DAYTON BREWER FINALLY GETS A MUCH-NEEDED WOODHULL RACEWAY MODIFIED WIN.
The Juice, Jared Zimbardi parks his ESS 360 Sprint in Victory Lane
Peoples Jr. again in Crate Sportsman, Kurt Stebbins visits and conquers RUSH CLM, Danny Gardner gets first in Street Stocks, Brandon Conklin threepeats, Wes Houghtaling back in victory lane in Mini Stocks and Kerr keeps rolling along in Warriors with win seven.
Race report by Kenny Shupp Jr.
Photo by Joe Kaminski Jr.
(Woodhull, NY) It has been a while since Dayton Brewer visited the Woodhull victory lane. 2024 has been a total nightmare for his Jasper, NY based Modified team with one engine problem after another.
However, he and his family operation finally shook the monkey off their backs as he took the lead away from Russ Morseman on lap nine and cruised to his first win in recent memory.
“My dad works his ass off on this car and he deserves better than what I have given him this year. The car was perfect tonight and once I got out in front in clean air, I knew we would be tough to beat.” That according to Dayton Brewer in victory lane.
Russ Morseman took the lead on lap one and looked poised to score his second win of the season, however a lap eight caution flag for the stalled vehicle of Jake Dgien who had been running second at the time would turn out to be Morseman’s undoing as on the ensuing restart Brewer blew by and from there it was just a matter of hitting his marks and counting down the laps.
Following Brewer and Morseman across the line was current point leader, Brady Fultz of Dundee who had another good point night with last week’s winner, Stacy Jackson of Woodhull nailing fourth while opening night feature winner, Josh Keesey would complete the top five.
Only a pair of early event caution flags would slow the pace as the High Banked one-third of a mile clay oval was in tip top condition with multiple grooves awaiting competitors.
The famed Empire Super Sprints made their only appearance at Woodhull for the 2024 season and taking the winner’s check and trophy back to Bradford, Pa it was Jared Zimbardi who led the entire twenty-five lap distance from his front row starting spot.
Kyle Drum would challenge early on, but no one was able to mount any serious threat to Zimbardi as he went on to his 6th career ESS win.
Finishing second was Port Jervis, NY speedster, Billy VanInwegen driving the Paul Colagiovanni owned 360 Sprint as he was chased across the line by Jason Barney who completed the podium.
For a full report including stats and contingencies of the entire ESS program at the Woodhull Raceway simply log on to www.empiresupersprints.com.
In the Hometown Excavation Crate Sportsman twenty-five lap feature, Kenny Peoples once again made short work of the twelve-car field as he was joined on the front starting tow by Cayden Lawson as the pair would bring the field to green.
Peoples Jr. of Addison, NY would go on to dominate the event with a fresh power plant strapped between the rails after his two-year-old Crate engine was claimed after last week’s feature.
Following Peoples Jr across the line was Tim Guild who picked up his first win of the season last week with infrequent Woodhull Raceway visitor, Tony Harris of Campbell, NY completing the podium.
Fourth went to Cayden Lawson of Addison who drifted from his inside front row starting spot with 2022 Sportsman Track Champion, Isabel Baron of Corning completing the top five.
In the Empires Crushing LLC RUSH Crate Late Model twenty-lap feature, Kurt Stebbins of Wellsville had a night off from his promotional duties at the Genesee Speedway in Batavia, NY.
For Stebbins driving one of his own machines is rare as he and his wife, Bonnie not only promote Genesee, but they also have undertaken the promotional operations at the McKean County Speedway in Pa.
Stebbins made the best of his night off by cinching the belts in his potent #26 as he claimed the win in the RUSH CLM Division and with that breaking the stranglehold that Brett Marlatt had on the division for the past three weeks.
Drawing pill one for the feature line-up Stebbins led the entire twenty lap distance in claiming the victory as he was chased across the line by Marlatt who continues to stretch his point advantage in the class.
Third went to veteran competitor from Boliver, NY, Joe Layfield with former Woodhull CLM Champ, Brian Knowles of Corning nailing fourth.
Fifth place went to Tim Gillespie of Ontario, Canada who began the event last.
We have lost count of how many times Dan Gardner has retired from the Southern Tier Customs Street Stock Competition.
However. For the Osceola, Pa speedster, he has not lost his touch after sitting out for the past several seasons.
Taking advantage of an outside front two starting spot, Gardner led throughout the twenty-lap affair and even though the number of competitors may have been a bit slim, the quality of competition made up for the lower than usual car count.
Finishing second was multi time Woodhull Raceway Street Stock Track Champion, Glenn Whritenour of Jasper with two-time 2024 feature winner, Mike Spencer completing the top three podium finishers.
Brian Butler of Hornell and 2023 Track Champion, Teddy Morseman Jr, of Cameron Mills completed the top five.
Scott Brown would lead the opening laps of the Sawyer’s Camper and RV Service Center Hobby Stock Division before giving way to Brandon Conklin who would drove by at the half-way mark of the twenty-lap feature and from there go on to his third straight victory and fourth overall in the super competitive division.
Conklin has been unstoppable the past few weeks and this week was no exception as once in front it was all over but the shouting.
Scott Brown was able to able to hold on for second which was one of his best finishes of the season as three-time 2024 feature winner, Dillion Philip would go on to compete the top three finishes.
A pair of second-generation drivers in Joe Birdsall of Canisteo and Brian Austin of Campbell would complete the top five.
After experiencing problems last week while leading the Quad C Mini Stock feature, Wesley Houghtaling was able to bounce right back this week and better his number one competitor, Danielle Morseman as he would go on to another victory with Morseman coming home second.
Thus far in 2024 Houghtaling has eight feature wins in his Front Wheel Drive while Morseman has an admirable three victories while competing in her Rear Wheel Driven Mustang with the pair accounting for all recorded feature wins.
Following the lead duo across the line was Chris Hand finishing third with Scott McCrary Jr in fourth.
Josh Stone would go on to complete the top five.
Prior to intermission the Wicked Tee’s Youth Warrior Division ran their ten-lap feature and it was Markus Kerr holding off Kayleigh Morseman for his seventh win of the season.
Try as she might Morseman had to settle for second as she is still looking for her first win since May 4, 2024.
Third place was claimed by Courtney Thomas as she was chased across the line by Cadin Thomas who was fourth with Kolston Decamp and Izzabella Morseman completing the field.
Congratulations to all competitors.
McCourt’s Collision and Big Jim’s Wicked Tee’s Night.
EMPIRE SUPER SPRINTS. (16 cars) lap feature.
JARED ZIMBARDI, Billy VanInwegen Jr., Jason Barney, Shawn Donath, Matt Tanner, Davie Franek, Jordan Thomas, Jordan Poirier, Kyle Drum, Trevor Years, Kelly Hebing, Dalton Rombough, Dan Bennett, Alex Therrien, Tyler Graves, Evan Reynolds.
INSINGER PERFORMANCE MODIFIEDS. (16 cars) 25 lap feature.
DAYTON BREWER, Russ Morseman, Brady Fultz, Stacy Jackson, Josh Keesey, Carter Crooker, Russ Morseman IV, Donnie Lawson, Chris Ostrowsky, Jake Dgien, Wally Wade, Gregg Turner. DNF, Aiden Grover, Brian Doolittle, Walt Chrywaty, Jeff Daugherty.
HOMETOWN EXCAVATION CRATE SPORTSMAN. (12 cars) 25 lap feature.
KENNY PEOPLES JR. (7), Tim Guild, Tony Harris, Cayden Lawson, Isabel Barron, Quintin Buchanan, Blake Lawson, Braylon Lawson, Glenn Trowbridge. DNF, Brandon Morseman, Braden Buchanan, Jacob Trowbridge.
EMPIRE CRUSHING RUSH CRATE LATE MODELS. (8 cars) 20 lap feature.
KURT STEBBINS, Brett Marlatt, Joe Layfield, Brian Knowles, Tim Gillespie. DNF, Rickie Loucks, Marshall O’Brian. DQ, Steve LeBarron.
SOUTHERN TIER CUSTOMS STREET STOCKS. (10 cars) 20 lap feature.
DAN GARDNER, Glenn Whritenour, Mike Spencer, Brian Butler, Teddy Morseman, Bradly Morseman, Mick Seeley, Clayton Mclean, Mike Williams, Jim Buck.
SAWYERS CAMPER AND RV SERVICE CENTER HOBBY STOCKS. (11 cars) 20 lap feature.
BRANDON CONKLIN (4), Scott Brown, Dillon Philip, Joe Birdsall, Brian Austin, Dale Houghtaling, Mike Palmer, Jason Ketrow, Drew Whritenour. DNF, Mike Carapella, Allison Pierce.
BIG JIM’S WICKED TEE’S QUAD C MIINI STOCKS. (7 cars) 20 lap feature.
WESLEY HOUGHTALING (😎, Danielle Morseman, Chris Hand, Scott McCray, Joshua Stone, Ryan Stone. DNF, , Travis Southard.
BIG JIM’S WICKED TEE’S YOUTH WARRIORS. (6 cars) 20 lap feature.
MARKUS KERR (7), Kayleigh Morseman, Courtney Thomas, Cadin Thomas, Kolston Decamp, Izzabella Morseman.