BILLY VANPELT WINS 2004 WOODHULL RACEWAY TRACK TITLE WITH LABOR DAY TROPHY RACE VICTORY. OTHER FEATURE WINNERS INCLUDE MARLATT,, DAVE GEE , BILL SHEA AND DEREK MILLS.
The DIRT 358 Modified driver roster at the Woodhull Raceway reads like a who’s who list of some of the top names in the sport. The odds are against any one driver dominating the action at the popular Steuben County speed plant, however no one must have told that to Billy VanPelt. For the first half of the year VanPelt was basically a top five car not showing any real muscle, however during the second half of the campaign the multi time Woodhull Track Champion was clearly the dominant car. The NAPA sponsored Labor Day Trophy Races became another notch in the belt for the Ted White Racing pilot as VanPelt picked up his seventh feature event of the year and with it claimed the 2004 Woodhull Raceway Track Championship. Starting thirteenth on the grid VanPelt was quick to move into the top five and with the help of a few early race yellows was able to keep the early leaders within his sights. In the first half of the event Aaron Jacobus and Tom Austin waged a torrid battle for the lead, but by lap ten VanPelt had joined the party and with a nifty outside move was able to clear Austin and take over control of the lead which he never relinquished throughout the remainder of the 25 lap affair. The only thing that slowed VanPelt was heavy lap traffic during the last ten laps of the race and at the checkered flag he held a full straight a way advantage over the second place machine of Tom Austin. For Austin it capped off a tremendous rookie season as the versatile wheelman solidly parked his 2004 Bicknell mount into the runner-up position and with it earned the 2004 Rookie of the Year title. Last years Track Champion, Steve Hartman Sr., wound up second in the 2004 Woodhull Raceway title chase with a third place finish in the feature event, however the two drivers who advanced the most positions where fourth place finisher, Dylan Dewert and the sixth place machine of Curt VanPelt. Having started seventeenth and nineteenth respectively, the two veteran wheelmen both had the two fastest cars on the track, however with the lack of yellow flags during the feature event both had to use raw power and hard driving to advance from the rear of the field. Dewert’s fourth place run put Bicknell cars in three of the top four finishing spots as Curt VanPelt was in the borrowed Vern Wasson Troyer. Sandwiched in between was two time Woodhull feature winner in 2004, Aaron Jacobus. Steve Hartman Jr. led the charge of the next group of finishers across the line including Lyle Sherwood who finished eighth, Mike Jackson ninth and Fred Amann rounded the top ten. Heat wins were claimed by the Hartman’s, Sr. and Jr. along with Jacobus.
The NAPA Super Stocks were next on the track for their 20 lap feature event and with the Track Championship in the balance all eyes were on the machines of Greg Crooker, Greg Galligan and Glenn Whritenour. Crooker, who had led the point battle from opening night had to start nearly dead last due to the draw/redraw as both Whritenour and Galligan started more towards the front. Rich Marlatt, who had experienced more than his share of problems during the season was quick in getting to the point and once in the lead never looked back as the popular Canisteo speedster finally got the monkey off his back to claim his first feature of the season. His Charlie McGregor owned machine was flawless through the event and only Galligan was able to keep pace with the high flying Marlatt. At the finish, Galligan had to settle for second with “The Racin’ Guy”, Larry Knowles a solid third. Glenn Whritenour put on a steady drive to finish fourth while Greg Crooker rounded out the top five and with that he claimed the 2004 Woodhull Raceway Track Title. Mark Costa led the next five finishers across the line including Ed Mills, Alan Crooker, Bob Clark and Dan Guild. Qualifying heat races went to Mills and Marlatt. Also, as part of the program, the NAPA sponsored Super Stocks ran the NAPA Super Stock Race of Champions event where seven former feature winners all put it on the line in this ten lap, $1000 purse event. Having led the first nine laps of the event, Greg Crooker bobbled just a bit between turns three and four coming to the checkered flag allowing Greg Galligan a run in which he just nipped Crooker by a foot to claim the $250 first place money. Mike Hilfiger was third, Glenn Whritenour fourth followed by Alan Crooker, Brett Flint and Ken Peoples Sr.
The S&W Awards and Photos Warriors ran their final point show of the season and for the eleventh time this year, Derek Mills was the winner of the ten lap feature and thus claimed the championship. Joe Dgien led the event in the early laps, however he had to settle for second place followed by Brett Marlatt, Tom Austin Jr. and Mike Jackson.
With three track champs now declared it was down to crunch time as the Morgan’s Auto Repair Street Stock Division took their turn on the high banks with seven different drivers all within striking distance of the title. Earlier evening heat race wins were claimed by Mike Williams, Dan Gordan and Dave Gee with Jerry Buckley winning the consolation event. Mike Williams took a slim five point edge into the twenty lap feature, but had to start near mid pack. The defending track champion knew that he had to simply keep his closest rivals behind him to win his second consecutive track championship. However Williams was not satisfied with just playing second fiddle as he quickly moved through traffic and into the runner-up spot dogging early race leader, Dave Gee. However, Gee, like Marlatt before him had a point to make after a terrible season and Dave Gee was not about to be denied as he picked-up his first feature of the year and with that earned a spot in the Morgan’s Auto Repair Race of Champions scheduled for next week, Sept. 11. Try as he might , Williams had to settle for second place, good enough to win the title as Josh Nobriga , Cliff Moss and Rod Mullen chased the lead duo across the line. Sixth through tenth were Gary Archer, Ken Thomas, Chuck Pruden, Nate Dunning, who claimed the Rookie of the Year title and Brian Austin.
Like the Street Stocks, the Signs Plus Mini Stocks also had a very tightly contested point battle with two drivers vying for the coveted championship. With Bill Shea’s bonus points claimed with an early evening heat race win , he had narrowed the deficate to twenty –one points between himself and point leader Ryan Davenport. The only thing that Shea could do was try and win the double point twenty lap feature and hope for the best, however it was not to be as Shea won the battle, but Davenport won the war. Bill Shea picked up his second feature event of the year and the beautiful NAPA Labor Day Trophy, however it was the youngster, Ryan Davenport who claimed his first ever track championship. It was a real heartbreaker for the veteran competitor, Shea as he had done everything he could to win the title, however with Davenport’s second place feature finish, he locked up the title. It was poetic justice that the two best in the class finished in the top two spots. Finishing third in the feature was Art Goodier, Brian Grant once again put on a steady drive to finish fourth with Don Knowles rounding the top five. Mike Smith was next across the line in sixth followed by Scott Madison, Dennis Erdmann, Bob Tompkins and Brooks Leach. Heats went to Shea and Mike Smith
As mentioned before, the night of action was sponsored by the NAPA Auto Parts Stores of Addison, Bath, Corning and Lawrenceville. Plenty of freebies given out by NAPA to the fans as well as a beautiful NAPA NASCAR jacket on the 50/50 draw. Once again over 100 cars jamming the Woodhull pit area and a 50/50 of well over $1,000. Huge crowd on hand to enjoy the action under beautiful, dust free conditions. Each driver praising the track preparation crew for a tacky, smooth, multi groove racing surface. Next week it’s the Annual Awards Ceremony at the track with a regular show including a 40 lap Fulton Victoria Qualifier for the DIRT 358 Modifieds. Over $25,000 in point money going out to the top point finishers. The night of action sponsored by Schoonover Electric.
DIRT 358 MODIFIEDS 2004 Track Champion Billy VanPelt
Heats Steve Hartman Sr. Steve Hartman Jr. Aaron Jacobus
12 lap B-Main Curt VanPelt
25 lap feature 1) Billy VanPelt, 2) Tom Austin, 3) Steve Hartman Sr., 4) Dylan Dewert, 5) Aaron Jacobus, 6) Curt VanPelt, 7) Steve Hartman Jr., 8) Lyle Sherwood, 9) Mike Jackson, 10) Fred Amann
NAPA SUPER STOCKS 2004 Track Champion Greg Crooker
Heats Ed Mills Rich Marlatt
20 lap feature 1) Rich Marlatt, 2) Greg Galligan, 3) Larry Knowles, 4) Glenn Whritenour, 5) Greg Crooker, 6) Mark Costa, 7) Ed Mills, 8) Alan Crooker, 9) Bob Clark, 10) Dan Guild
10 lap NAPA Super Stock Race of Champions 1) Greg Galligan, 2) Greg Crooker, 3) Mike Hilfiger, 4) Glenn Whritenour, 5) Alan Crooker, 6) Brett Flint, 7) Kenny Peoples Sr.
MORGAN’S AUTO REPAIR STREET STOCKS 2004 Track Champion Mike Williams
Heats Mike Williams Dan Gordan Dave Gee Consi. Jerry Buckley
20 lap feature 1) Dave Gee, 2) Mike Williams, 3) Josh Nobriga, 4) Cliff Moss, 5) Rodney Mullen, 6) Gary Archer, 7) Ken Thomas, 8) Chuck Pruden, 9) Nate Dunning, 10) Brian Austin
SIGNS PLUS MINI STOCKS 2004 Track Champion Ryan Davenport
Heats Bill Shea Mike Smith
20 lap feature 1) Bill Shea, 2) Ryan Davenport, 3) Art Goodier, 4) Brian Grant, 5) Don Knowles, 6) Mike Smith 7) Scott Madison, 8) Dennis Erdmann, 9) Bob Tompkins, 10) Brooks Leach
S&W AWARDS AND PHOTOS WARRIORS 2004 Track Champion Derek Mills
10 lap feature 10 Derek Mills, 2) Joe Dgien 3) Brett Marlatt, 4) Tom Austin Jr., 5) Mike Jackson