11/22/2020
Georgetown Speedway
Stewart Friesen Closes 2020 Northeast Mod Season with $6,050 Georgetown Victory
Written by Chris Moore
GEORGETOWN, DE - Stewart Friesen book-ended the 2020
racing season at Georgetown Speedway after winning ‘The Gobbler on Saturday
night in dominant fashion.
Friesen
earned $4,000 from the posted payout in the 35-lap L&J Sheet Metal Modified
event and an additional $2,000 ‘Grandmas Gravy bonus for having perfect
attendance in the 2020 Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS)
Fueled By Sunoco. He went home to Sprakers, N.Y., with $6,050 including an
Ad-Art Sign Company heat-race victory.
“Its awesome
to close out the season with a win,â Friesen said in Victory Lane. “Weve been
close the last couple of months, a lot of seconds, I appreciate the teams hard
work.â
The hard work
paid off in a big way, as Friesen drove his big-block powered Halmar International
No. 44 to a 13-second margin of victory over the rest of the field. It was
Friesens third Georgetown Speedway victory in four appearances this season, having
previously won the Melvin L. Joseph Memorial in March and the ‘Blast at the
Beach in August.
Saturdays
program was originally scheduled for Nov. 28. However, COVID-19 restrictions
announced by Governor Carney on Tuesday limiting crowds starting Nov. 23 led
speedway management to hastily move the event up seven days. A very respectable
fanbase took in the show on an unseasonably warm afternoon.
Potsdam,
N.Y.s Mike Maresca and Pipersville, Pa.s Danny Bouc made up the front row for
the 2020 Northeast dirt-track finale. It didnt take Friesen long to make his
presence known.
The ‘20 STSS and
American Racer Cup champion climbed to second on the opening lap - and
following a restart - got around Maresca using the outside lane of the
progressively banked oval to pull ahead for good on lap two.
Frenchtown,
N.J.s Billy Pauch Jr. charged early, climbing from 10th to second in just six
laps aboard the Rick Holsten-owned No. 96. However, lap seven would be Pauch
Jr.s undoing as he slipped over the berm in turn two and fell to mid-pack.
With Pauch
Jr. mired in traffic, Middletown, N.Y.s Anthony Perrego became the driver to
watch in Gary Simpsons No. 12k. Perrego methodically climbed to second over
the course of the long green-flag run to end the race.
By the time
Perrego got to the runner-up position, Friesen had nearly a half-track advantage.
Perrego finished
second, worth $3,150 including the Downstate Dirt & Deals $100 Hard Charger
Award and a $50 Ad-Art Sign Company heat victory. Hellertown, Pa.s Rick
Laubach drove the Gary Herrmann No. 7 to a $2,000 podium finish, followed by
Maresca and Laurel, Del.s Kevin Sockriter in a strong ride aboard the Keith Coulbourne-owned
No. 55.
Danny Creeden, another New York invader, came home sixth for the second consecutive event at Georgetown. Pauch Jr. rebounded to finish seventh. Dominic Buffalino of Sayreville, N.J., finished eighth in his debut aboard the Glenn Hyneman No. 126 while fighting brake issues in the feature, while fellow Garden State resident Richie Pratt Jr., brought home his family-owned No. 28 ninth and Bouc rounded out the top-10 after pitting for a flat right-rear tire on the Craig and Leslie Pondish No. 6.
The
Chesapeake Paving/J.W. Brown Trucking Crate 602 Sportsman 25-lap main event saw
Laurel, Del.s Michael White go wire-to-wire to get his first win at Georgetown
in 2020. White earned a very hefty $2,000: $1,500 from the posted payout and
$500 in ‘Grandmas Gravy for his perfect attendance at Georgetown and the STSS
Crate 602 Sportsman South Region this season.
An emotional
White dedicated the win to his wife who is undergoing cancer treatments.
White held
off several challenges from an outside-running James Hill to pick up the victory.
Newtown, Pa.s
Joe Toth, the Georgetown Speedway champion, made a late-race pass to take the
runner up spot. Laurel, Del.s Hill, in his debut aboard a new Jeff Brown-owned
car, rounded out the podium finishers. Adam White - Mikes son - finished fourth
and Cream Ridge, N.J.s Ryan Simmons rounded out the top-five.
RUSH Late
Models ended their ‘20 racing season with Kyle Hardy towing from Linden, Va.,
to grab the $1,500 payday in the 25-lap event. Like Friesen, Hardy used the topside
of the track to perfection and won in dominant fashion.
Trevor
Collins of Seaford, Del., finished second and earned the Sunoco-sponsored
Georgetown Speedway championship, worth $750. Collins entered the night leading
by just one point over Matt Hill and four points over Amanda Whaley-Robinson,
both of whom encountered trouble in the feature.
Georgetown
native Billy Thompson was the First State Mobile Dustless Blasting Hard Charger
as he came from 13th to third. Dana Walker of Sharptown, Md.,
finished in fourth and Georgetowns Joe Pete rounded out the top-five.
Todd Sammons
won an exciting Little Lincoln 12-lap feature, his first win of the season at
the speedway. Jordan Herbert came home a close second and Bunky White rounded
out the top-three. The Little Lincolns raced for an increased $200 to win in
their season finale.
Robert Smith
outdueled his brother to grab his second win of the Georgetown season in the
12-lap Delaware Super Truck main. Smith came from 11th to pass
brother Matt Smith, who finished second, for the win. Kyle Brasure came home a
distant third to round out the podium.
Robert
Paczkowski won an incredibly eventful 12-lap Delmarva Charger feature, to grab
his elusive first win of the year. The Chargers had their highest car count of
the season with 14 cars signed in. Jay Lowman and Chris Carroll rounded out the
top-three.
Georgetown
Speedway held the distinction of opening the 20 Northeastern dirt Modified
season – pre-COVID – on the first weekend of March and wrapped up the year with
the Nov. 21 finale.
Next up for
the speedway is an Open Practice session on March 6, 2021. The Melvin L. Joseph
Memorial weekend is set for Friday-Saturday March 12-13, 2021.
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).
‘GOBBLER
RESULTS SUMMARY – GEORGETOWN SPEEDWAY NOVEMBER 21, 2020
L&J
Sheet Metal Modified Feature Finish (35 laps): STEWART FRIESEN ($6,000), Anthony
Perrego, Rick Laubach, Michael Maresca, Kevin Sockriter, Danny Creeden, Billy
Pauch Jr., Dom Buffalino, Richie Pratt Jr., Danny Bouc, Derrick McGrew, Tyler
Siri, H.J. Bunting, Brad Roberts, Jimmy Zacharias, Trent Van Vorst, Jordan
Watson, Eric Williams, Joseph Watson, John Willman.
Did Not Start:
Jim Britt
“Grandmas
Gravyâ Perfect Attendance Bonus ($2,000): Stewart Friesen
Ad-Art
Sign Company Heat Winners ($50 each): Anthony
Perrego & Stewart Friesen
American Racer/Lias Tire Bonuses (FREE Tire Certificates): Danny Bouc
(10th) & Brad Roberts (14th)
Behrents Performance Warehouse Bonuses ($50 Gift Cards): Michael
Maresca (fourth) & Richie Pratt Jr. (ninth)
Beyea Custom Headers Redraw Bonus ($50): Billy Pauch Jr. (redrew 10th)
Bill Brown & Company Heat-Race Hard Charger ($50): Billy Pauch Jr.
(gained five positions)
Downstate Dirt & Deals Hard Charger ($100): Anthony Perrego (ninth
to second)
EIBACH Springs Bonus ($100 Certificate): Danny Creeden (sixth)
Henrys Exhaust Power Position ($50 Certificate): Derrick McGrew Jr. (11th)
Sunoco Race Fuels/Insinger Performance Bonuses ($50 Certificates): Anthony
Perrego (second) & Tyler Siri (12th)
TKS Painting Services Redraw Bonuses: Michael Maresca (pole - $50) &
Danny Bouc (outside pole - $25)
Wilwood Brakes Bonus ($75 certificate): Billy Pauch Jr. (seventh)
Chesapeake
Paving/J.W. Brown Trucking Crate 602 Sportsman Feature Finish (25 laps): MICHAEL WHITE ($2,000), Joe Toth,
James Hill, Adam White, Ryan Simmons, Joey Bruning, Ryan Conrad, Brian Lilick,
Wayne Weaver, John Stevenson, Richie Walls Jr., Duane Rust, Greg Taylor,
Isabella Van Orden, Jeff Marker, Nolan Openshaw, Stacy Jackson, David Jenkins,
Tim White.
“Grandmas
Gravyâ Perfect Attendance Bonus ($500): Michael White
American
Racer/Lias Tire Bonus (FREE Tire Certificate): Joey Bruning (sixth)
Beyea Custom Headers Redraw Bonus ($25): John Stevenson (eighth)
Downstate Dirt & Deals Hard Charger ($50): Duane Rust (18th
to 12th)
RUSH Late
Model Feature Finish (25 laps): KYLE
HARDY ($1,500), Trevor Collins, Billy Thompson, Dana Walker, Joe Pete, Charles
Shawver, Robert Smith, Joey Warren, Ben Scott, Mark Pettyjohn, David Dill,
David Smith, Curtis Reed, Zac Weller, Matt Hill, William Brent James, Amanda
Robinson.
2020
Georgetown Speedway Track Champion ($750): Trevor Collins
G2 Design
Heat Winners ($50 each): Trevor
Collins & Matt Hill
First State Mobile Dustless Blasting Hard Charger ($50): Billy Thompson
(13th to third)
First State Roof & Exterior Cleaning Top Delaware Driver ($100): Trevor
Collins (second)
Little
Lincoln Feature Finish (12 laps): TODD
SAMMONS, Jordan Herbert, Bunky White, Bryan Piercy, Eric Reed, Kirk Lawson,
Wayne Seaton, M.J. White, Matt White, Sean Smith.
Delaware
Super Truck Feature Finish (12 laps): ROBERT
SMITH, Matthew Smith, Kyle Brasure, Jerry Hill, Dick Beauchamp, Zach Phillips,
Mark Townsend, Bill Dean, Clay Vincent, Greg Nailor, Steve Shores, Brian Jones,
Dale Elliott.
Delmarva
Charger Feature Finish (12 laps): ROBERT
PACZKOWSKI, Jay Lowman, Chris Carroll, Paul Gary, Justin Dunn, Randy Merritt,
Joe Waters, John Chandler, Caleb Ball, Ashley Merritt, Scott Dunn, Chris Yob,
Jeremy Long, Chris Myers.
Joe Waters
Racing Winners Bonus ($50):
Robert Paczkowski