current divisional point leader Joe Toth in the Andy Belmont-owned No. 14 and Adam White.

The Southern Delaware Vintage Stock Car Club took part in twin 12-lap feature events. Jamie Eichholz utilized a last-lap pass to earn the Vintage Modified event in dramatic fashion, while Todd Miller survived numerous restarts to pick up the Vintage Sportsman checkered.

Kirk Lawson gained retribution for a tough defeat in the last event with a 12-lap Little Lincoln victory. Lawson bested Todd Sammons, Joseph Tracy, Matt White and Ryan Walsen.

Matthew Smith wired the 12-lap Delaware Super Truck event over Matt Esham, Ryan Efford, Jerry Hill and Dale Elliott. A solid 20-truck field took part in the event.

Joe Waters scored the victory in the 12-lap Delmarva Charger feature. Waters outran Geoff Carey, Chris ‘Tippy’ Martinez, Chris Carroll and Chris Myers.

Racing resumes at Georgetown Speedway with a huge two-day event Friday-Saturday October 30-31. The Mid-Atlantic Championship Weekend includes Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco Modifieds and Crate 602 Sportsman, ULMS Super Late Models, Small-Block Modifieds and much more. A Sunday rain date is in place for the event.

L&J Sheet Metal Modified Feature Finish (25 laps): RYAN WATT, Richie Pratt Jr., David Van Horn, Joseph Watson, Billy Pauch Jr., Jimmy Horton, H.J. Bunting, Jordan Watson, Brett Ballard, Ryan Riddle, Tom Moore Jr., John Willman, Troy Ale, Robert Dutton, Austin Hubbard, Dave Shirk, Tyler Dippel, Carson Wright, Jordn Justice, Brian Hitz, Kevin Sockriter, Tom Solderich, Norman Short Jr., Danny Hieber.

Rapid Tire USAC East Coast Sprint Car Feature Finish (25 laps): STEVEN DREVICKI, Alex Bright, Kyle Spence, Briggs Danner, Nash Ely, Kenny Miller III, Bill Unglert, Chris Allen, Troy Betts, Bruce Buckwalter, Mike Thompson, C.J. Faison, Jason Cherry, Jonathan Swanson, Christian Bruno, Ryan Watt, David Swanson.

Chesapeake Paving/J.W. Brown Trucking Crate 602 Sportsman Feature Finish (20 laps): STEPHEN KEMERY, Scott Hitchens, Jesse Leiby, Joe Toth, Adam White, Michael White, Dylan Swinehart, Brad Roberts, Richie Walls Jr., Jimmy Leiby, Greg Reed, Anthony Tramontana, Jim Dallett, John Stevenson, Trent Willey, Justin Eason, Rocky Whitley, Nico Flammer, Sean Metz.

Southern Delaware Vintage Modified Feature Finish (12 laps): JAMIE EICHHOLZ, Robert Paczkowski, Roscoe Clough, Harold Sylvester, D.J. Camerson, Charlie Moore, Kelly Putz, C.J. Schirmer, David Dissinger.

Southern Delaware Vintage Sportsman Feature Finish (12 laps): TODD MILLER, David Tucker I, David Tucker II, Robbie Roe, Dave Schamp, Art Workman, Robert Blann, Don Davidson, Terry Chaney, Chris Killen.

Little Lincoln Feature Finish (12 laps): KIRK LAWSON, Todd Sammons, Joseph Tracy, Matt White, Ryan Walsen, Brian Piercy, Wayne Seaton, M.J. White, Dean Calhoun, Bunky White, Sean Smith.

Delaware Super Truck Feature Finish (12 laps): MATTHEW SMITH, Matt Esham, Ryan Efford, Jerry Hill, Dale Elliott, Shane Clogg, Adam Smart, Nate Benson, Kirk Miles Sr., Mark Townsend, Bill Dean, Dick Beauchamp, Michelle Jackson, T.J. Hazlewood, Thomas Jackson, Robert Smith, Trent Marine, Jesse West, Tristin Townsend, Billy Lockwood.

Delmarva Charger Feature Finish (12 laps): JOE WATERS, Geoff Carey, Chris ‘Tippy’ Martinez, Chris Carroll, Chris Myers, Ashley Merritt, Greg Nailor, John Bailey, Randy Merritt, Jeremy Long, Paul Gary, Jay Lowman.