9/15/2019
Georgetown Speedway
Rick Laubach (L&J Sheet Metal Modified) & Josh Weller (URC Sprint Car) Top ‘Wing Night at Georgetown Speedway
Written by Chris Moore
GEORGETOWN, DE – On a night where 108 cars packed the
pit area, Rick Laubach stole the show and the $3,000 payday in the first-ever ‘Wing
Night at the Georgetown Speedway.
For the first
time in Georgetowns history, the L&J Sheet Metal Modifieds utilized sail
panels as a part of the special ‘Wing Night promotion. A huge Friday night
crowd filled the historic tracks grandstands for the special event.
Despite
starting on the pole, it was anything but easy for the man known as “Scooby.â
“We just came
down to practice really,â an enthused Laubach told the crowd. “But once I drew
the pole, I said, ‘We might have a chance to win this thing.â
Laubach, of
Hellertown, Pa., was joined by Neshanic Station, N.J.s, Jimmy Horton on the
front row for the 25-lap main event.
From the drop
of starter Joe Kriss green flag, the outside lane on the half-mile oval
appeared to be the quicker groove. Horton swept around the outside of Laubach
on turn four of the opening lap and set sail at the front of the field.
Milford,
N.J.s Billy Pauch Jr., one of the favorites entering the night as the most
recent Modified winner at Georgetown, drew 10th out of a possible 10
in the redraw for the feature. It didnt take long for “The Kids Kidâ to begin
to make moves towards the front.
On lap one Pauch
Jr. passed four cars, climbing into sixth and batting Danny Bouc for the top
five.
By the time
the yellow came out on lap 10, Pauch Jr. had climbed all the way to third.
The lap 10
yellow changed the race, even if those in attendance or watching on Dirt Track
Digest.tv didnt know it. The two ensuing restarts gave Laubach a chance at
Horton, who had chosen the outside on the two restarts.
Laubach
challenged Horton from the inside row on both restarts, causing Horton to
second guess his choice of the outside row.
Following a
yellow on lap 13, Horton made the decision to try the inside and that was all
“Scoobyâ needed.
“Once I saw
he chose the inside, I gave my crew guys the thumbs up, I knew we were gonna be
tough from there,â Laubach said.
Tough he was.
Laubach raced
to the lead on the restart and never gave it back, despite several challenges
from Horton in the closing laps.
Laubach won his
first Georgetown event since November 2016 during Mid-Atlantic Championship
weekend.
Pauch Jr.
meanwhile, continued to bogged down on the bottom on restarts only to fight
back to third, but ran out of time to catch the top-two.
Danny Bouc,
of Pipersville, Pa., drove the Craig and Leslie Pondish No. 6 to a fourth-place
finish, his best at Georgetown of 2019. Duane Howard, out of Oley, Pa., drove
the Norm Hansell No. 357 to round out the top five.
Rounding out
the top 10 respectively was Montgomery, N.J.s Brandon Grosso in sixth, Boyertown,
Pa.s Ryan Watt in the Roberts owned No, 14w coming home seventh. Milford, Del.s
H.J. Bunting grabbed the eighth spot in Jake Marines No. 85 car, Dave
Dissinger of Mohrsville, Pa., jumped into his No. 88x ride to finish ninth, and
Scott Van Gorder of Laurel, Del., rounded out the top-10.
The Capitol
Renegade United Racing Club (URC) Sprint Cars made their only appearance of
2019 at Georgetown as a part of ‘Wing Night. Josh Weller of Mertztown, Pa., won
his second straight URC event at Georgetown.
Weller and
Chad Layton, the top two in points, occupied the front row and waged war for 20
laps around the banked half-mile.
Weller
grabbed the lead from the jump while Layton tailed him throughout the entirety
of the affair. As the two caught lap traffic, Wellers lead would grow and
shrink, but he never relinquished it.
The top two
in points occupied the top two spots, while Middletown, Del.s J.J. Grasso from
the seventh spot to finish third. Austin Bishop continued his excellent rookie
campaign with URC with a fourth-place finish. Multi-time champion Curt Michael
of Ocean View, Del., rounded out the top-five.
Scott
Hitchens of Dagsboro, Del., won his third Chesapeake Paving/J.W. Brown Trucking
Crate 602 Sportsman feature of 2019 following an excellent battle with Adam
White. The two have battled a lot this season down the road at Delaware
International Speedway and they fought it out for the first 10 laps on Friday
night.
Hitchens
would eventually wear down White and go around on the top side in turns one and
two and walk away with his division leading 19th career Georgetown win, worth
$1,000.
Trent Van
Vorst, John Stevenson and Michael White completed a Delaware-filled top-five
finishers.
C.J. Schirmer
won his third Southern Delaware Vintage Stock Car Feature of 2019 in a caution-filled
12-lap affair. Art Workman won the Sportsman portion of the affair. Kelly Putz
and Jamie Eicholz rounded out the top-three.
The Little
Lincoln 12-lap feature was won by local favorite Kirk Lawson, who rode the
topside to another win. Jordan Herbert and Matt White rounded out the top
three.
Robert “Pac Manâ
Paczkowski, held off a hard charging Chris “Tippyâ Martinez for his first
Delmarva Charger win of 2019. Brandon Reifler, who led the first 11 laps,
rounded out the top three after losing the lead on the final restart.
David Smith
won a hotly contested Delaware Super Truck Feature over Billy Cropper and Jerry
Hill. Despite several close calls, it was Smiths first win of 2019.
Next up at
Georgetown Speedway will be the season finale for Mid-Atlantic Championship Weekend
on Friday and Saturday, November 1-2.
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).
WING
NIGHT RESULTS SUMMARY – GEORGETOWN SPEEDWAY SEPTEMBER 13, 2019
L&J Sheet
Metal Modified Feature Finish (25 laps): RICK LAUBACH, Jimmy Horton, Billy Pauch Jr.,
Danny Bouc, Duane Howard, Brandon Grosso, Ryan Watt, H.J. Bunting, Dave
Dissinger, Scott Van Gorder, Jordan Watson, Robert Dutton, Richie Pratt Jr.,
Billy Pauch Sr., Matt Stangle, Jordn Justice, Kevin Sockriter, Jeremy
Harrington, Shawn Ward.
Capitol
Renegade United Racing Club (URC) 360 Sprint Car Feature Finish (25 laps): JOSH WELLER, Chad
Layton, J.J. Grasso, Austin Bishop, Curt Michael, Adam Carberry, Ryan Watt,
Timmy Buckwalter, Ryan Quackenbush, Troy Betts, Ed Aikin, Ryan Stillwaggon,
David Swanson, Jason Cherry, Zack Burd, Jonathan Swanson, Steven Downs.
Chesapeake
Paving/J.W. Brown Trucking Crate 602 Sportsman Feature Finish (20 laps): SCOTT HITCHENS, Adam
White, Trent Van Vorst, John Stevenson, Michael White, Matt Peck, Justin Grosso,
George Richardson, Sean Metz, Jeff Coffey, Brandon Dennis, Matt Smith, Duane
Rust, James Hill, Dwayne Crockett, Samantha Muller.
Southern
Delaware Vintage Stock Car Feature Finish (12 laps): C.J. SCHIRMER, Kelly
Putz, Jamie Eicholz, Andy Cassel, Charlie Moore, Art Workman (Sportsman winner),
Josh Smith, D.J. Cameron, Dustin Shultie, David Tucker, Robert Blann, Chris
Loveland, Todd Miller, David Tucker, David Parsons, Dave Schamp.
Little
Lincoln Feature Finish (12 laps): KIRK LAWSON, Jordan Herbert, Matt White,
Sean Smith, Wayne Seaton, Scott Calhoun, Bryan Piercy, Bunky White, Todd
Sammons, Ryan Walsen, Melvin Joseph Jr., A.J. Mitchell.
Delmarva
Charger Feature Finish (12 laps): ROBERT PACZKOWSKI, Chris Martinez, Brandon
Riefler, Ashley Merritt, Jarrett Chandler, Thomas LeCates, Greg Nailor, John
Bailey, Randy Mewitt, Jerry Barker, Hunter Bensel, Joe Waters.
Delaware
Super Truck Feature Finish (12 laps): DAVID SMITH, Billy Cropper, Jerry Hill,
Robert Smooth, Dale Elliott, Kirk Miles Sr., Robert Paczkowski, Cory Sapp, Danny
DiGrazio, Michelle Jackson, Dick Beauchamp, Billy Lockwood, Zach Phillips, Bill
Dean, Ryan Efford, Thomas Jackson, Tim Quay.