Media Contact: Steven Ovens - woodhullracewaypr@gmail.com For Immediate Release – January 16th, 2019 – Brett Knapp photo -
(WOODHULL, NY) – Sometimes the sweetest victories are those that you never expected to happen. That was the case for Chris Woodard in 2018 at Woodhull Raceway. Even up to Practice Day at the track, Woodard had no plans to race at Woodhull for the championship and didn’t even have a car prepared for Woodhull’s season opener.
Enter the No. 32 from Crooker Team 32, stage right.
The Daugherty Auto Sales & Service Mini Stock division saw an absolute take the competition to the woodshed kind of performance from Chris Woodard, to lock up his third-straight division title. Woodard teamed up with the Carter Crooker race team to drive their No. 32 and it was magic after their first race finishing outside the Top 10.
Woodard strung off six wins in a row from May 19 through June 30, winning six of the first eight points shows of 2018. He would add one more on August 25 to make it 50% of the races he won during the year- that will win you championships every time.
Woodard’s teammate Carter Crooker would go on to close out his championship run by winning the last three points races of the 2018 season. The Dependable Disposal No. 32 was dependable a lot more than it wasn’t, but not even some late season engine failures could keep Crooker and Woodard from sweeping the Mini Stock and Warriors track titles.
Ray Hyer scored two wins and finished 42 points behind Woodard for the title. But when you consider Hyer completely missed one race and encountered a black flag DQ, scoring no points for the night, it’s pretty wild to consider how close this championship ‘could’ have been. But as they say, that’s why they go out there and race.
Jason Ketrow kept with tradition, winning on Pepsi/Mountain Dew Night in 2018 while finishing third in the final standings. Kane Stebbins was a newcomer to Mini Stocks this season and scored a win on August 11, enroute to a fourth place finish in points. Scott Lehman out of Elmira Heights, NY completed the top five.
Sixth place points finisher Travis Webster locked up Rookie of the Year honors, after a solid season debuting his No. F7.
The end of the year will leave racers and fans waiting until the March 15-17 Arnot Mall Car Show in Big Flats, NY to gather together once again to bench race in preparation for the 2019 season. The season will kick off on April 6 and 13 with open practice sessions, weather permitting, before kicking off with a special event on April 20 and the complete weekly program with Big Block/Small Block Modifieds on April 27.
For more information visit www.woodhullraceway.com or visit Woodhull Raceway on their Facebook and Twitter pages.