Story By: BETHEL MOTOR SPEEDWAY – WHITE LAKE, NY – Bethel Motor Speedway hosted an exciting night of short track auto racing this past Saturday under below average temperatures.
The brisk evening of racing found many of the race cars handling much different putting pit crews to action with changing set ups.
The following day Bethel Speedway along with Spinning Wheels promotions presented Smash-Up Sunday Demo Derbies which found over 120 entries on a sunny afternoon of cool autumn weather.
Ed Dachenhausen proved his driving skills in the asphalt modified feature as he stayed clear of three early race tangles as he carefully worked his way up from eighth position. Dachenhausen then used the high line to pass early race leader Fred Nees Jr. to take the lead on lap 4. Mike Dutka and Mac Crawson both overcame adversity to finish second and third at the checkers, but neither could mount a challenge on the leader as he cruised to his sixth win of the season in the Mike Barrett Plumbing # 92.
An opening lap four car tangle among the early leaders in turn two delivered a silver platter to defending champion Ed Dachenhausen as he got through the melee unscathed to win his third feature of the season in the 602 Sportsman feature. It was no Sunday drive though as he had his hands full with a challenging Jamie Yannone throughout the race. Dachenhausen crossed the checkers by one car length over Yannone. Bill Deckelman was impressive coming from ninth position to take third place.
Street Stock feature racing saw John Hechinger jumping out to lead over Gene Morton. The caution came out of lap 5 when Brent Shaddock and Walt Henry tangled in turn two. The restart found Morton taking the lead over Hechinger. On the move was Kyle Welsch and JB Morris. Morton dropped to third at the halfway point of the race as Welsch and Morris powered ahead. Morris continued to pressure Welsch’s back bumper for the remainder of the race, but it was Welsch nailing down his fourth feature win of the season over Morris and Morton.
Jack Gerzabek and Eugene Drew both led laps early in the Legends feature while Tanner Jones work his way up to challenge for the lead. Drew and Jones battled for several laps before Jones lunged ahead to solely take the lead. Drew continued to run second while a battle for third between Gerzabek and Jeff Otto Jr went on for several laps. At the checkers, it was Jones picking up his second feature win of the season over Drew and Otto.
The Four Cylinder Pure Stock racing found many entries in the feature and saw several yellows early knocking several drivers from the event including past champion, Tasha Travis. Defending Champion Dan Curry paced the early laps while current point leader Mike Travis worked his way up through the pack from fifteenth starting position. Lap 8 found Travis acquiring second position as he worked his way past Tim Curry. One lap later Travis took full control of the lead getting by D. Curry for the lead. Veteran campaigner Joe Smith was also on the move and worked by D. Curry for second spot with five laps to go. Travis who was mired in lapped traffic saw his large lead to begin to evaporate as Smith closed the gap. However, Smith ran out of laps as M. Travis picked up his fifth feature win of the season along with solidifying his point lead. Smith and D. Curry finished second and third, respectively.
Bandolero feature saw bandit Kaden Rogers leading until halfway but Monika Deckelman took full advantage of a restart to take the lead and pull away for the victory. It was the third-generation driver’s ninth victory of the season matching her race team’s # 9 which has been traditionally used by her father and grandfather as well. Logan Brundage was the top finishing beginner for the second time this season.
Local hotshoe Doug Atkins picked up his first career Vintage Modified feature win by outdueling Charlie Houghtaling in a race long battle. AJ Kitzen finished third over Jeff Hager.
The Novice Pure Stock feature saw Aiden Fabian going from the hot seat to the winner’s seat in one week of time. Fabian who had to bail out of a vehicle fire in his previous feature found luck on his side on this night as he easily led every lap to capture his first career feature win over Marcus Small and sister Leora Fabian.
Enduro racing action found Robert Beach coming through the pack from position 17 to take the lead on lap 5 while Joe Smith chased him. Beach continued to lead until the right front broke in turn 4 and came to a stop along the outside wall giving way to Smith. Shortly after bad luck hit Smith as well with mechanical woes making his car lose power and dropping out from the event. Dan Curry who started in position 16 inherited the lead and was able to keep command for the second half of the race. Tony Collinsworth began to close in on the leader but contact from another car sent him skidding into the infield hitting a large yuke tire and lost several laps. At the checkers, it was D. Curry picking up the feature win over Richie Smith and Tim DeGrote.
Demo Derby drivers Jamie Rake, Devin Todd, and Joe Armstrong were the best in smashing, taking wins and awards in a field of over 120 cars in a fun afternoon of destruction.
9/19/20 Results:
Asphalt Modified Feature: 1. Ed Dachenhausen, Danbury, CT 2. Mike Dutka 3. Mac Crawson 4. John Cote 5. Dan Archiere 6. Skip LaPolt 7. Fred Nees Jr. 8. Rick Bradley 9. Larry O’Donnell 10. John Hager
602 Sportsman Feature: 1. Ed Dachenhausen, Danbury, CT 2. Jamie Yannone 3. Bill Deckelman 4. Phil Goetschius 5. Joe Knoth 6. Chris Peloso 7. Andy Crane 8. Kyle Dunham 9. Shawn Johannessen DNS. Matt Curry DNS. Mike Trautschold
Street Stock Feature: 1. Kyle Welsch, Monticello, NY 2. JB Morris 3. Gene Morton 4. John Hechinger 5. Joel Murns 6. Bill Deak Jr. 7. Walt Henry 8. Kenny Atkins 9. Scott Sepe 10. Brent Shaddock DNS. Bob Miller DNS. Alec Graham
Legends Feature: 1. Tanner Jones, Glen Gardner, NJ 2. Eugene Drew 3. Jeff Otto Jr. 4. Jack Gerzabek 5. James Anderson 6. Jack Polan DNS. Jeffrey Lefcourt
Four Cylinder Pure Stock Feature: 1. Mike Travis, Liberty, NY 2. Joe Smith 3. Dan Curry 4. Jeff DeGroat 5. Tim Curry 6. Tisha Curry 7. Richard Smith 8. Dan Houghtaling 9. Jerry Kingeter 10. Bruce Illenberg 11. Josh Wilbur 12. Tim DeGrote 13. Dick Shaddock 14. Brandon Conklin 15. Nicole Nelson 16. Harold Kinner 17. Dan Dulin 18. Kenny Hopkins 19. JW Gannon 20. Cody Houghtaling 21. Tasha Travis 22. Vinny DeGraw DNS. Marisol Torrens DNS. Zach Jackson DNS. George VanAken
Enduro Feature: 1. Dan Curry, Swan Lake, NY 2. Richie Smith 3. Tim DeGrote 4. Joel Murns 5. Brandon Conklin 6. James O’Connell 7. Zach Jackson 8. JW Gannon 9. Sean Corr 10. Ernie Millen 11. Justin Corter 12. Larry Parnell 13. Tony Collinsworth 14. Chance O’Daire 15. Leo Barrinetti 16. Joe Smith 17. Robert Beach
Novice Pure Stock Feature 1. Aiden Fabian, Bethel, NY 2. Marcus Small 3. Leora Fabian 4. Eric Spellman 5. Alberto Lalane 6. Fawn Card 7. Brandon Kinner 8. Garrett Biagiarelli 9. Cassandra Woinoski 10. Kaitlyn Miller 11. Hailey Illenberg 12. Luke Stellino 13. Dewey Henry
Vintage Modified Feature: 1. Doug Atkins, Liberty, NY 2. Charlie Houghtaling 3. AJ Kitzen 4. Jeff Hager
Bandolero Feature; 1. Monika Deckelman, Fremont Center, NY 2. Kaden Rogers 3. Leland Oefelein 4. Isaiah Anderson Beginner Winner. Logan Brundage