Billy VanPelt Makes It Number Five At Woodhull; All But Wraps Up Another Track Title

Story By: KENNY SHUPP / WOODHULL RACEWAY – WOODHULL, NY – After a slow start to the 2021 season, Billy VanPelt began to kick his program into high gear several weeks ago and with his win on Saturday all but assured Track Championship number twenty-three for the Potter Brook, Pa. veteran.

Brayden Bills would take the top spot off the opening green flag and lead until lap three when Joe Dgien would drive by and take command. VanPelt, who started the twenty-five-lap affair in tenth would wrestle the lead away from Dgien on lap nine and from there roll on to win five on the year. Only four caution flags would slow the pace with the final yellow on lap eighteen giving Joe Dgien, Donnie Lawson and Jake Dgien one final shot at the win, however time would runout as BVP crossed the finish line by a few car lengths over Joe Dgien with Lawson, Jake Dgien and Shannon Whaley claiming second thru fifth. For Lawson it was a run from the rear after getting hooked up with Brady Fultz as the pair were moving forward early in the feature event. Fultz would go onto claim sixth. Outside pole starter, Dayton Brewer had perhaps a car to contend for the win, however a lap six incident which sent his machine airborne going down the back straight would end his night early.

The Joe Willcox Performance Automatics Street Stocks had a solid field of some eighteen machines check in with fourteen taking the opening green flag for their twenty-lap feature event. Mike Williams would hold court at the top of the field for the first nine laps before eventual winner, Dan Gardner would move by and take command and from there never look back. Only a pair of caution flags would slow the pace as Gardner would cruise to his first win of 2021 by a huge margin. With Gardner well out in front all eyes were on the battle for second place as the top two point contenders in Brett Marlatt and Brett Crawford were slugging it out for the runner up spot. Crawford was able to nip Marlatt at the double checkered flags coming from the back of the field after getting caught up in a lap one incident. Marlatt would take home the final podium finishing spot while Mike Williams had one of his better performances nailing fourth while Lance Baker rounded the top five.

In the Cummings Trucking RUSH Late Models, current high point man, Brian Knowles would line up seventh on the opening grid, methodically work his way towards the front, pass then race leader Joe Layfield who had led off the opening green flag and walk away from the field. However, the battle was brewing for the runner-up spot as Layfield, Jim Buck and Jason McGregor were all nose to tail throughout most of the event and that is just how they would finish with all three needing good feature finishes which they got. Tony Kelley would put on a late event charge to claim fifth. For “Pork Chop Knowles it was feature win four on the abbreviated season and virtually locked up the 2021 track title.

The NAPA Crate Sportsman lined up twenty-six machines for the twenty-five-lap grind as everyone held their respective breaths awaiting a caution fest. However, nothing could have been further from the truth as only four yellow flags would slow the action. Pole starter, AJ Costley would take command off the drop of the opening green as he would lead the opening fourteen laps. With yellows on laps seven, eight and twelve, Costly was able to keep safe distance between himself and Tim Guild who literally mirrored the tire tracks of the Costley machine. During that time, Kenny Peoples Jr. was mowing the field down from his inside row seven starting spot and overtook Costley on lap fifteen and go onto his third feature win of the season and with it keeps his hopes alive for the track title. The final caution waved on lap twenty for the disabled machine of AJ Costley exiting turn two ending a sure runner up finish. With five laps remaining and a bunched field, Peoples was able to pull away keeping all eyes on the fierce battle for second thru fifth. Tim Guild was able to hold on for second after a great drive with Christian Zschoche following in tow after lining up seventh on the grid. Ted Morseman was barely able to hold off current high point man, Josh Keesey as the pair would complete the top five. Next Saturday’s point finale will be a real nail biter as any driver within the top three or four have a shot at the title.

The Johnson Auto Supply FWD once again put on a brilliant twenty lap feature as only one caution would slow the momentum. Ryan Austin would jump into the early lead as he was in control from laps one thru three before Jacob McConnell would storm by and take command, however his lead would be short lived as on lap seven Austin would drive back by and from there Austin was in clean air and pulling away. With a handful of laps remaining the top guns in the division were closing ranks on Austin with Adam Delgrosso finding speed in the late going, but he came up a car length shy and had to settle for second place. Garrett Wilson who came into the event with one win on the season drove home for third as he was chased across the line by Wesley Houghtaling and Codie Baker. With the last point event of the season looming, it is way to close to call who will hold the championship trophy.

In the companion Big Jim’s Wicked Tee’s Mini Stock Division, Brody Amidon had a sizable point advantage heading into their twenty-lap feature with seven wins to his credit. Jason Warner claimed the opening season feature win and has been a contender each week. After a bone jarring front straight away crash two weeks ago, Warner came roaring back to lead all twenty laps and claim win two on the season. Warner was clearly the car to beat as he cruised to the victory with Rick Amidon once again putting on a steady performance to claim second. Dylon Morseman had perhaps his best run of the season as he chased Amidon across the line for third while Brody Amidon would recover from an early event incident which found him heading pit side and driving from last to fourth all but assuring him the 2021 class championship. Rookie contender, Jacob Tubbs rounded out the top five.

Ridge Cobb was able to break Levi Riley’s six race winning streak leading all fifteen laps in the Wicked Tee’s Warrior Division to pick up his third feature win of the year holding off Riley for the victory, Bradly Morseman and Marshall O’Brian both had solid drives in finishing third and fourth while Keegan Smith drove home to a nice fifth place finish. With Riley’s runner-up finish it all but assures him of the class title.

The Woodhull Auto Supply Hobby Stocks lined up a solid eighteen car starting field for their twenty-lap A main. Dillon Philip would take the lead right off the drop of the opening green and held the top spot for the first fourteen laps before Paul Dgien would take the lead which he would hold for the final six circuits and claim his first win since joining the division just a few weeks ago. Dgien, who purchased the car for his daughter to drive has been in semi-retirement for well over a decade and a half and found the class much to his liking as he as been in contention most every night. Top guns in the division, Jeredd Dennis and Scott Brown continue their slug fest for the track championship as the pair began the event mid-pack and ran nose to tail thru traffic to claim second and third respectively. Mike Spencer kept his championship chances alive by finishing fourth as Dick Wallace rain another solid feature event to take home fifth.

The Vintage Cars made their annual trek to the high banks of the Woodhull Raceway with two different divisions co-mingling for their fifteen-lap feature and in the non-stop event, Mark Schenck would claim victory in the Modified Class after his opening night heat victory. However, the real story of the entire night of competition was the Roger Williams win in the Vintage Class. After totally loosing their downtown Woodhull race shop over a week ago due to massive flooding in the area, Williams who is a grandson to original track founder, George Williams thanked everyone in the small Southern Tier township of Woodhull for all their support during this difficult time. Having lost a fleet of Hobby Stocks, a vintage John Deere tractor as well as a classic car and several engines in their flood ravaged shop, Williams and crew were able to take the Vintage Car, originally piloted by his father Bob, completely go thru the machine and get it ready for the nights action after the car was totally submerged in water a few days earlier. His win was a bright spot in a ten-day period of suffering for the Woodhull locals.

Congratulations to all competitors.

Up next on Saturday, September 4, Louie’s Gun Shop, Pizza and Stuff along with Rent a Tent will present the regular season point finale heading into Post Season Special’s including the Annual Lyle Sherwood Memorial as well as the Joe Willcox Performance Street Stock World 100.

Gates for the September 4 event open at 4:30 with racing at 6:30.
Woodhull Raceway Results. August 28, 2021. (Unofficial)
Addison Eagles and Dave’s Custom Logging Night.
Car counts are based on how many signed in each class; not how many start features.

Insinger Performance Modifieds. (14 cars)
Heats. Billy VanPelt, Dayton Brewer
25 lap feature. BILLY VANPELT (5), Joe Dgien, Donnie Lawson, Jake Dgien, Shannon Whaley, Brady Fultz, Brian Doolittle, Cole Youse, Brayden Bills, Ken Titus, Todd Titus, Larry Keegan, Ryan Tracy, Dayton Brewer.
Cummings Trucking RUSH Late Models. (11 cars)
Heats. Steve LeBarron, Brian Knowles

20 lap feature. BRIAN KNOWLES (4), Joe Layfield, Jim Buck, Jason McGregor, Tony Kelley, Darin Horton, Steve LeBarron, Chuck LaFleur, Austin Allen, Ron Watson, Brad Smith.
NAPA 602 Crate Sportsman. (26 cars)
Heats. Tim Guild, Dale Welty, Cayden Lawson, Blake Lawson

25 lap feature. KENNY PEOPLES JR. (3), Tim Guild, Christian Zschoche, Ted Morseman, Josh Keesey, Dale Welty, David Mayo, Josh Makatura, Cayden Lawson, Aiden Grover, Isabel Barron, Adam Taft, Bob Butcher, Jordan Bacon, Richard Howard Jr., AJ Costley, Art Goodier, Stacy Jackson, Blake Lawson, Nichole Hoag, Greg Crooker, Kaiden Dgien, Danielle Thomas, Justin Schenck, Will Wood, Hunter Stoddard.
NAPA King of the Ring. CAYDEN LAWSON.
Joe Willcox Performance Street Stocks. (18 cars)
Heats. Brett Crawford, Travis Webster, Dan Gardner

20 lap feature. DAN GARDNER, Brett Crawford, Brett Marlatt, Mike Williams, Lance Baker, Ted Morseman, Josh Webster, Luke Boom, Mick Seeley, Ray Hyer, Nate Arnold, Bill Tice, Jesse Tuthill, Travis Webster.
Woodhull Auto Supply Hobby Stocks. (19 cars)
Heats. Dillon Philip, Joe Birdsall, Paul Dgien.

20 lap feature. PAUL DGIEN, Jeredd Dennis, Scott Brown, Mike Spencer, Dick Wallace, Mike Carapella, Jason Ketrow, Greg Young, Joe Birdsall, Leo Eldridge, Carter Dennis, Brian Austin, Brandon Conklin, Allison Pierce, Brian Beard, Scotty Brown, Dillon Philip, Nathan Kriner. DNS, Glenn VanCise.
Big Jim’s Wicked Tee’s Mini Stocks. (11 cars)
Heats. Jason Warner, Jeff Stone.

20 lap feature. JASON WARNER (2), Rick Amidon, Dylon Morseman, Brody Amidon, Jacob Tubbs, Travis Southard, Brian Avery, Jeff Stone, Jeremy Smith, Richard Harding, Danielle Thomas.
Johnson Auto Supply FWD. (13 cars)
Heats. Ryan Austin, Jacob McConnell

20 lap feature. RYAN AUSTIN, Adam Delgrosso, Garrett Wilson, Wesley Houghtaling, Codie Baker, Nick Brown, Carl O’Dell, Joseph Gillespie, Travis Southard, Kevin Bacon, Jacob McConnell, Larry Keeney, Michael Golotty.
Big Jim’s Wicked Tee’s Warriors. (9 cars)

15 lap feature. RIDGE COBB (3), Levi Riley, Bradley Morseman, Marshall O’Brian, Keegan Smith, Kayleigh Morseman, Brayden Feenaughty, Jaden Stone, Jasmine Southard.
Vintage Cars.
Heat. Mark Schenck.
Feature. Modified Division, MARK SCHENCK. Vintage Division, ROGER WILLIAMS.