What A Race: Pauch Jr. Over Watt in Georgetown Thriller Before Record Crowd
Written by Chris Moore
GEORGETOWN, DE - What. A. Race.
A clash between two fan favorites saw Frenchtown, N.J.’s Billy Pauch Jr. outduel Boyertown, Pa.’s Ryan Watt in a classic battle between two superstars.
The win netted Pauch Jr. a cool $3,000 for his efforts, and a standing ovation from what was announced as the largest Friday night crowd in the six-year history of BD Motorsports Media’s promotion of Georgetown Speedway.
“This crowd is awesome; I always love coming here. The fans always show up and I hope they enjoyed the show tonight,” explained an elated Pauch Jr. in Victory Lane.
The ‘Kid’s Kid,’ returned to Georgetown Speedway Victory Lane for the fourth time in his career and for the first time in 2021 as a Chesapeake Paving Modified winner.
Watt started on the pole following the redraw, with Neshanic Station, N.J.’s Matt Stangle pulling up alongside.
On the second try for the initial start, Pauch Jr., who started third, followed Watt through, and began stalking the ‘Electric Company’ around the Sussex County half-mile.
By the end of lap seven, the lead pair had caught the tail of the field and began knifing their way through traffic. Pauch Jr. quickly took advantage, picking the right lane in traffic just one circuit later to take the top spot.
Despite getting to the lead quickly, Pauch Jr. never did shake Watt, as ‘The Electric Company’ stayed with Pauch as the lead duo continued slicing in and out of lap cars.
Meanwhile, Milford, Del.’s H.J. Bunting had risen from the seventh starting position into third, with Milford neighbor Joseph Watson running fourth and Matt Stangle rounding out the top five.
Bunting, Joseph Watson and Stangle had their own battle going on for the final spot on the podium as they worked in and out of lapped traffic as well.
On lap 19, it was Watt choosing the right lane this time, as Pauch Jr. got stuck on the outside behind a slowing Danny Hieber on the frontstretch. Watt had a run to the inside of off turn four at just the right moment, driving under Pauch Jr. and the slower car to take the lead back.
The lead was short-lived, however, as Pauch Jr. slew a classic slide job at Watt just half a lap later to reclaim the top spot.
A yellow would fall after 21 green-flag laps for David Crossman slowing. Watt nearly got collected as Crossman slowed into turn three, however the Keystone State hot shoe used the area beyond turns three and four to avoid involvement.
With four laps to go, Pauch Jr. led the field to a single-file restart with Watt,
Bunting, Joseph Watson, and Stangle still the top five.
On the restart, neither Watt nor the rest of the field offer any challenges for Billy Pauch Jr. as he raced to the $3,000 payday in the Rick Holsten-owned No. 96.
Watt held on for second in the Ron Roberts-owned No. 14w and Bunting brought the Blades Racing No. 65 home in third.
Matt Stangle continues to impress in the Danny’s Pizza Pizzazz No. 51, finishing fourth, and Sayreville, N.J.’s Dominick Buffalino rounded out the top-five in the Glenn Hyneman-owned No. 126.
Hellertown, Pa.’s Rick Laubach raced to a sixth-place finish in the Ryan Kerr-owned No. 1k with Milford, Del.’s Jordan Watson grabbing seventh in the Brent Hall-owned No. 18. Delaware’s Ryan Riddle finished eighth in his family-owned No. 31 and Joseph Watson faded to ninth in the Blue Hen Racing No. 30. Sewell, N.J.’s Richie Pratt Jr. rounded out the top-10 in their family-owned No. 28.
Twenty-nine cars signed in on Friday night. Pauch Jr., Watt and Stangle were the heat race winners.
Allentown, Pa.’s Briggs Danner claimed his first ever win at Georgetown Speedway in the Rapid Tire Services USAC East Coast Sprint Car (USAC EC) 25-lap main event.
Danner, the USAC EC point leader, started from the pole position with the number two point man Alex Bright starting fifth.
Bright, a Collegeville, Pa., native, quickly worked into second, however Danner had already opened nearly a straightaway lead. Danner and Bright navigated traffic flawlessly and aggressively, as Danner lapped up to the top five, before the race’s only yellow came out on lap 17.
Wyoming, Del.’s Kevin Darling went up and over in turn two bringing out the red flag. Unfortunately, Alex Bright had set up his corner entry into turn three when the red was called, and he made contact with a lapped car, sending him over as well.
Danner would lead the field back to green and race his way to another USAC EC victory. Sinking Spring, Pa.’s Nash Ely finished second, and Bright, after getting fixed in the work area, still salvaged a third-place run.
Mechanicsburg, Pa.’s Bruce Buckwalter Jr. finished in fourth and Reading, Pa.’s Billy
Ney rounded out the top five.
Linden, Va.’s Kyle Hardy visited Victory Lane for the second time this season at Georgetown Speedway in the First State Chevrolet 20-lap RUSH Late Model feature.
Hardy started in the sixth position, working the bottom of the speedway to climb to the front. His closest competitor appeared to be Georgetown, Del.’s Matt Hill, but a broken front end ended Hill’s night early.
Hardy worked by Gumboro, Del.’s Nick Davis just past halfway and cruised to his second win of the season. Davis held on for second and Georgetown, Del.’s Joey Warren completed the podium finishers. Donald Lingo Jr. rallied late to finish fourth and Trevor Collins completed the front-five.
Robert ‘Pac-Man’ Paczkowski went wire-to-wire to win the Southern Delaware Vintage Modified feature while Maddy Jefferson used a last lap pass to claim the Southern Delaware Vintage Sportsman feature. Both events were 12 laps in distance.
Jefferson, a first-year racer, threw a veteran slide job at Terry Chaney to get her second win of the season.
Dylan Betts won a back and forth, see-saw battle in the Little Lincoln 12-lap main over Melvin Joseph Jr. and Todd Sammons.
Dylan Betts outdueled crowd favorite Kirk Lawson and bested Joseph and Sammons by a just a car-length to pick up his first win of the season.
David Smith bested a four-car battle on the final lap to claim the Delaware Super Truck 12-lap victory over Matthew Smith and Ryan Efford.
Ronnie Holloway was in contention for the win, however final lap contact sent him around, as the Smiths finished one and two again the Super Truck main.
Joe Waters dominated the Delmarva Charger 12-lap feature once again at Georgetown, over Ashley Merritt and Jay Lowman. Waters, who started fifth, took his time getting to the front. However, once the No. 2 car got into clean racetrack, he raced to straightaway victory.
Racing resumes at Georgetown Speedway on Tuesday, August 24 as the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco returns to the Sussex County half-mile. The STSS Modifieds will go 35-laps for $6,000-to win. The STSS Crate 602 Sportsman will be on hand for a 25-lap $1,500-to win main as well.
Georgetown Speedway, originally constructed by Melvin L. Joseph in 1949, is located at the intersection of Route 113 and Speedway Road in Georgetown, Del., just miles from the Delaware beaches and less than a 40-minute drive from Ocean City, Md.
A website is live for the speedway at www.thegeorgetownspeedway.com. Like Georgetown Speedway on Facebook, follow @thegtownspdwy on Twitter, e-mail georgetownspeedway@gmail.com or contact the speedway hotline at 302.563.GTWN (4896).
GEORGETOWN SPEEDWAY RESULTS SUMMARY – JULY 23, 2021
Chesapeake Paving Modified Feature Finish (25 laps): BILLY PAUCH JR., Ryan Watt, H.J. Bunting, Matt Stangle, Dominick Buffalino, Rick Laubach, Jordan Watson, Ryan Riddle, Joseph Watson, Richie Pratt Jr., Mark Pettyjohn, Jordn Justice, James Hill, Cale Ross, John Willman, Matt Smith, Dave Shirk, Tom Moore, Jr., David Crossman, W.B. James, Bobby Watkins, Danny Hieber, Bruce Hooper, Norman Short, Carson Wright, Brandon Grosso, Austin Hubbard, Kevin Sockriter.
Did Not Start: Tom Solderich
Ad-Art Sign Company Spec Small-Block Bonus ($250): John Willman (15th)
Rapid Tire USAC East Coast Sprint Car Feature (25 laps): BRIGGS DANNER, Nash Ely, Alex Bright, Bruce Buckwalter, Billy Ney, Chris Allen, Joey Amantea, Damon Paul, Mike Thompson, Blaine Emery, Jonathan Swanson, David Swanson, Ricky Rutt, Troy Betts, Kevin Darling.
First State Chevrolet RUSH Crate Late Model Feature Finish (20 laps): KYLE HARDY, Nick Davis, Joe Warren, Donald Lingo Jr., Trevor Collins, Ben Scott, David Dill, Joe Pete, Dana Walker, Geoff Carey, Chris Carroll, Travis Justice, Matt Hill, Curtis Reed, Robert Smith.
Southern Delaware Vintage Modified Feature Finish (12 laps): ROBERT “PAC-MAN” PACZKOWSKI, Jamie Eicholz, Roscoe Clough, Dave Parsons, Harold Sylvester, Josh Smith, Brayden Ritter.
Southern Delaware Vintage Sportsman Feature Finish (12 laps): MADDY JEFFERSON, Terry Chaney, Chris Killen, L.J. Walbert, Dave Schamp, Robert Blann, Pete Morris, Charlie Phillips, Glenn Lyons.
Did Not Start: David Tucker II
Little Lincoln Feature Finish (12 laps): DYLAN BETTS, Mel Joseph Jr., Todd Sammons, Sean Smith, Jordan Herbert, Eric Reed, Byran Piercy, Wayne Seaton, MJ White, Kirk Lawson, James Harmon, Scott Calhoun, Bunky White.
Delaware Super Truck Feature Finish (12 laps): DAVID SMITH, Matthew Smith, Ryan Efford, Travis Martin, Dale Elliott, Scott Trice, Andrew Nelson, Kevin Taylor, Andrew Lewandowski, Sean Martinez, Trent Marine, Johnathan Pitcher, Bill Dean, Brian Jones, Ronnie Holloway, Michelle Jackson, Thomas “Action” Jackson.
Did Not Start: Dale Crew Jr.
Delmarva Charger Feature Finish (12 laps): JOE WATERS, Ashley Merritt, Jay Lowman, Johnathan Pitcher, Paul Gary, Chris Carroll, Randy Merritt, Billy Cummings.