Stacy Jackson Holds Off Peoples, Van Pelt In Woodhull Nail Biter
Story By: STEVEN OVENS / WOODHULL RACEWAY – WOODHULL, NY – It really hadn’t been the best season for Stacy Jackson so far in the Insinger Performance 370 Modifieds. There wasn’t a lot of low points to speak of, but there wasn’t a high note to hang their hat on either- until Saturday night.
Jackson has been working through the motions with his new Hig Fab Chassis that he won in a drawing at Outlaw Speedway in the offseason. Through some recent struggles, the handicap put Jackson on the pole for Saturday night’s twenty-five-lap feature event.
Lap eleven saw car number eleven suffer a flat left rear tire, ending Donnie Lawson’s streak of top five finishes since the Modified season began. He would finish ninth, but would retain the point lead- although the point race has intensified with Dillon Groover and Billy Van Pelt closing right in.
Though Jackson would leave every lap of the event from the pole position, just seeing that in the box score wouldn’t begin to tell the story of how Jackson had to fight off two of Woodhull’s best to seal the victory. Over the second half of the event, Kenny Peoples Jr. worked and worked on Jackson for the lead. Then with one lap remaining, defending track champion Billy Van Pelt made his presence known after an early race spin and recovery.
Peoples worked the inside lane on Jackson, diamonding and arcing his Micro Solutions No. 5k into the corners on the ‘High Banks’ without success. With seeing the cars in front of him preferring the bottom lane, Van Pelt took to the outside and was making passes with less than a handful of laps remaining.
Jackson would hold on for the win, but it was not easy.
“I have to thank my crew and Jerry from Hig Fab for helping us dial this thing in,” said Jackson. “It wasn’t easy tonight, but this car drives so well around here.”
When it comes to bad luck, Dayton Brewer could write several chapters about that during his 2017 NAPA Crate Sportsman season. Brewer has been the poster child for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, with many nights ending earlier than his team had planned.
But on the first race night in June, Brewer’s handicap placed him on the pole position, starting alongside Josh Keesey for Junior Flagger Sawyer Lyon’s double green flags. A caution-filled event in the Crate Sportsman seemed to damper what was an entertaining battle for the lead at the end of the race.
The caution periods in the beginning gave Stevie Hartman III a great opportunity to advance through the field in the opening six laps of the race. Hartman started eighth on the starting grid and was up to a podium position by lap six.
It took nearly a full ten laps for Hartman to get around Keesey for position, but the driver who lost the point lead last week was on a mission to get the lead from Brewer. Brewer was able to be the rabbit and step out to a half straightaway lead on the restarts, but a caution with less than ten laps to go set up a great finish between the two young guns of the division.
Hartman worked high and low, even diamonding the corners from high and swooping down low to crossover. But nothing Hartman tried allowed him to get past Brewer. The two drivers raced each other hard, but with a great deal of respect.
Brewer would hold on for the much-needed victory over Hartman, Brandon Butler, Jeffery Daugherty and Dave DuBois. Dale Welty finished sixth after starting twenty-second, but lost the point lead to Hartman by only a few markers.
“I wanted to really get this win for my dad,” said Brewer in Instant Heat Wood Pellets Victory Lane.
“We needed this one after all the work he’s put into this car. For the last month it seems, we’ve unloaded broken race cars into the shop and he’s gone right to work to get us back here.”
Kurt Stebbins beat Steve LeBarron by the narrowest of margins in the SWL Awards and Photos Crate Late Models. This feature was the last race of the night, but was a treat for those that stuck around to see the finish right to the checkered flag.
The feature was abbreviated to fifteen laps, after four cars entered for competition with the RUSH Touring Series racing at Genesee Speedway.
“We’re finally starting to get this car figured out,” said Stebbins who finished fourth at Outlaw Speedway in another RUSH Touring Series show.
Saturday night saw the Scott Dennison Memorial race transition from the Crate Late Model division to the Street Stock division, with twenty-one drivers signing in trying to win one of the crown jewels for the Street Stocks at Woodhull.
Scott Dennison was a fierce competitor, who loved to have a good time at whatever he was doing whether it be racing, hunting or spending time with family. A fellow competitor shared over the weekend that Dennison once was fined by the track $50 for a violation. Dennison paid his fine with a smile- paid all in $50 worth of pennies.
Dylan Cecce would be the first Street Stock driver to win the Scott Dennison Memorial on Saturday night. In Victory Lane, he talked about the fact that when the announcement was made to move the event to the Street Stocks- every driver turned the intensity up wanting to win Scott’s race.
For Cecce, the win was extra special, as Dennison’s widow and daughters are close family friends. Though Cecce got the win, Brett “The Jet” Marlatt made it as entertaining a race as anyone could have expected.
Cecce took two terrible finishes out of three weeks to start on the pole for the thirty-lap, $600-to-win event next to Kane Stebbins in his No. 2. Marlatt started fourth and it was this pairing that eventually found themselves duking it out for supremacy.
The race was marred by several caution flags, with many top contenders falling to damage or flat tires after one driver’s exhaust apparently came apart, leaving hard to find debris in turns three and four.
Buck Payne, in his second start of the season since returning to the Street Stocks, started twelfth and worked his way up to a third place finish. Teddy Morseman and Mick Seeley helped out their championship point efforts out with top five finishes.
But up front, it was Marlatt doing everything he could to get around Cecce. Marlatt tried low, tried high and even tried to diamond the corner to get enough of a run underneath Cecce to take the lead.
Cecce was always able to keep his momentum up, just a groove higher than Marlatt to maintain the top spot. He noted in Victory Lane that Marlatt drove him as clean as any driver could in the waning laps.
“Brett drove me with a ton of respect, probably drove me cleaner than I would have raced myself there at the end knowing how much this race meant to everyone,” said Cecce.
“I have to thank Dylan Potter and all of our great sponsors and supporters for making this happen. Also to our wives and kids because it takes a lot of time in the shop to have cars this fast on the weekends.”
The race was one of the best of the night, and no doubt, was worthy of memorializing Scott Dennison the best way the Street Stocks could have on Saturday night. Scott’s daughters were both in attendance Saturday, presenting the trophy to Cecce, waving the green flag and shaking the hands of each driver during driver introductions.
Gene Balmer won a thriller in the six-lap Joe Willcox Performance Automatics Clash for Cash. Balmer collected $100 in the winner-take-all event.
Chris Woodard continued his early season stranglehold on the Daugherty’s Auto Sales & Service Mini Stock division, winning his fourth feature of 2017. It was Woodard’s fourth points win in six tries on Saturday night during RLB Trucking Night.
Due to his high handicap score, Woodard would have to get the job done from the twelfth starting spot on the grid when Brad Ovens waved the initial green flag. Rookie, James LaGrange, raced out to the early lead with Scott Lehman, Jason Ketrow and Dylon Gleason not far behind.
Lehman would get out to the lead on lap six, but it only took Ketrow six more circuits to squeak by in his No. 11. But as the race came to a close, Woodard was charging hard on the bottom and Ketrow appeared to suffer from a tight condition in the center of the corner.
As the pair worked through turns three and four coming to lap eighteen, Ketrow pushed high and Woodard grabbed the top spot. Woodard kept Ketrow at an arm’s reach for the final two laps of the race. Gleason recovered from a lap four spin to recover for a third place finish over Karl Born and Lehman the top five.
“This car has been really good, we had to be patient tonight starting twelfth but it’s fun,” said Woodard.
Codie Baker has been a broken record this season on the ‘High Banks.’ Put the car on the outside and set sail to the front. This week though, it was Matt Prescott and Shawn Gleason who he would have to battle with for the lead instead of Prescott’s teammate Nate Freeland.
Baker started the event in the fifth position, while Prescott took off from his pole starting spot. By lap seven, Gleason had closed the gap on Prescott working the bottom lane of the track. But just as Gleason closed in, so didn’t Baker at a high rate of speed with the momentum on the outside.
Baker moved into second on lap ten and then took over the lead off turn four from Prescott on lap twelve. That left Prescott to battle Gleason for second, which Prescott took at the checkered flag over Gleason, Freeland and Adam DelGrosso.
Baker thanked his crew for the effort and a friend that helped sponsor the trip up from Harrison Valley.
Jordan Bacon has been a man on a mission, and a driver who seems to catch all the right breaks as he made it three in a row on Saturday in the Daugherty’s Auto Sales Warriors. Bacon started back in row four of the thirteen car starting lineup- a new Warriors division record for car turnout.
Bacon assumed command of the race from Trevor Hamilton and Brody Amidon, while point leader Cole Youse couldn’t catch a break in traffic coming up through the field. Youse eventually worked his way up to second place, but it was a little too late as Bacon picked up checkered flag number three for 2017.
Youse finished second, while Brody Amidon put together another solid podium finish by keeping the nose clean and running a consistent race for all ten laps. Carter Crooker continues to flex his muscle and finished fourth, while Ronnie Dailey brought home a top five finish in his No. 76.
Joe Birdsall finally picked up his coveted first Hobby Stock victory on Saturday night in their ten lap feature event. Continued improvements and his outside pole starting spot propelled ‘Bird’s’ No. 63 to the win. Point leader, Carter Dennis, finished in the second spot while Brent Williams continues to gain confidence in his No. 21 and finished third.
This Saturday at Woodhull Raceway will see Mike Emhof’s CRSA 305 Sprint Tour roll into town for their lone stop of the 2017 season. The best 305 sprint drivers in the Northeast will be drive into town to put on a high flying show, with the best from the CRSA and the best from Western New York and Pennsylvania expected in attendance.
They will be joined by the 370 Modifieds, Crate Sportsman, Crate Late Models, Street Stocks, Mini Stocks and Front Wheel Drives. The Hobby Stocks and Woodhull Warriors will have the week 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 RLB Trucking Night Official Results June 3rd, 2017
INSINGER PERFORMANCE 370 MODIFIEDS, 14 cars (25 laps): STACYJACKSON (1), Billy Van Pelt, Kenny Peoples Jr., Dillon Groover, Art Goodier, Chris Daugherty, Ron Cartwright Jr., Boyd MacTavish, Donnie Lawson, Josh Nobriga, Ryan Tracy, Russell Morseman, Chris Ostrowsky, Brian Doolittle
H1: Chris Daugherty, Billy Van Pelt, Stacy Jackson
H2: Dillon Groover, Kenny Peoples Jr., Art Goodier
NAPA CRATE SPORTSMAN, 23 cars (25 laps): DAYTON BREWER (1), Stevie Hartman III, Brandon Butler, Jeffery Daugherty, Dave DuBois, Dale Welty, Jerry Aldrich, Mike Jackson, Curt Van Pelt, Dave Richmond, Kirk Reynolds, Mike Bills, Blake Lawson, Josh Keesey, Jake Dgien, Bobby Peoples, Mickey Wilbur, Adam Taft, AJ Costley, Tim Guild DNS: John Agnew, Brandon Clark DQ: Bryce Martin
H1: Josh Keesey, Tim Guild, Curt Van Pelt
H2: Jeffery Daugherty, Bobby Peoples, Stevie Hartman III
H3: Dayton Brewer, Brandon Butler, Bryce Martin
SWL AWARDS CRATE LATE MODELS, 4 cars (15 laps): KURT STEBBINS (1), Steve LeBarron, Zach Wiech, Darin Horton
H1: Steve LeBarron, Kurt Stebbins, Darin Horton
JOE WILLCOX PERFORMANCE AUTOMATICS STREET STOCKS SCOTT DENNISON MEMORIAL, 21 cars (30 laps): DYLAN CECCE (2), Brett Marlatt, Buck Payne, Teddy Morseman, Mick Seeley, Gene Balmer, Kurt Stebbins, Kane Stebbins, Jeredd Dennis, Jayson Smart, Glenn Vancise, Dan Gardner, Branden Morseman, Jim Weatherley, Jake Mascho, Jim Buck, Tracy Dunn, Jared Hill, Matt Hamilton, Glenn Whritenour, Trevor Tompkins
H1: Glenn Whritenour, Jeredd Dennis, Branden Morseman
H2: Brett Marlatt, Kane Stebbins, Mick Seeley
H3: Tracy Dunn, Dylan Cecce, Buck Payne
Clash For Cash (6 Laps): GENE BALMER, Kurt Stebbins, Tracy Dunn, Glenn Vancise, Jim Weatherley
DAUGHERTY AUTO SALES MINI STOCKS, 17 cars (20 laps): CHRIS WOODARD (4), Jason Ketrow, Dylon Gleason, Karl Born, Scott Lehman, Derrick Puryear, Rick Amidon, Ron Dailey Jr., John Hand Jr., Corky Grant, Chip Warner, Brian Grant Jr., James LaGrange, Chris Hand, Alan Crooker DNS: Jason Warner, Josh Webster
H1: Jason Ketrow, Ron Dailey Jr., James LaGrange
H2: Dylon Gleason, John Hand Jr., Corky Grant
H3: Chris Woodard, Scott Lehman, Derrick Puryear
WOODHULL AUTO SUPPLY FWD, 12 cars (20 laps): CODIE BAKER (2), Matt Prescott, Shawn Gleason, Nate Freeland, Adam DelGrosso, Nick Brown, Scott Lehman Jr., Steve Gee, Brendan Schweigart, Robert Gardner, Todd West, Robert Haynes
H1: Codie Baker, Nick Brown, Nate Freeland
H2: Shawn Gleason, Matt Prescott, Scott Lehman Jr.
DAUGHERTY’S AUTO SALES & SERVICE WARRIORS, 13 cars (10 laps): JORDAN BACON (3), Cole Youse, Brody Amidon, Carter Crooker, Ronnie Dailey, Quintin Buchanan, Garrett Wilson, Josh Canfield, Lucas Cornelius, Brooke McClain, Trevor Hamilton, Noah Talada DNS: Devon Tarr
HOBBY STOCKS, 3 cars (10 laps): JOE BIRDSALL (1), Carter Dennis, Brent Williams
