WRAPPING UP JULY AT WOODHULL
By: Doreen Farnum
July 26 was a big night for the Modifieds & the Mini Stocks at the high banks as the Mods finishing 1-2 in their heats got to run in the Radar Wright Memorial Dash for Cash. Radar Wright was a friend to every racer and his family contributes $1000 every year for the Dash. Kevin Chilson, Steve Hartman Sr, Lyle Sherwood, Larry Doolittle, Tony Harris & Stacy Jackson took to the track looking for the #1 spot in the Dash for Cash as the winner takes home $500 with the rest of the field each getting $100. Hartman Sr, got to the checkers first and got the big prize presented on the track by Herb Wright & the rest of the Wright family.
The Modifieds then took to the track for their 25 lap main event. Dave Dubois led the field from the pole and that started him of to a great run. The first yellow of the night came on lap 7 for Billy Williams who suffered a flat left rear. That restart got everyone bunched up again and when Scott Colgrove attempted the restart, Dylan Dewert, Dubois teammate Roger Williams, Mike Jackson, Kevin Chilson and Bill Miller all got together going into turns 1 & 2. Once that all got straightened out, the drivers were ready to race as they went into 1 & 2 4 wide. Billy VanPelt took this opportunity to grab the 2nd spot from Bobby Davis and started working on Dubois for the point. At the line on lap 12, VanPelt had the lead, but Dubois was not giving it up easily. Don Lawson was having a good run when he spun on the front stretch to bring out the yellow again on lap 18. Dubois was continuing on in 2nd until Steve Hartman Sr. got up to him and took the r! unner up spot on lap 22. Billy "The Kid" VanPelt went on to win his 3rd feature of the 2003 season, his 1st in 5 races and was thrilled to be back in victory lane. Woodhull PR Guru Kenny Shupp went to victory lane to greet Billy and dance on the roof of the car with him. Billy is definitely a crowd favorite and headed into the stands with his sharpie to spend some time with the kids and sign some autographs. Steve Harman Sr, coming off his Dash victory would take home #2, Dave Dubois ended up with a solid 3rd. Frank Dunning & Don Lawson came home 4 & 5.
The Super Stocks were up next but they didn’t get a very good start as just one lap was in the books when there was a melee in turn 1 that caught up Bob Lubberts & Glen Writenour. Both suffered heavy front suspension damage and each got his own tow truck escort to the pits and had to pack it up and head home early. Mark Costa also got caught up in the mix, but after consulting with his crew in the pits, came right back out to catch the restart. The Hilfiger brothers Randy & Mike swapped the lead for a few laps. Mike was leading when Greg Galligan came along and snagged the runner up spot from brother Randy on lap 4. Galligan and Mike Hilfiger took off and had a straight away lead when David Wybert spun back in the pack on lap 9 to bring out a caution. Galigan had worked away at Mike Hilfiger and got the lead on lap 12. Jason Knowles and Randy Hilfiger got together, causing the field to check up. Mark Costa got the worst end of that as he came out with a flat tire! & spun bringing out the yellow. Mick Seeley and Larry Knowles got hooked together coming out of 4 for the restart, sending Seeley to the pits to get checked out. At the Chilson Wilcox start/finish line it was Greg Galligan visiting Storms Chiropractic victory lane. Incidentally, Galligan carries both Chilson Wilcox and Storms Chiropractic on his car as sponsors. Mike Hilfiger got the runner up spot, last week’s winner Brett Flint 3rd, Ed Mills & Greg Crooker completed the top 5.
The Wildest Street Stocks around came out on to the high banked oval next. They had the early race bad luck monkey on their back as well when front runners Gary Archer and Bill McCourt got tangled in turn 2 collecting Mike Williams, Todd Burgess, and Geoff McNally on lap 2. The rest of the field was able to maneuver around the bunch to get re-aligned for the restart. David Morter would bring them to the line with Dave Davis hot on his tail. Dan Gordon and Jeff Smith were battling back and forth and Henry Miracle joined in the fun with them. Dan Gordon would come out with the number 3 spot. Lap 7 Gordon was all over Davis for 2nd and the two of them joined Morter in a 3 wide dash for the lead. At the line it was Gordon with the top spot and Davis and Morter tied for 2nd. There was a break in the battle on lap 9 when Jesse Pruden spun in turn 1 and was unable to get going on his own, bringing out the yellow. On the restart Gordon & Davis took off an! d Miracle was challenging Morter for 3rd. Miracle was able to secure 3rd just before Starter Scott Colgrove threw the yellow for Joe Dgien trying to limp out of harms way with a flat right front on lap 11. The restart allowed Miracle to get up in the mix with Morter and Davis. Davis lost the 2nd spot when he spun hard into the infield on lap 13, Miracle had to lift to avoid him but was glad to do so as that gave him the runner up spot. Since Davis spun into the infield and was out of harms way, the track remained green, but Gordon took off from there. At the end, it was Gordon, who became the 1st repeat winner in this highly competitive Street Stock Class. Followed by Henry Miracle, Bill Shea, Cliff Moss and Bob Clark.
The Mini Stocks hit the track for their 30 lap special to wrap up the Sizzlin Summer Heat of July. Chad Dickerson spun around on lap 1 for the first yellow. Brooks Leach came out of turn 4 a little loose and kissed the front wall, but was able to keep it going. Lap 3 saw the yellow again for debris on the track just past the starters stand. Lap 5 Tim Povowski hit the wall & ended up facing the wrong way to bring out the yellow for the 3rd time. On the restart, points leader Josh Mills dropped right off the pace. Scott Colegrove had to keep the track yellow. When the racing resumed Bill VanEtten jumped out to a good lead. Brian Grant took over 2nd from AJ Costly in his pick up truck on lap 8, and behind them Lynn Burrell and Ryan Davenport battled door handle to door handle for 4th. Ray Hyer suffered a right rear flat on lap 11 sending him high in turn 4 and came to a rest on the bank bringing out the yellow, to bunch up the field again! . Once back racing, Brian Grant got the lead from VanEtten on lap 15. Unfortunately Grant’s battle with VanEtten ended with a flat tire for Grant, and both drivers heading pitside, handing the lead over to AJ Costly. Lynn Burrell got stuck sideways on the backstretch, which brought out the yellow yet again. Ryan Davenport came out on top after the next restart snagging the lead from Costly. Dennis French followed Davenport right past Costly for 2nd. With just 3 laps left, Kevin Young came along to take 3rd spot from Costly. Ryan Davenport would be the lucky one tonight taking home his first win of the season, followed by French, Young, Costly and Don Knowles.
Woodhull fans also got to see some good old fashioned racing as the Mid-State Vintage Stock Car Club was on hand to give the fans a peak at how they did it in the Good Ol’ Days. The MSVSCC was originated here in Mid New York, but now also includes some of our friends from the north in Canada as well as Illinois, New Jersey and PA. These guys put on a great show with cars from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Some race the actual cars they raced in their respective era’s, some are replicas, but you can’t tell the difference. Gordy Wood got the top spot for the 1950’s in a 36 Plymouth coupe, Pat Sonnenberg took home the honors for the 1960’s in his 36 Chevy coupe, and hometown favorite Bob Williams, Sr led the 1970’s to the checker in his 1937 Chevy coupe. The MSVSCC travels to tracks all across NY, PA, and Ontario Canada.
HEAT RESULTS
358 Modifieds - z8-Steve Hartman, Sr. 17-Lyle Sherwood, 66-Stacy Jackson
358 Dash for Cash – z8-Steve Hartman Sr
Super Stocks – 15-Glen Writenour, 67-Rich Marlatt, 17-Greg Galligan
Street Stocks – 19-Mike Williams, 30-Dave Morter, 27-Ryan Davenport
Mini Stocks – 31-Bill VanEtten, 80-Ray Hyer, 27-Ryan Davenport
FEATURE RESULTS
358 Modifieds – 12-Billy VanPelt, z8-Steve Hartman Sr, 6x-Dave Dubois, 13x-Frank Dunning, 18L-Don Lawson, 6-Roger Williams, 3k-Larry Keegan, 1a-Steve Hartman Jr, 88m, Mike Jackson, 13-Kevin Chilson
Super Stocks – 17-Greg Galligan, 11-Mike Hilfiger, 13-Brett Flint, 96-Ed Mills, 32-Greg Crooker, 04jr-Jim Buck, 87-Scott Brown, 3-Jason Knowles, 67-Rich Marlatt, 4-Larry Knowles
Street Stocks – 66-Dan Gordon, 5-Henry Miracle, 8-Bill Shea, 23-Cliff Moss, 3-Bob Clark, 52-Todd Burgess, 19=Mike Williams, 55-Ken Thomas, 40-Jeff Smith, 29-Chuck Pruden
Mini Stocks – 27-Ryan Davenport, 20-Dennis French, 86-Kevin Young, 40-AJ Costly, 81-Don Knowles, 14-Ray Spiker, 5-Jordan Dibble, 8-Ed Crawford, 57-Chad Dickerson, 25-Mike Buchanan