VanPelt Repeats Victory while Povoski wins Double Features at Woodhull

By Kim Herrington

Woodhull, NY – May 4, 2001 - Firefighter’s night at the high banks of Woodhull Raceway was thrilling to say none the least. An action packed evening was planned for the fans. Having to start out first thing were the Mini Stocks. Mother Nature wasn’t so nice to them last week. Bringing on double features for the Mini Stock drivers making them cautious in the first one. It looked like a repeat performance for the Mighty Modifieds. The Super Stocks showing the classic "rubbin’s racing" attitude. A great show put on by the I.M.C.A modifieds. Oh and check out the Street Stocks with their minds on one thing, the checkered flag!

In the Modifieds, Heat wins went to Billy VanPelt, Don Lawson Sr. and Dan Mathews. The first half of the Modified feature was caution plagued. Alex Hoag and Rookie Dave Dubois in the Starkey owned number 6X starting on the front row taking the green. Lap one showed Steve Hartman taking the lead and the first caution with Larry Heffner sliding off the backstretch. Lap 2 there was a pile up with Steve Mandell, Fred Amann, Frank Dunning, Larry Keegan and Tony Harris bringing out the second caution. On the restart it was John Moravec on the bumper of Hartman as he was pulling away. Racing hard and coming through the pack was last weeks feature winner VanPelt, Lap 7’s caution gave the modifieds their third so Head Flagger Steve Cady following the three caution rule made the mods run a single file restart. This gave Moravec a chance to take the lead from Hartman with VanPelt passing Lyle Sherwood for third. Following lap 9’s caution it was Moravec, Van Pelt, Sherwood, Hartman and Stacy Jackson to take the restart. It looked like VanPelt was giving 100 percent trying to get around Moravec for 6 laps straight. Then coming into lap traffic Van Pelt found his way around Moravec on lap 14. With VanPelt taking the win followed by Moravec, Hartman, Jackson and Steve Kio finishing fifth. A quick note here rookie driver Donnie Lawson Jr. starting 16th finishing 7th.

In the Super Stocks, Heat wins went to Bill Williams, Scott Dennison and Brett Flint. A good start for the front row runners Rich Karlnowski and Glenn Whritenour. Karlnowski held the lead over Bill Williams and Bob Lubberts for 5 laps. Coming from his ninth starting position to take second then to take first was Scott Dennison followed by Karlnowski, Lubberts, Larry Knowles and Scott Brown. Watching the car of Scott Brown run from fifth to third to first on the backstretch was awesome. But what scared a few racers was the number 9 of Joe Duell facing the wrong way in the middle of turn four. Smart Racing proved well to these drivers as they all avoided the possible big crash. Looking like Brown had the win in his pocket, a last lap run on him by Dennison proved to be disappointment. Winning his first feature win was Dennison followed by Brown, Lubberts, Ken Peoples Sr. and last weeks feature winner Rich Marlatt for fifth.

In the I.M.C.A Modifieds, Heat wins went to Mike Smith and Earl Harp. The green flag was shown to front row sitters Dan Gardner and Larry Robbins in the I.M.C.A Modified feature. Trouble for Ed Mills started on the first lap with him spinning alone in Turn 4. This was not the only problem for the Mills car as he reported to the pits after slowing on the backstretch on lap 4 to return on lap 5 one lap down. The Robbins car was fast in the front as Stevie Hartman was digging for all he was worth to get to Robbins. Hartman took the lead on lap 6 and never relinquished it for the remainder of the race. Bob Davis showed what he had as he moved from ninth to sixth around lap 8. As we saw Harp racing well toward the front. Davis was showing Robbins his nose several times as he tried to pass him for third but would have to settle on finishing behind him. Final finish was Hartman for the win following him for second was Harp, Robbins, Davis and Glenn Whritenour. This was a winning weekend for Hartman as he won his Friday night feature at Red Line.

In the Street Stocks, Heat wins went to Bob Clark, Geoff McNally and Todd Burgess. Clark and Jerry Buckley were your front row drivers taking the green. These Street Stock drivers are never afraid to take the track four wide to get a better position. With a lap in the book the caution flag flew. Tommy Space got turned around hard in turn four. He went to the pits to check his racer. He came back out with Butch Dibble on lap 6. I would like to give them both credit for staying high while the rest of the pack was at full speed and racing hard. Racing hard to stay up front was McNally with Jerry Buckley hot on his heals for 15 laps. The fans saw the 48 car of Gary Archer get black-flagged for excessive smoke. You had to notice last weeks feature winner Cliff Moss make his way to the top five around lap 9, coming from the 18th starting position. Buckley seeing an opportunity to take the lead on Lap 16 took it and grabbed the win. Following Buckley was McNally, Dave Davis, Chuck Pruden and Moss.

In the rained out Mini Stock Feature, it was commented that the way they started this feature it looked like a spintcar start. FOUR WIDE! Todd Stone and Chuck Leisure were the two drivers sitting on the point. With Leisure taking his car to the infield on lap one with an unknown problem. Racing hard and staying clear of any wrecks was all the racers were thinking about. They needed to keep their cars in one piece to race the other feature at the end of the night. Stone in the lead, challenges from Kris Kester for 7 laps proved to be valiant as Joe Povoski was challenging Kester for second. Povoski took over second on lap 8. Povoski tried for several laps to get by Stone. Finally on lap 15 Povoski pulled it off passing Stone for first. Povoski winning the double point feature followed by Stone, Kester, Kevin Young and Dave Kurtz for fifth.

In the Mini Stocks, Heat wins went to Kris Kester, Todd Stone and Joe Povoski. Steve Cady was having a hard time getting the feature started. With Cars dyeing on the track before the green flag flew. I felt a little bad for Chuck Leisure tonight. His car just wasn’t up to par as he tried to compete against the rest of the pack. Another car slowed on the backstretch but quickly revived and caught back up to the rest. The green flag flying seeing Jason Kelrow and Don Knowles on the front row. What a move by Brian "Corky" Grant from starting ninth to first by lap 2. Staying first for most of the laps Grant was challenged by Chad Dickerson and then by Povoski. A wild time for Dickerson and Josh Mills as they split themselves around a lap car. I did see Kenny Peoples up in the fifth spot by lap 14 but Kevin Young then passed him in the next lap. Povoski was set on getting to the finish line and getting his second feature win of the night. Finishing behind him was Grant, Mills, Dickerson and Young.

Thanks guys for a wonderful show.

358 Modified Feature: 12 – Billy Van Pelt, 1 – John Moravec, Z8 – Steve Hartman Sr., 15 – Stacy Jackson, 61 – Steve Kio, 9 - Dan Mathews, 11 – Donnie Lawson, 17 – Lyle Sherwood, 37 – Tom Kio, 7H – Alex Hoag, 2 – Frank Dunning, 88m – Steve Mandell, 1A – Fred Amann, 13 - Kevin Chilson, 3K – Larry Keegan, 18 – Don Lawson, 7 – Larry Doolittle, 01 – Dave Scouton, 6x – Dave Dubois, 19 – Dave Yehl, 61K – Don Kio, 08 – Larry Heffner, 9C – Tony Harris

Super Stock Feature: 25 – Scott Dennison, 87 – Scott Brown, 77 – Bob Lubberts, 5K – Ken Peoples Sr., 67 – Rich Marlatt, 55X – Rich Karlnowski, 13 Brett Flint, 2 – Mark Costa, 04jr – Jim Buck, 15 – Glenn Whritenour, 32 – Alan Crooker, 38 – Jason Knowles, 4 – Larry Knowles, 96 - Ed Mills, 61 – Bill Williams, 11J – Jay Deming, 31 – Mick Seeley, 27 – Curt Drake

I.M.C.A. Modified Feature: Z8 – Steve Hartman Jr., 59 – Earl Harp, X – Larry Robbins, 2 – Bob Davis, 15 – Dan Gardner, 6Q- Butch Rhoads, 11 – Greg Galligan, 22 – Willie Rice, 5 – Jeff Johnson, 91 – Steve Williams, 27 - ?, 96 – Mike Smith, 13 – Ray Brol, 411 – Andy Wells

Street Stock Feature: 7 – Jerry Buckley, 59 – Geoff McNally, 94 – Dave Davis, 29 – Chuck Pruden, 23 – Cliff Moss, 72 – Joe Nobriga, 55 –Ken Thomas, 52 – Todd Burgess, 6 – Lyle Smith, 5 – Henry Miracle, 40 – Jeff Smith, 66 – Dan Gordan, 30 – Dave Morter, 8 – Bill Shea, 13 – Gene Galligan, 15 - Lance Baker, 53 – Butch Dibble, 1H – Randy Hilfiger, 48 – Gary Archer, 99 – Tommy Space, 35 – Dave Gee, 3 – Bob Clark

First Mini Feature: 1 – Joe Povoski, 28 – Todd Stone, 43 – Kris Kester, 86 – Kevin Young, 17 – Dave Kurtz, 78 – Jeff Stone, 5K – Kenny Peoples Jr., 61 – Ray Brown, 57 – Chad Dickerson, 46 – Brian Grant, 67 – Rick Loucks, 21 – Dennis French, 5 – Josh Dibble, 47 – Dave Burdick, 62 – Calvin Davenport, 0 – Kevin Erdmann, 84 – Josh Mills, 8 – Dan Knowles, 11 – Jason Kelrow, 36 – Don McChesney, 18 – Bill Tice, 19 – Bob Hauber, 38 – Chuck Leisure

Second Mini Feature: 1- Joe Povoski, 46- Brian Grant, 84 – Josh Mills, 57 – Chad Dickerson, 86 – Kevin Young, 43 – Kris Kester, 80 - ? 5K – Kenny Peoples Jr., 17 –Dave Kurtz, 28 – Todd Stone, 61 – Ray Brown, 78 – Jeff Stone, 47 – Dave Burdick, 68 – Martin Vanderhuef, 0 – Kevin Erdmann, 21 –Dennis French, 5 – Josh Dibble, 62 – Elwin Davenport, 19 – Bob Hauber, 8 – Dan Knowles, 11 – Jason Kelrow, 3 – Derrick Nichols, 67 – Rick Loucks, DNS – 38 – Chuck Leisure, 18 – Bill Tice