WOODHULL RACEWAY KICKS OFF 1997 SEASON ON A CHILLY NIGHT IN THE BOONIES
Stacy Jackson of Woodhull led the way to the checkered flag in Woodhull Raceway's Small Block Modified class Saturday night, as he outran all challenges throughout the twenty-five lap main event. Brett Flint picked up his second career victory in the Street Stock division, and Lyle Smith topped a very competitive field of Amateurs. Four Cylinder Stock defending champion, Tom Stewart, started 1997 right where he ended 1996, in Victory Lane.
Jackson started on the pole and easily handled all challenges throughout the twenty-fiuc lap Modified feature, surviving every restart by quickly pulling away from the rest of the pack. Buddy Norseman set the pace in the runner-up spot until lap eleven when Lyle Sherwood got by, but the race was red flagged on the next lap due to a scary looking accident on turn three. Jim Harris and Walt Mitchell tangled and slid to a stop at the top of the speedway, and as the pair came to a stop, the Harris car was hit at high speed by Alan Willits, a newcomer from Linden, Pennsylvania. Harris was extricated from his severely damaged car and transported to a nearby hospital with possible neck and back injuries. At press time, Jim was being treated for a concussion, but the Ambulance crew reported that he was conscious and stable throughout transport, and the outlook was positive in the emergency room during evaluation. On the restart, Jackson continued his domination of the event, with Sherwood managing to open a slight cushion over third place Norseman. Billy Van Pelt slipped under Norseman on the seventeenth circuit, and three laps later, Herbic Wright and Norseman made contact, causing another yellow flag, and setting up a fiuc lap shootout to the checkered flag. Jackson handled the late race pressure, with Sherwood holding off Van Pelt, with Bay McClure crossing the finish line in fourth, and defending champion Steve Coots rounded out the top five. Don Lawson was sixth, Butch Harris finished seventh, Tim Thornton was eighth, Chuck Hennison ninth, and Steve Hartman rounded out the top ten.
The Street Stock drivers passed through the grandstand with there helmets during intermission, taking up a collection for the family of fellow competitor Clay Hurburt who lost his life in an accident at his race car shop two weeks ago. They followed up on this show of respect on the speedway, as the parade and pace laps were run in "missing man" formation, with the pole spot open, in memory of Hurburt. Brett Flint moved up to his rightful spot before the green flag waved, and stepped out from the pole to lead all twenty laps. Rookie Street Stock pilot Denton Blencowe put the pressure on throughout the event, along with Steve McGregor, but a caution with two laps remaining changed the outcome as McGregor ended up facing the wrong way on turn four. Barry Payne charged past Blencowe on the restart, but came up short in his challenge to Flint, with Blencowe finishing third. '96 Rookie of the Year Scott Brown crossed the line in fourth, holding off a strong challenge by Earl Harp, who finished fifth. Sixth through tenth went to Brian Faulkner, Bill Brewer, Hen Peoples, Scott Drake, and Steve McGregor.
The Amateur division put on one of the best shows of the night. Rich Marlatt and Stan Hoffman stepped out from their front row starting positions, and put on a tremendous battle for the lead for nine laps. Lyle Smith, who started ninth, and Pete Fitzsimmons, who started eleventh, drove up through the field together and were working over third place Ron Divens, when Marlatt slipped out of the groove on turn two, dropping back to fourth. On the very next set of turns, Hoffman spun, and Smith and Fitzsimmons powered off turn four to the half-way signal in first and second. With Divens looking on from third, the battle at the head of the class was wild for the remaining ten laps, with Fitzsimmons pulling cuen with Smith on a number of occasions, but Lyle held on to record the win. Marlatt had to settle for fourth, and Les Smith rounded out the top five.
The Four Cylinder Stocks ran off their fifteen lap feature with no cautions, and defending champion Tom Stewart picked up right where he left off, recording his first win of 1997. Art Goodier was a strong second, with Eddie Machuga crossing the line third. Don Potter was fourth and Ed Mills rounded out the top five.
Woodhull will run a regular four diuision show on Saturday, May 3rd, with gates opening at 4:30 and the first race of the evening getting the green flag promptly at 7:00 P.M. For further information, contact the track office at 607-458-5275.